Little Women During The Civil War Essay - 1962 Words

Little Women Little Women was set approximately between 1861 and 1876, during and after the Civil War. This time period is especially significant as many of the men of the household were off fighting, leaving the women behind to support and raise families. The role of the women in the 19th century was very established; there was clear definition as to what was acceptable behaviour for a woman. Women were considered physically weaker yet morally superior to men, this was interpreted as that they were best suited to domestic duties such as ‘keeping house’ and raising children. In today’s society Little Women while a very sweet book, angers many feminists as the characters definitely reiterateand support patriarchally defined roles for women thus reinforcing in those who read the story those very roles we seek to reject (Wells, 1998). Based on the morals and ideas conveyed in this text, a reader would simply assume that Alcott herself believed very strongly that a women’s main goal in life was to get married and have children. However when analysed through a biographical lens we see that in fact Alcott disagrees with many morals put forward in her novel. Due to the time period and the nature of the book, we must realise that there was meaning restrictions in place surrounding literature, specifically women’s literature. Through Alcotts carefully placed feminist messages, we can gain more insight into the reality of Victorian times. Her aspects of experiences and personalityShow MoreRelatedLittle Women During The American Civil War1348 Words   |  6 Pagesways. Sometimes the family unit, like in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, consists of everyone that is blood related. The family unit can also extend past genetic barriers and represent big groups such as everyone in the United States of America. The family unit is not exclusive of a specific classification of the members. In Little Women, the March family had to adjust due to emotional events in their family during the American Civil War period. Little Women is a novel set in the early 1860s aboutRead MoreWomen s Rights During The Civil War1065 Words   |  5 Pages Women s Rights In the Civil War Time Period Before the war, women had very little rights. A married woman could not control property that was hers before marriage, keep control of her wages, acquire property while married, she could not transfer or sell property, she couldn’t even bring a lawsuit. A husband could do anything he wished to with a woman’s material. He could sell them, break them, and his wife couldn t sell or give away the exact same things. It was immensely unfairRead MoreLittle Women And The Civil War903 Words   |  4 PagesLittle Women and the Civil War. The Civil War served as much more than the fight for civil economies and a struggle to end slavery. What lied in the foreground of the civil war are images of unions and confederate soldiers rummaging through forest of the American South and thoughts of slaves gaining their long sought freedom. However most people do not consider the lingering backdrop of the war. That would be the effects the war would have on the changing gender roles. The new gender roles formedRead MoreThe Role Of Women During The Civil War1418 Words   |  6 Pagesof Women in the Civil War Lakiya Saunders Central High School November 9, 2015 3rd Period â€Æ' Abstract Women’s role in the civil war is very important. One point of time in life women did not have any other role but mother and wife. Being able to help out with war, no matter what it was you were doing was a big turning point for women back then. It brought women a little independence, it gave women a name. The Roles of Women in the Civil War During my research I found several roles women playedRead MoreThe Effects Of Slavery On Women During The Civil War877 Words   |  4 Pagesintellectual movement that believes the civil war was fought over honor and ideals instead of slavery, is because Southern Women saw the Civil War as a war on one of the fundamentals that made up their way life. My research paper is about understanding the effects that slavery had on women during and prior to the civil war, and how the absence of slavery effected them. This research will be used in order to paint a picture of how slavery effect all southern women, whether they were rich plantation ownersRead MoreThe Civil War And American History890 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica took place throughout the Civil War. Events that escalated before, during and even following the Civil War resulted in a chain of reactions from many people within that period. After analyzing the events of the Civil War, I was able to draw a connection to the actions of the soldiers, women and Black Americans and how they were consistent with Christian faith. Prior to emphasizing how Americans were consistent with Christian faith, first it is vital to know a little background information on thatRead MoreThe Civil War Was A Devastating Time For The United States Of America883 Words   |  4 PagesThe Civil War was a devastating time for the United States of America. During this time the United States was divided. The Civil War was a four year long battle. It is known as one of the bloodiest battles ever fought. Consequently it was fought between people of the same country. We were divided between the North and the South. The cause of the Civil War was slavery. The North was against it and wanted slavery abolished. On the other hand the South did not want to part with slavery. Both the NorthRead MoreElizabeth Cady Stanton : Women s Rights978 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the late 1830s through the late 1870s women had little to no rights when it came to certain situations. Some women Such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Catherine Beecher and Mar y Livermore all had their different opinions on women rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton who was a woman activist believed that when it comes to marriage a woman should have the same equal opportunities as a man. Catherine Beecher a prominent writer believed that women should have no rights when it comes to abolition societiesRead MoreWomen Of The Civil War1720 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Civil War, it was erected to make sure the men would not have died in vain, and after reading it I could not help but to ask myself, â€Å"Are we to let the women?† Kids will learn of the Civil War starting in elementary school, and will continue to do so as far as their education leads them. They will learn of the brave men who fought for their beliefs and rights, brother who fought against brother, and the men who led these soldiers into battle. There is, however, one side of the Civil War whichRead MoreThe American Civil War : Censorship And The Passage Of Time1603 Words   |  7 Pages The Am erican Civil War has captured the popular imagination of the world for more than a hundred and fifty years. Academic scholars and neophyte history buffs alike have published thousands of books on the subject, adding to a growing canon of Civil War literature and knowledge. Little attention is paid, however, to the intimate personal lives and sexual intimacies of the people who lived during that crucial period in American history. Historians pay even less attention to those figures who existed