Little Women also inspired numerous movies, including the 1933 classic, starring Katharine Hepburn as Jo, and Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne is best known for his novels 'The Scarlet Letter' and 'The House of Seven Gables,' and also wrote many short stories. The Gothic tales and thrillers that Alcott published pseudonymously between 1863 and 1869 were collected and republished as Behind a Mask (1975) and Plots and Counterplots (1976), and an unpublished Gothic novel written in 1866, A Long Fatal Love Chase, was published in 1995. ― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women. Mujercitas (en inglés, Little Women o Little Women or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) es una novela de la escritora estadounidense Louisa May Alcott publicada el 30 de septiembre de 1868, que trata la vida de cuatro niñas que, tras pasar la adolescencia con la Guerra Civil en los Estados Unidos como fondo, entre 1861 y 1865, se convierten en mujeres. Work: A Story of Experience (1873), based on Alcott’s own struggles, tells the story of a poor girl trying to support herself by a succession of menial jobs. Famed author Louisa May Alcott created colorful relatable characters in 19 th century novels. In 1862, she also adopted the pen name A.M. Barnard, and some of her melodramas were produced on Boston stages. The book traces the differing personalities and fortunes of four sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March) as they emerge from childhood and encounter the vicissitudes of employment, society, and marriage. Alcott’s books for younger readers have remained steadfastly popular, and the republication of some of her lesser-known works late in the 20th century aroused renewed critical interest in her adult fiction. As a result, her writing style greatly impacted American literature. Learn more about Alcott’s life and literary career in this article. Alcott was a best-selling novelist of the late 1800s, and many of her works, most notably Little Women, remain popular today. Louisa May Alcott is most famous for her novel Little Women (1868–69), an autobiographical text about a cheery family of modest means. The latter works are unusual in their depictions of women as strong, self-reliant, and imaginative. She volunteered as a nurse after the American Civil War began, but she contracted typhoid from unsanitary hospital conditions and was sent home. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louisa-May-Alcott, HistoryNet - Biography of Louisa May Alcott, National Women's History Museum - Biography of Louisa May Alcott, Louisa May Alcott - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Louisa May Alcott - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Dorothy Day was an activist who worked for such social causes as pacifism and women's suffrage through the prism of the Catholic Church. Alcott also wrote other domestic narratives drawn from her early experiences: An Old-Fashioned Girl (1870); Aunt Jo’s Scrap Bag, 6 vol. She was also the fourth female to win a Nobel Prize for Literature. During the Civil War, she went to Washington, D.C. to work as a nurse. Based on her recollections of her own childhood, Little Women describes the domestic adventures of a New England family of modest means but optimistic outlook. Late in life she adopted her namesake, Louisa May Nieriker, daughter of her late sister, May. https://www.biography.com/writer/louisa-may-alcott. His idealistic approach to life focused on spiritual growth and radical self-denial, which left his family in constant poverty. Louisa May Alcott’s father, Bronson Alcott, was a Transcendentalist educator who frequently entertained friends such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Alcott also tried her hand at adult novels, such as Work (1873) and A Modern Mephistopheles (1877), but these tales were not as popular as her other writings. (1872–82); Eight Cousins (1875); and Rose in Bloom (1876). Louisa May Alcott, (born November 29, 1832, Germantown, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died March 6, 1888, Boston, Massachusetts), American author known for her children’s books, especially the classic Little Women (1868–69). Her education was largely under the direction of her father, for a time at his innovative Temple School in Boston and, later, at home. Barnard”—were lurid and violent tales. Her work introduced readers to educated strong female heroines. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Author Ayn Rand wrote the best-selling books 'The Fountainhead' and 'Atlas Shrugged,' and promoted the philosophy of Objectivism. Alcott wrote the book over several months at the request of her publisher. Her other books include Little Men (1871), Eight Cousins (1875) and Jo's Boys (1886). This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. She also submitted work regularly to The Atlantic Monthly and published several short stories and other novels for youth, but none were as successful as Little Women. Famed novelist Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Dustcover of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel. Except for a European tour in 1870 and a few briefer trips to New York, she spent the last two decades of her life in Boston and Concord, caring for her mother, who died in 1877 after a lengthy illness, and her increasingly helpless father. Louisa May Alcott died of a stroke in 1888. But it was her account of her Civil War experiences, Hospital Sketches (1863), that confirmed Alcott's desire to be a serious writer. Like “Love is a great beautifier.” ― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women. tags: spinsters, women. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The story follows the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and details their passage from childhood to womanhood. Corrections? Robert Frost was an American poet who depicted realistic New England life through language and situations familiar to the common man. Louisa May Alcott (Germantown, Pensilvania; 29 de noviembre de 1832 - Boston, Massachusetts; 6 de marzo de 1888) fue una escritora estadounidense, reconocida por su famosa novela Mujercitas (1868). ', Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian novelist and author of 'Things Fall Apart,' a work that in part led to his being called the 'patriarch of the African novel. Omissions? 760 likes. Alcott wrote the books over several months at the request of her publisher. Unknown to most people, Alcott had been publishing poems, short stories, thrillers and juvenile tales since 1851, under the pen name Flora Fairfield. In 1869 Alcott was able to write in her journal: “Paid up all the debts…thank the Lord!” She followed Little Women’s success with two sequels, Little Men: Life at Plumfield with Jo’s Boys (1871) and Jo’s Boys and How They Turned Out (1886). The great success of Little Women gave Alcott financial independence and created a demand for more books. Kurt Vonnegut was an American author best known for the novels Cat's Cradle, Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions. Some modern researchers have found her ailments later in life symptomatic of lupus. He won four Pulitzer Prizes for his work and spoke at John F. Kennedy's 1961 inauguration. Prolific author Pearl S. Buck earned a Pulitzer Prize for her novel 'The Good Earth.' She taught briefly, worked as a domestic, and finally began to write. Louisa May Alcott wrote many works in every genre — conservatively, more than two hundred, over a career that spanned almost forty years — … Louisa May Alcott was an American author who wrote the classic novel 'Little Women,' as well as various works under pseudonyms. The publication of her letters in book form, Hospital Sketches (1863), brought her the first taste of fame. She began to publish stories under her real name in Atlantic Monthly and Lady's Companion, and took a brief trip to Europe in 1865 before becoming editor of a girls' magazine, Merry's Museum. (863 from 1001) - Little Women (Little Women #1), Louisa May Alcott Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), which was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. Famed novelist Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Alcott was taught by her father, Amos Bronson Alcott, until 1848, and studied informally with family friends such as Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Theodore Parker. Alcott produced potboilers at first and many of her stories—notably those signed “A.M. Louisa May Alcott, American author known for her children’s books, especially the classic Little Women. Louisa May Alcott, author, b. in Germantown, Pa., 29 Nov., 1832; d. in Boston, Mass., 6 March, 1888. Over the final years of her life, she turned out a steady stream of novels and short stories, mostly for young people and drawn directly from her family life. Her own health, never robust, also declined, and she died in Boston two days after her father’s death. 662 likes. Residing in Boston and Concord, Massachusetts, Alcott worked as a domestic servant and teacher, among other positions, to help support her family from 1850 to 1862. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Madeleine L'Engle was chiefly a children's author known for such works as 'Meet the Austins' and 'A Wrinkle in Time. The financial woes that had troubled the Alcott family were finally over as Little Women launched the author as a literary star. The home of Bronson Alcott and his family, including his daughter Louisa May Alcott, in Concord, Massachusetts, wood engraving, 1875. Her health had been flagging for decades prior, however, and she wrote in her journal that she frequently suffered from exhaustion, headaches, nerve issues, and digestive pain. Her novel Little Women gave Alcott financial independence and a lifetime writing career. ', Mark Twain, the writer, adventurer and wily social critic born Samuel Clemens, wrote the novels 'Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and 'Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.’. Alcott’s stories began to appear in The Atlantic Monthly (later The Atlantic), and, because family needs were pressing, she wrote the autobiographical Little Women (1868–69), which was an immediate success. Alcott was a best-selling novelist of the late 1800s, and … Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Jan and John join in a "Prelude to a Virtual Book Launch" by discussing his new book, A Worse Place Than Hell - How the Civil War Battle of Fredericksburg Changed a Nation prior to the actual event on Tuesday, February 9th at 7:00 pm. She died in 1888. Little Women created a realistic but wholesome picture of family life with which younger readers could easily identify. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Updates? Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Additional Biographical Sketch of Louisa May Alcott. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. A Modern Mephistopheles, which was published pseudonymously in 1877 and republished in 1987, is a Gothic novel about a failed poet who makes a Faustian bargain with his tempter. Alcott realized early that her father was too impractical to provide for his wife and four daughters; after the failure of Fruitlands, a utopian community that he had founded, Louisa Alcott’s lifelong concern for the welfare of her family began. Alcott was born on November 29, 1832 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Louisa May Alcott was an American author who wrote under various pseudonyms and only started using her own name when she was ready to commit to writing. 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