Women's Struggle to Fit into Society in Little Women The Victorian era hailed many prolific authors, most of them men. A woman who wanted to become a writer during this time was not respected and would have been accused of being fanciful and fickle. However, women like Louisa May Alcott redefined the standards and followed her heart with her pen in writing Little Women. The novel follows the lives of the four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March – detailing their transition from childhood to womanhood while trying to find their place in society. Although much has changed over the past fifty years, gender roles still have a huge impact on society. Unfortunately, breaking gender roles is not easy; because women still do most of the housework, but they are expected to do more. Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women, was a struggling author in the 19th century, trying to challenge female stereotypes. In the novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, the theme of women's struggle for place in society due to gender roles is illustrated through the historical context and characters presented in the novel. Louisa May Alcott, one of many women struggling to find their place in society has managed to defy female stereotypes. Many events in Louisa's life led her to write her famous novel Little Women. Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1839. Her family consisted of four other daughters: Anna, Elizabeth and May Alcott. Many can say that the March family in Little Women was based on the Alcott family. Even though she had a hardworking father, he was unable to provide his family with a stable income which brought them to the brink of poverty. Right in the middle of paper... Not every little woman can achieve her dream without reality altering her vision. Works CitedAlcott, Louisa May, “Little Women.” Canterbury Classics: San Diego. 2012. Greene, Jessica Brook, “A Woman's Legacy: An Analysis of Feminist Themes in the Work of Louisa May Alcott” (2000). University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects. http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1383&context=utk_chanhonoprojLaire, Delphine, “Little Women, a Feminist Study” (2008-2009). Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University.http://lib.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/001/366/158/RUG01-001366158_2010_0001_AC.pdfFetterley, Judith, “Little Women: Alcott's Civil War”http: //www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3177602?uid=2&uid=4&sid=21103292006007