Feminism in Little Women

 Little Women, a film based in in the 1800s, follows the lives of four sisters who all have their own paths to live. The film is heart warming because of its depiction of the quirky yet loving relationship the sisters have. It also contains themes of women empowerment, marriage, and war which the sisters have to endure and overcome. The sisters are in a time where women need to marry well to be rich and the possibility of becoming rich on their own is rare. They come from a family of poverty and all have different paths they want for their life which they soon discover all have different obstacles and endings. This film is a friendly depiction of women in the first wave of feminism. One of the sisters wrote literature and was a big supporter of women's rights. She constantly brought up the argument of women being able to achieve what men did and why they were limited to housekeeping and gender roles we know today. When proposed to, she refused on the one notion that marriage was not for her but rather a life of education and career, which was not traditional for a woman in those times. Her sisters however, were different and viewed marriage as a power class move or a happy ending. This can be seen as the struggles feminists face when trying to fight for women's rights. Some women did not realize the position they were in, even in the old days. The women who did want something more than the traditional role was seen as rebellious, and tomboyish like the protagonist of the movie. The first wave of feminism is my favorite wave because of the place it has brought us women to. We are able to be who we can be instead of society or men telling us. I believe women have come a long way but we have to recognize our limitations as well. I will not go deeper into that but Little Women is a good feel watch for sure. 

What is your favorite wave of feminism? Are feminists pushing the bar nowadays?

Little Women (2019) adapts a classic story for a contemporary audience – The Newtonite

Comments

  1. BrandiFebruary 10, 2024 at 9:39 PM

    I think each wave of feminism has contributed to the progress of women's rights, and each wave has strengths and criticisms. While the first wave made significant strides for women's legal and political rights, I think the following waves expanded the feminist movement and not only included more than political and legal rights but recognized that women's experiences were different based on factors like race and class. Even though the first wave of feminism had limitations, it paved the way for the movement to expand, challenge gender inequality, and advocate for women's rights.

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  2. Madelyn BushmanFebruary 13, 2024 at 7:48 PM

    I am currently analyzing Little Women for feminist perspectives and themes in my pop culture analysis. Greta Gerwig, the director and writer, did a beautiful job at incorporating feminist themes and perspectives that left a feeling of empowerment to the audience. The film conveyed feminism as all four sisters were trying to find their way in the world but were different in their personalities, visions of their future, and even their views and opinions. Little Women did a great job at depicting women in the first wave of feminism, and I agree with how it’s your favorite wave because of the place it has brought us women too.
    I believe that each wave of feminism has paved the way more for women’s rights as women now have more opportunities and are receiving more recognition for their talent and skills. It’s hard to pick which wave of feminism is my favorite as they are all so important for different reasons, but I do find the second-wave feminism to be fascinating as it focuses on the goals of equal rights & opportunities for women and men, which means that both women and men can be stay-at-home parents, doctors, police officers, etc. The second wave allowed women to show everyone that they are capable and qualified from their skills, talents, knowledge, and more.

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