This paper explores the depiction of women in the novel Little Women according to a Feministic perspective. The current focus is on the representation of women in class and gender through characters in a novel from nineteenth-century America. It is a descriptive qualitative study based on a portrayal of women by feminist theorist Showalter. Showalter believes that women can do extraordinary things and work hard to achieve their societal rights because women are socially constructed. The paper argues about the positive and negative nature of females shown in this novel. Further, this paper shows how females make sacrifices to serve their families and their needs and empower themselves. It attempts to describe four different depictions of women in the society of nineteenth-century America. Thus, this study is a feminist intimation made throughout the novel by Louisa May Alcott as an impact of different types of feminism started with Showalter. The female portrayal depicted in this novel shows the image of women existing in real society as being proud, hard workers, weak, and selfish.
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Volume 1 | Issue 1 | Year 2023 | Article Id: LLL-V1I1P102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.59232/LLL-V1I1P102
Vanity, Temper, Timidity & Selfishness: Female Portrayal in “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
Ayesha Ashraf
| Received | Revised | Accepted | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Feb 2023 | 17 Feb 2023 | 25 Feb 2023 | 31 Mar 2023 |
Citation
Ayesha Ashraf. “Vanity, Temper, Timidity & Selfishness: Female Portrayal in “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott.” DS Journal of Language, Linguistics and Literature, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 8-14, 2023.
Abstract
Keywords
Female portrayal, Female depiction, An image of women, Hardworking, Extraordinary
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