Annotated Bibliography

Murphy, Ann B. “The Borders of Ethical, Erotic, and Artistic Possibilities in ‘Little Women.’” The Ideology of Mothering: Disruption and Reproduction of Patriarchy, vol. 15, no. 3, 1990, pp. 562-585. JSTOR.

In this article, Murphy discusses the ambiguity present throughout Little Women, and how a close analysis of the novel can reveal it to contain “subversive content which resists women's objectification and seeks a new vision of women's subjectivity and space” (564). She compares Alcott’s Jo to Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, pointing out how both characters reject societal pressures, instead choosing their own paths. Murphy’s discussion of the problems Jo faces as a budding feminist in the novel’s nineteenth-century setting highlights the ways in which Little Women promotes the liberation of women and uncovers their value. The article also discusses the artistic aspirations and creativity of the characters, especially Jo, throughout the novel. This source is useful to me because I too am arguing that the novel contains feminist narratives. Murphy’s article will help me make this case by providing evidence of Jo’s feminism, such as rejecting Laurie’s marriage proposal and supporting her family financially through writing. Also, the article’s discussion of art as a significant element in the novel will also be helpful, as it will provide evidence for my claim that Little Women also illuminates the value of art and creativity.

Fetterley, Judith. “‘Little Women’: Alcott’s Civil War.” Feminist Studies, vol. 5, no. 2, 1979, pp. 369-383. JSTOR.

This article discusses Luisa Alcott’s life and her other works outside of the Little Women trilogy, focusing specifically on her sensationalist fiction, and relating Alcott’s real life to the “conflict between [Little Women’s] overt messages and its covert messages” (371). In the article, Fetterley argues that Luisa Alcott faced an internal conflict about her true desires and yearn for freedom and societal expectations during the nineteenth century, as evidenced in the different styles of her writings. Fetterley claims that this internal conflict is also seen throughout Little Women, in which, she argues that the Civil War going on throughout the story is representative of the novel’s conflict between domesticity and feminist revolt. This source will be helpful because it supports my claim that Little Women contains feminist underpinnings. This article will be helpful, as it will enable me to use Luisa Alcott’s real life as evidence for my argument about the novel’s feminism.