Louisa May Alcott: The real Jo March

 

Louisa May Alcott: The real Jo March

     Almost every young woman in America would say they have read Little Women--or at least seen the movie. From Wynona Ryder to Saoirse Ronan, there have been thousands of adaptations of Little Women both onstage and onscreen. Everyone knows the classic novel, but how many people know the woman behind it all? It's a common misconception that Little Women is simply the life of the famous author, Louisa May Alcott. Though, that isn't entirely untrue. Many aspects of the Little Women story and the March sisters life was inspired by Alcott's life. But how much of it? 

      Alcott was born on November 29, 1832 in Philadelphia. Like her characters, Louisa was one of four daughters and was very close with her sisters. Her parents were part of the religious, transcendentalist movement. Bronson Alcott, Louisa's father, was friends with many intellectual people. Louisa spent much of her time around famous figures like Henry David Thoreau, Nathanial Hawthorne, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Bronson Alcott did famously inspire Mr. March in the novel, though he never served in the Union Army. It was actually Louisa who offered her assistance to the cause as a nurse. Louisa May Alcott's mother, Abby, was not exactly the Marmee we know in the novel. But it is widely known that she was incredibly supportive of her daughters artistic desires--Louisa with her writing and May Alcott's painting. To encourage her writing, Louisa's parents had a small writing desk made into the wall at Orchard House even though writing wasn't really an encouraged hobby for young women to have. 

      What about the March sisters? Louisa's sisters were Anna, Elizabeth, and May. Anna was widely known for her feminine charm and her sweetness, much like Meg March in the novel. However, Anna did not marry a tutor--she actually married a fellow actor in her drama group. The descriptions of Meg March's wedding in the novel were actually heavily based on Louisa's account of her sister's actual wedding which did in fact take place at their home. Sadly, Louisa's real sister Elizabeth, or Beth, did die quite young. She did love the piano and was known for her quiet gentleness. Like in the novel, Elizabeth contracted scarlet fever and died on March 14th, 1858. May Alcott, the real Amy, was an artist on and off the page. Although they did not share the bitterness between them that Amy and Jo have. May actually illustrated one of the first copies of Little Women and Louisa funded a trip for them both abroad to help with May's artistic inspiration. May actually went on to tutor Daniel Chester French, the man who created the Lincoln Memorial. 

     

      Since the beginning, authors have taken inspiration from real life events. I've done this many times myself and I know many other authors who have as well. Inspiration does not have to come from lightbulb moments or dramatic realizations. Sometimes something as simple as the way we live our lives with the people we love the most can make the best stories. Little Women will always be a classic novel as it tells the story of sisterly love and domestic struggles. Thank you, Louisa May Alcott, for such a beautiful tale that will remain on our shelves for decades.  

"I've had lots of troubles so I write jolly tales."

Louisa May Alcott