1. MSUD HIS 1650 WMS 1650 United States Women’s History Film Review Paper
“Little Women: A Portrayal of Women during the Civil War Era”
By: MaryEllen Elizabeth Hart
D R A F T Monday, July 21, 2014
Due Sunday, July 27, 2014

2. Thesis statement:
Historically civilizations have elevated women into leadership roles based upon their inherited
status, available leadership, personal education, wisdom, courage, integrity and functional need.
During any period in history, civilizations were united under male hegemony while remarkable
women reigned in the minority. In this film review paper, “Little Women: A Portrayal of Women
During the Civil War Era”, the prevailing discussion is based upon the human spirit engendered
in flesh seeking integrity and rights of expression and stewardship of personal gifts alongside
others within our diverse coexisting multicultural society (i.e.” coming of age”). In other words
“Little Women” Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March face the challenges of being young women
within United States of America during the Civil War. “Little Women”, grow in maturity, gifts,
expression and strength of their individual personalities.
Reading our brilliantly researched textbook, “Women and the Making of America” written by
Mari Jo Buhle, Teresa Murphy, and Jane Gerhard, Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey, was
created to favor the reality and remembrance of successful matriarchs within the United States of
America, and portray Matriarchs (women leaders) throughout time. While United States of
America was created under male hegemony, courageous, intelligent women equipped, helped,
nurtured, encouraged Patriarchal leadership, and national cultural parameters: (Constitution and
Bill of Rights, business, education, cultural Alliances, Councils, Associations and freedoms)
while rising into leadership themselves beyond great challenges. Our textbook has emphasized
the historically proven keys to women’s (or anyone’s) elevated status is inherited status, wealth,
and or a good education. United States of America gave status to and equipped Women for
International leadership roles first and foremost with a pioneering spirit for Life, Liberty and
Pursuit of Happiness and Property; second: with our profound Constitution (first in the world)
and Bill of Rights (best in the world) leading to compulsory education for all regardless of race,
gender, religion, age, or political affiliation (first in the world). Education leading to the
emergence of wisdom and genius is the key in creating a gender balanced society where
Patriarchal and Matriarchal leadership and the cult of domesticity dance and where one’s Creator
endowed “natural” gifts and abilities are nurtured within our feminine womb-earth and furthered
within Patriarchal hands.
“Little Women” is a portrayal of such education and rising. The March sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth
and Amy maturing during the Civil War in Concord, Massachusetts in a quaint, pleasantly
adequate middle class two parent, three story home, are blossoming in fragrant domestic
expressions of womanhood and marriage and family (stereotypical of women within a New
England middle class family during the Civil War). Marmee (Mother) is a nurturing presence
while Father, a traditional yet compassionate Patriarch, is away in the war. All four of the Little
Women are uniquely talented in domestic capabilities, reading, writing, music, equestrian skills,
and social graces dramatically and passionately in love with each other and their family, friends
(extended family) and community. Little Women is a literary sketch of a few of the most
exciting and fulfilling years in the lives of the March family where the girl’s maturity branches
into competent expressions of developing International social skills, careers, marriage and family
life of their own. Love and courage of the third sister, Beth, cause her to visit an ill friend and
herself contract Scarlet Fever where she rides the waves of illness and healing (as portrayed
within her seashore visit with her beloved sister Jo) until she grows too weak and dies. Beth’s
beauty, love, courage and death resurrect into personal transformation within each soul of the

3. March family members and friends. Meg’s journey into marriage, child bearing and family life
leads the way for Jo and Amy. Jo and Amy test the waters of faithful relationships before
accepting a promise of fidelity with spouses of their heart’s desire and own choosing. Amy
marries Jo’s best friend “Laurie” in a match well received and rejoiced by the entire March
family. Jo, a competent, determined and already published author, discovers true love while
working as a governess in New York and meets one of the borders in the family home, a German
professor and author, with whom her heart beat to share their passions and life.
Although the story of “Little Women” is fictional, the portrayal of one small New England
family life during the Antebellum is comprehensive. In other words “Little Women” is a view
of women within a narrow window of their unique lives and fulfills the authors’ original
assignment of creating a book written for girls and families to that describes a larger universal
picture of the coming of age of young women. The portrayal of separate spheres within the cult
of domesticity and Patriarchy is gently and creatively illuminated within various themes of
different male female pairs of characters.
U.S. history for the time film was set.
The Civil War era was a “time of expansion and division” (Antebellum and Civil War America,
1784-1865 By: Mark Canada, UNC Pembroke).
The infrastructure of United States was well established in New England prior to the
Antebellum. The expansion of United States during the Antebellum was strengthened with use of
existing successful systems found in New England (the focal point of “Little Women”).
However, to fulfill my His1650 Film Review Paper requirements, I need to discuss the historic
context of “Little Women”. In my “contextual historical descriptions” I am focusing upon the
growth and expansion of the country’s new territory beyond the boundaries of New England
which used as a template for the new infrastructure established systems in New England.
“Expansion” was characterized with physical expansion into the West with the building of the
developing nation’s (1) infrastructure (2) (roads, bridges, water supply, sewers, electrical grids,
and telecommunications) for example: the Transcontinental railroad completed in
1869. Expansion through the development of the US Education system was largely influenced
by Horace Mann and Catharine Beecher. Formation of many temperance societies (WCTU) and
utopian committees such as New Philadelphia Colony, Hebus Valley , and others: New
England’s Women’s Club, Working Women’s Association (Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady
Stanton), American Woman Suffrage Association (Julia Ward Howe), National Woman’s
Christian Temperance Union (Frances E. Willard), Chicago Woman’s Club, American Red
Cross (Clara Barton: medical care for the wounded) whose efforts focused upon keeping and
serving the USA “moral majority” within the blossoming of new world diverse multicultural
freedoms. The expansion and division period of US history (“Antebellum” Civil War era) was
historically recorded through the tireless efforts of many who congregated and built USA
infrastructure according to the developing country’s needs and passions. Harriet Tubman
(Underground Railroad) quote best describes the tenacity required to succeed during the
Antebellum: “If you are tired, keep going; if you are scared, keep going; if you are hungry, keep
going; if you want to taste freedom, keep going.”

4. Creativity in the New World, growing strong and nurtured with European roots, was flourishing
with artists and authors simultaneously recording the period and influencing their
culture. Noteworthy examples of the blossoming creativity are: (from the Creative Arts: Tomas
Cole, Hiram Powers, and Lily Martin Spencer), (from the Theatrical Art’s Antebellum period:
P.T. Barnum’s shows and exhibits, Shakespeare’s plays, Uncle Tom’s Cabin), (from the Literary
Art’s and newspapers: Harper’s Weekly Magazine and Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper,
New York Daily Graphic, The Gates Ajar: Elizabeth Stuart Phelps, Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Harriett
Beecher Stowe, Mark Twain: Tom Sawyer, etc.). Libraries were being built and Library systems
were being created (and soon after the war libraries began using the Dewey Decimal system).
USA Postal Service was formed and growing. The Industrial Revolution was being strengthened
with major manufacturers incorporating, and machinery being designed and engineered, to
increase productivity and reduce cost of goods, for example: Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, Samuel B.
Morse’s telegraph, Elias Howe’s sewing jenny.
United States History (focusing upon the Antebellum era) is creatively expressed in a quick view
of the developing infrastructure associated with the System of Free Education.
The United States of America System of Free Education.
The developing infrastructure within the United States furthered the need for creating systems of
free public education. Education is the key to gender neutral leadership. “The leading
educational theorist of the post antebellum era was John Dewey (1859–1952), a professor at the
University of Chicago (1894–1904) and from 1904 to 1930 at Teachers College, of Columbia
University in New York City.[65]
Dewey was a leading proponent of "Progressive Education" and
wrote many books and articles to promote the central role of democracy in education.[66]
He saw
schools not only as a place to gain content knowledge, but also as a place to learn how to live.
The purpose of education was not so much the acquisition of a predetermined set of skills, but
rather the realization of the student's full potential and the ability to use those skills for the
greater good. Dewey noted that, "to prepare him for the future life means to give him command
of himself; it means so to train him that he will have the full and ready use of all his capacities."
Dewey insisted that education and schooling are instrumental in creating social change and
reform. He notes that "education is a regulation of the process of coming to share in the social
consciousness; and that the adjustment of individual activity on the basis of this social
consciousness is the only sure method of social reconstruction.".[67]
Although Dewey's ideas were
very widely discussed, they were implemented chiefly in small experimental schools attached to
colleges of education. Dewey and the other progressive theorists encountered a highly
bureaucratic system of school administration typically not receptive to new methods.[68] “
Dewey
and Progressive Education (quoted from Wikipedia).
“Each state used federal funding from the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Acts of 1862 and 1890 to
set up "land grant colleges" that specialized in agriculture and engineering.” “The 1890 act
created all-black land grant colleges, which were dedicated primarily to teacher training. They
also made important contributions to rural development, including the establishment of a
traveling school program by Tuskegee Institute in 1906. Rural conferences sponsored by
Tuskegee also attempted to improve the life of rural blacks. In recent years, the 1890 schools
have helped train many students from less-developed countries who return home with the ability
to improve agricultural production.[86]”
“Among the first were Purdue University, Michigan State

5. University, Kansas State University, Cornell University (in New York), Texas A&M University,
Pennsylvania State University, The Ohio State University and the University of California. Few
alumni became farmers, but they did play an increasingly important role in the larger food
industry, especially after the Extension system was set up in 1916 that put trained agronomists in
every agricultural county” (quoted from Wikipedia).
“The engineering graduates played a major role in rapid technological development.[87]
Indeed, the
land-grant college system produced the agricultural scientists and industrial engineers who
constituted the critical human resources of the managerial revolution in government and
business, 1862–1917, laying the foundation of the world's pre-eminent educational infrastructure
that supported the world's foremost technology-based economy.” (quoted from Wikipedia).
“Representative was Pennsylvania State University. The Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania
(later the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania and then Pennsylvania State University),
chartered in 1855, was intended to uphold declining agrarian values and show farmers ways to
prosper through more productive farming. Students were to build character and meet a part of
their expenses by performing agricultural labor. By 1875 the compulsory labor requirement was
dropped, but male students were to have an hour a day of military training in order to meet the
requirements of the Morrill Land Grant College Act. In the early years the agricultural
curriculum was not well developed, and politicians in Harrisburg often considered it a costly and
useless experiment. The college was a center of middle-class values that served to help young
people on their journey to white-collar occupations.[89]”
Development of schools in United States was both a public (described above) and a private
venture. Private schools developed leadership primarily for the wealthy elite. However, some
schools sponsored by religious communities were affordable and offered scholarships for
poor. Along the West coast of United States Fr. Juniper Serra had established missions and then
incorporated administration of schools established by the Jesuits in the 1600s. On the East Coast
and along the South Coast of US Catholic schools were formed by Jesuits and independent
religious for example, United States first native born canonized saint: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
1777 (Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, S.C.), she established the first Catholic school in the nation,
at Emmitsburg, Maryland.
The female characters as portrayed in the film.
I view the “Little Women” March sisters as more superficial than characters portrayed in other
stories written by other author’s within the same era. However, after reading the professionally
written reviews of “Little Women”, I gained insight into the author of “Little Women”’s artistry
with their characterization. Within the cult of domesticity and separate spheres of an early United
States Patriarchal society “Little Women” follows a “Pilgrim’s Progress” pattern of illustrating
multidimensional perspectives about each of the main characters. The female characters were
portrayed each with her own very unique gifts and personal vision of life and goals (within the
realm of separate spheres of domesticity within a Patriarchal society).
The March “Little Women”:
Meg: The eldest daughter, strong protégé of her mother, Marmee. The focus the author yields to
Meg’s domain of “Little Women” as one of a young woman with strong domestic interests and

6. skills, and positioning herself to find a husband who would provide her with social circles and
financial security greater than her own family provided. Meg marries and is a good wife and
mother, the author chooses to portray her in one scene struggling with a spontaneous impulsive
decision to purchase an extraordinary costly silk fabric to make an unnecessary new dress for
herself. Without prior discussion of budget or expenditure of such a large sum of money with her
husband, John Brooke, Meg had no idea of her husband’s great need for a practical budgeting for
a new winter coat (of the same value as her dress would cost). At supper time John and Meg
Brooke are illustrated in an amazingly calm, compassionate and logical discussion (in particular
for 1930’s genre filmmaking) about her husband’s need for budgeting the expense for a new
winter coat. Meg is shown being influenced by John’s humility, and self-disciplined approach to
their mutual budget and confesses to her husband her purchase of the silk. Her husband, John,
responds calmly and compassionately with expressing a desire for Meg to keep her silk and
make the dress for herself. Meg’s accepts his offer with grace. The next scene shows Meg
surprising her husband with a new winter coat purchased with funds from having returned the
fabric. My belaboring this scene is to strengthen my point for the depth of character of both Meg
and John.
Jo: The second daughter, the main character of the novel, a respectable published author,
domestically capable, extraordinarily athletic, realistic, strong willed, articulate and goal seeking
with the flexibility of compassionate and responsible family member and human being. The
author describes Jo (surprisingly to me) as most like Marmee (Mother), however, Jo is portrayed
as a source of masculine strength for the March family. I believe Jo’s focus may indeed be to
express her domestic skills in a strong Patriarchal home, more than her other two married sisters,
in reality sharing of the career and domestic responsibilities within family life is equally
balanced within all three March sister’s individual homes. Jo’s depth of personal character is best
expressed in her relationship with childhood friend (boy), Laurie, and their adventures, honesty,
openness and support of each other. Jo was the Laurie’s main romantic focus however Jo
honestly reveals to her dear friend, Laurie, her desire to find another for a spouse. I found myself
aching when Jo shuns Laurie’s proposal for marriage, (and great relief when Amy and Laurie
were married). Jo’s relationship with her sister, Beth is the most realistic of her relationships
with any of the March sisters. Jo’s love for Beth strengthens Beth, the author implies, through
ebbs and flow of Beth’s struggle with illness and healing from Scarlet Fever. Jo works really
hard across a span of perhaps one year saving her earnings from publishing short stories, to host
a trip to the seashore with Beth where Jo aspires to see ultimate healing of Beth from Scarlet
Fever. Jo realistically embraces (displaying a depth of character) any results from their seashore
vacation. Jo’s sheer strength to plan and carry the vacation to fulfillment is remarkable. Her
acceptance of Beth’s death and ability to refocus upon her own personal goals and dreams is
inspirational. Jo sought change of household and employment in New York as a governess,
perhaps to recover from the loss of Beth. Mutual residency within the New York boarding
house, avails Jo to share increasing interactions with a German Professor, more paternal, mature
and experienced than Jo and in time their mutual interests (writing) and domestic compatibilities
blossom into marriage and family life with Professor Friedrich Bhaer.
Beth: The third daughter, talented artist and pianist, fully focused upon domesticity of her nature,
sensitive, loving and loved. Beth is illustrated as having reached fulfillment of her “Pilgrim’s
Progress”. Beth’s character is the focal point for the other March sister’s expressions of love
beyond their own self and ability to embrace thoughts of everlasting.

7. Amy: The baby of the March sisters is an effervescent expression of being a focal point of the
family attention. Amy seeks refinement through development of her domestic skills and social
graces more than her other sisters. Amy is portrayed with interests in material gain more than her
more mature siblings. Her character is younger than the other sisters, so perhaps the author of
“Little Women” reveals Amy as more immature and superficial than her sisters. Amy and
Laurie’s childhood friendship were rekindled and reawakened in Europe, to discover their
mutually compatible interests. Their relationship blossoms into romance and marriage. Amy’s
personal Pilgrim’s Progress “maturing of the human soul” is not as well developed in “Little
Women” as her siblings’.
Marmee: The author’s portrayal of Marmee is one of a well-balanced mature human soul,
capable of seeing beyond the ebbs and flows, twists and turns of maturing stages of life and
family. Faithful, reliable, talented and accountable, the mother of the March household
contributes her nurturing gifts both domestically and socially.
The dance of characters is wild to observe within “Little Women”. The 1933 version of the film
revealed the sisters, their family members and boyfriends, in repetitive displays of chaotic
bickering which reviews of the movie describe as foreshadowing of making love. The confusing
intense level of knick picking, hen pecking, with passion bantering of thought could leave a
viewer with the sense the characters just don’t like each other, but they do. In subsequent
remakes of the classic “Little Women”, 1978 and 1994, the communication is not filmed as so
chaotic. Perhaps the cultural influence at the time of filming encourages the producers and
directors to take artistic license in their
characterizations.
The March sister’s story represents a really small portion of United State Civil War era culture
(American society). The March family is a good representation of the coming of age matriarchal
separate sphere domestic family structure in the privileged developed and provided for
community of Alcott family home, Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts (well developed
society of New England) remotely located from the war conflicts during the Civil War.
In contrast to the lifestyle more applicably describing the Anglo Saxon pioneering expansion of
United States is the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder “Little House on the Prairie” books, television
series, and movie. According to our text (Buhle pg. 349) “The “Little House” books, with their
tender details of domestic life, exalt the contributions of women to community building and
family preservation, even under the most adverse circumstances.”
And the stories of “Little Women” remain in an elevatedcontrast to the yet untold stories
of many people seeking, within the same period of time, emancipation within the United
States of America (people of all colors, race, gender, religious backgrounds):
1. Of prime interest for my research I would seek to know more about the women pioneers
within the Indigenous People (Native American Indians).
2. I would seek to know more about the Asian (East, Southeast, West and North Asia)
United States immigrants. The early Asian immigrants were primarily skilled craftsmen and
tradesmen whose families registered as immigrants within the first one hundred years (1600s) of

8. the forming of United States. The Asian immigrants worked alongside Anglo Saxons (who
primarily were the best educated in government, law and religion) therefore predominated the
culture with natural leadership.
3. I would seek to know more about the migrants from the South Americas who had settled
within some areas of the South and West won in 1847 by United States in the “Mexican
American War:” (The war was unnecessary as USA had offered to purchase the territory first
before any outbreak of war for twice as much as was settled for after the war. And an example of
successful land negotiation had been recorded with the annexation of Texas from Mexico in
1836. The 1847 territory in dispute was for the most open prairie and plains, with wide
disbursements of ranches and small towns only about 75,000 Mexican citizens lived north of the
Rio Grande as ranchers and farmers, and settlement by sale of the land as initially offered was a
good option. United States had invested much in developing infrastructure in the region as
exemplified by the development in Texas who won their independence from Mexico in 1836.
The territory was being occupied by Mexico largely as widely dispersed ranch lands,
infrastructure and government was being brought to the area through the efforts of United States
pioneers.
4. I would be interested in knowing more of the pioneering efforts of women (and men) of
Anglo Saxons, French and German ancestry within the Northwest Territories pioneered by 1803-
1804 “Lewis and Clark” expeditions.
Summary and Conclusion
During any period in history, civilizations were united under male hegemony (Patriarchs) while
remarkable women reigned in the minority. In this film review paper, “Little Women: A
Portrayal of Women During the Civil War Era”, I have within the above prevailing discussion
revealed how I saw the “Little Women” of the March family, within the context of a embattled
creation of a new nation with its forefront maturing progression of human freedoms seek
integrity within separate spheres of a Patriarchal society mature rights of expression and
stewardship of personal gifts alongside others within our diverse coexisting multicultural
society.”
two sections of the book were 100% worth the read. I was really happy to read Hollywood put in
place film censoring within a few years of creating newly forming film production companies
with the objective of monitoring, ranking and editing language, sexual expression, violence and
general theme and message. I was also happy to read Hollywood was well aware of her power to
influence US and International culture.
Resources (Works Cited): Please note that although I resource from Wikipedia for definitions
and strengthening a point, I have not included Wikipedia as one of my four sources.
Feminism in Literature http://www.enotes.com/topics/feminism/critical-essays/women-early-
mid-20th-century-1900-1960
http://www.genders.org/g49/g49_lamm.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_history_(1820%E2%80%9359)

9. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41387412?seq=6
“A Critical Study of Little Women” Author: Alvina Treut Burrows Source: Elementary
English Vol. 37 No., 5 May 1960 pp. 285-292 Published National Council of
Teachers http://www.jstor.org/stable/41387412
“Little Women”: Alcott’s Civil War Author Judith Feterley Source: Feminist Studies, Vol. 5
No. 2 (Summer 1979) pp. 369-383 Published by: Feminist Studies, Inc.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3177602
“The House Band” : The Education of Men in Little Women Author: Anne
Dalke Source: College English Vol. 47 No. 6 (Oct. 1985) pp. 571-
578 http://www.jstor.org/stable/377156
http://content.easybib.com/citation-guides/mla-format/how-to-cite-a-parenthetical-citations-
mla/#.U73jf006yUk format how to cite a parenthetical citations