A conversation topic throughout
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott which intrigued me most was the definition of
independence. The comparison between the March sisters’ definition of
independence and the modern definition of the word had me contemplating how I
define it and whether or not I have achieved it. As in most aspects, Jo seems
to take the most liberated stance. Her definition of independence is probably
closest to the modern-day definition than any of the other sisters.
According to Jo, part of
being independent is not accepting help from others, especially if it is coming
out of pity. She says, “I don’t like favors; they oppress and make me feel like
a slave; I’d rather do everything for myself, and be perfectly independent”
(297). After she says this, Alcott makes it clear that Jo has made a mistake in
vocalizing this opinion by stating that Jo has deprived herself years of fun as
a result of her statements. As it turns out, Aunt Carol invites Amy to Europe
with her instead of Jo. Jo’s do-it-yourself attitude and unwillingness to
accept help from others was punished. Accomplishing goals by oneself was how Jo
defined independence but it was clearly not how Alcott wanted to teach it. In
America, most individuals would also take pride in the fact that they
accomplished their goals on their own, but it is not often that people can
reach the top without help from others along the way.
Another aspect to independence
regards financial stability. Money is discussed heavily throughout the novel
and Jo, in particular, finds satisfaction in making her own money through
writing and selling sensational stories. Alcott writes that Jo took “great
comfort in the knowledge that she could supply her own wants, and need ask no
one for a penny” (269). However, not all of the sisters feel this same comfort.
Meg is happy to spend her husband’s money, but just wishes he had more. As I have
gotten older, my desire to make my own money has continuously grown. Wealth is
highly valued in society today and is definitely seen as an indicator of
independence.
Although the definition
of independence has evolved over the past 150 years, there are elements that
have remained the same. Independence is about being self-sufficient. It’s about
having the power to make your own decisions and support yourself financially.
Even though I may believe I am independent as a 20-year-old college student, I
am not completely there yet, and that’s okay. It’s cool to know that being
independent in the 21st century means striving for so much more than
it did when the March sisters were striving for it.
I think it is an interesting view to examine the change in independence from the time that Little Woman was written to modern day independence. I believe that a large part of modern day independence stems from major life changes. For example, when one gets their driver’s license they have earned the stage of independence in that they are able to drive themselves whenever they would like. When people go to college, they are considered to be independent because they have taken the next big life step and moved out. However, this is very different from independence at the time of the novel. As we discussed in class, independence meant something very different to the March sisters. For example, for Jo independence meant being able to be who she truly was. For Meg, independence meant being able to have her own thoughts. Both of these views differ from today’s view of independence. Being able to be who you are and have your own thoughts is considered normal, it is not something that is considered independence. I think that it is interesting to examine how independence differed in the time of the novel, and I think it will be an interesting topic to continue examining as we finish the novel.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do think that in practice independence has changed from the setting of "Little Women" to now, I don't think that the concept has changed too much. The ways in which independence is gained nowadays is obviously different, with going away to college being the main way that young people learn to be and become independent from their parents. However, in the time that "Little Women" was written, independence was mainly achieved through marriage, at least for women. An example of this is what Meg's life becomes when she is married. In Chapter 28, Alcott describes how Meg keeps her own home (although not always successfully) and exercises her own desires on how it looks, and how she spends her days making it fit her vision. Today, the path for a woman like Meg to independence might be through education, so that she doesn't have to only live on her poor husband's dime. Nowadays, independence is more about becoming wealthy enough to support yourself, which wasn't something as many women desired back then.
ReplyDeleteThe concept of independence hasn't changed much, however. The allure of independence in both periods is that you can make your own decisions about your life, without having to bend to the will of others. You can still be aided in both time periods, as Meg is still by her family and John, but she has a greater control over what she can now do with her time.