This study explores how binary oppositions in the personality of Jo March, depicted in Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women, deconstruct the character’s writing adventure. This research uses deconstructive criticism to examine Josephine’s material conditions, other characters’ responses to the girl’s writing, and her attitude towards other characters’ stereotypical gender norms. Consequently, the given work will make it possible to observe the impact of Jo’s feminine and masculine binary features, which mainly emphasize that a woman of this time earns a living. The paper will cover the shift in Jo’s writing from being a hobby to becoming a career.
The coming-of-age novel Little Women was written by Louisa May Alcott in the 19th century. The role and social status of women were gradually improving at the time the book was being written. However, the progress was minuscule and slowed, like with any shifts in societal standards. As a result, the novelist decided to illuminate these pressing issues in the book. Among the evident themes are those of family, work, and gender stereotypes pertaining to both men and women. The author depicts four sisters with polarized characters and paths in the given novel. Such an approach allowed Alcott to present four different ways of dealing with social norms, pressures, and expectations in the 19th century. The paths included either marrying young, remaining obedient to one’s parents, dedicating one’s life to pleasure, or seeking one’s true calling.
Jo March is the last sister who chose to explore her abilities and pursue her ambitions. Since the beginning of the novel, the young girl has shown her nonconforming personality, making her different from the rest of the sisters. This character is a hot-tempered, goal-oriented, persistent 15-year-old girl who skillfully combines both ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ personality traits the way they are traditionally perceived in society. Even the girl’s approach to her name indicates the binary opposition in the character since her full name is Josephine, but she prefers a masculine-sounding version, Jo. Throughout the plot, it is clear that Jo strives to achieve great heights in her life. While not acting as a conventional woman of her century, Jo March chooses to defy traditional gender standards and desires to write a novel.
However, it is reasonably arguable that Jo March wants to fight solely for equality, independence, and minority rights. What is frequently omitted in many analyses of the character and the novel itself is the fascinating writing path of Jo. While it is clear that Jo March’s character combines binary oppositions, it is worth considering their impact on the writing path of the character. The young, ambitious girl finds her ultimate life goal “to do something very splendid” by combining masculine and feminine traits and developing her writing skills (Alcott 60).
Works Cited
Alcott, Louisa May. Little Women. Penguin Books, 2013.
Aprilia, Cheristine, and Tomi Arianto. “Binary Oppositions as the Result of Deconstruction Analysis in the Goldfinch Novel By Donna Tartt.” Jurnal Basis, vol. 8, no. 1, 2021, pp. 65-74.
Smith, Shardai. “Dismantling Gender Roles and Redefining Womanhood in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.” Locus: The Seton Hall Journal of Undergraduate Research, vol. 4, no. 1, 2021, pp. 1-10.
Theodorou, Agapi. Jo’s Progeny: Tracing the Girl Writer, 1868–1964. Diss. Middle Tennessee State University, 2013.