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This paper examines the significance of Jo March’s writing in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women in the context of the discourse on ‘True Womanhood’ in the mid-19th century. Jo March is an active, imaginative, creative individual and has the potential to succeed as a writer. Jo’s indulgence in reading and aspiration as a writer are indicative of alternative exploration of the gender roles of the time. However, there were many restrictions on what female writers should and should not write about at that time. She writes sensation stories to make money, which is described very negatively. However, sensation stories should not be regarded as simply low-quality literature without much literary value. They could portray women differently and provide a wide range of materials to write about. In the novel, Jo March’s moral maturity as a woman comes at the cost of suppressing her passion as a writer. The ‘successful’ work completed by Jo is depicted as a result of such moral maturity. However, Jo’s ‘growth’ as a writer could only be possible through her acceptance of the gender role imposed by society and the archetype of female artists based on piety, purity, and submission. So the achievement can be said to have been paid with her imagination, creativity, and vitality. It is clear that Jo reflects the ideal image of a woman and a female artist based on the culture of the time, but the novel also shows the possibility of overcoming the restrictions that come with it by showing what was sacrificed in the process. That’s one of the reasons why the work has a timeless appeal.
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Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, sensation stories, True Womanhood, women’s writing
