Character Analysis In Little Women

This is a topic suggestion onCharacter Analysis in Little Women from Paper Masters. Use this topic or order a custom research paper, written exactly how you need it to be. The main characters of the novel are Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March.

• Meg is sweet tempered and 16 years old.
• Jo is the tom-boy, 15 years old and quite outspoken
• Beth 13, is shy and delicate.
• 12 year old Amy is the spoiled baby sister

In Little Women, Louisa May Alcott combines "good" and "bad" traits to turn Jo March into a realistic character. Jo is rebellious and independent, two traits that were viewed negatively during the 19th Century. Over the course of the book, though, these characteristics are largely tamed as Jo accepts a marriage proposal from Professor Bhaer and succumbs to a more domestic life. One can either see this transformation as a failure of a woman's independent spirit or a triumph of domestic life. Regardless, Alcott's combination of characteristics made Jo one of the first flawed characters in a 19th Century novel. Even though she did things that surprised, and sometimes shocked, readers, she had a likable quality that made the audience root for her.

The Characters in Little Women

Amy, the youngest of the March sisters, is very different from Jo. Amy is a talented artist, but she enjoys acting properly. By meeting the expectations of society, she finds that she can easily manipulate most of the people around her. She also finds that she gets everything that she wants in life. Given the differences between Amy and Jo, it is easy to see the younger sister as a foil to Jo's outgoing, headstrong approach to life. Perhaps the greatest difference between the two, however, is that Amy gets pleasure from behaving properly while Jo gets more satisfaction from living on her own terms. In the end, there are positive and negative aspects to both approaches to life.