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Louisa May Alcott Biography

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Louisa May Alcott wrote in one of her journals, “Painful as it may be, a significant emotional event can be the catalyst for choosing a direction that serves us––and those around us––more effectively” (Bolton, Martha). Louisa went through many life-altering events and struggles throughout her life. These events largely shaped who she was as an author; Louisa actually wrote many of her stories about her childhood experiences.
Louisa May Alcott was born in Germantown, Pennsylvania, on November 29, 1832 (“Louisa May Alcott.” Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House). Louisa was the second daughter of Abba May and Amos Bronson Alcott, and she had three sisters: Anna, Elizabeth, and Abigail Alcott (Boston Roberts Brothers). Louisa and her sisters were …show more content…

She had written many letters to her family during the war; she later used these letters to write her book Hospital Sketches––a true story based on her letters about her time as a nurse. Louisa knew that she wanted to pursue writing as a career after Hospital Sketches was published in 1863. In 1868, Louisa wrote a book based on the coming of age stories of her and her sisters and titled it Little Women (“Louisa May Alcott.” Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House). She wrote this book because family needs were dire, but it was so widely popular that Louisa was given financial security and independence and a lifetime writing career (“Louisa May Alcott.” Biography.com). Louisa went on a tour throughout Europe in 1870, as well as a few brief tours in New York, before settling down in Boston and Concord to care for her mother and her increasingly helpless father. Louisa spent more than five years caring for her mother before she passed away in 1877, and another ten years caring for her father (“Louisa May Alcott: American Author.”). Most of Louisa’s novels were directed towards young adults, but she did try her hand at writing adult novels––including Work (1873) and Modern Mephistopheles (1877)–– but they weren’t quite as popular. Little Women (1868), Little Men (1871), Eight Cousins (1875), and Jo’s Boys (1886) were among her most popular young adult novels (“Louisa May Alcott.” Biography.com). Louisa May Alcott wrote and published more than thirty books and collections of short stories and poems before passing away on March 6, 1888, just two days after her father. She was later buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord,

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She read from her chapter, “Write,” in the anthology Women and Work. She grew up in Pasadena, California—a shy, tall, awkward girl who liked to hide in her room. Her first stories, written when she was 10 were about horses. She’s not sure why, she had never seen a horse expect on television. At 11, she wrote romance stories, another subject she knew very little about.

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Louisa May Alcott’s impassioned essay, “Death of a Soldier,” legitimizes the suffering of a wounded soldier named John, who was shot in the back during the American Civil War. Alcott saw John’s pain first hand as his caregiver in a hospital. His pain is instilled into the audience through Alcott’s evocative language. Through detailing her experience, Alcott wishes to inform her audience of the rewards of selfless action. John did not have to go to war, but he felt it was his duty to do so, just like Alcott did not have to care for the dying soldier, but did so out of compassion.

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Your authenticity of sharing this story has really come out during your presentation. You provided a social context that illustrates the reality of immigrant workers who have come to the United States and the sacrifices made for survival. I could tell that the artifacts used in your basket were very enduring to you especially the book belonging to your grandfather and the rich family history that connects us to your mother, Louisa. The climax of your story left me wondering if Louisa was going to get caught returning the dress and reminded me of a Cinderella story.

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Another piece from the story, The Flower’s Lesson, “And proudly she cried, “These fireflies shall be My jewels, since the stars can never come to me.” ” I think this relates back to Alcott’s personal life because when she was growing up they never had a lot of money and in the story it talks about how the elves have to use their imaginations to create jewels since they can never have them through other means. From Educator Amos Bronson Alcott, Father Of Louisa May Alcott, Was Born it states, “Alcott believed that education should be a pleasant experience, and he included physical education, dance, art, music, nature study, and daily journal writing in the course of studies he established at his school.” This relates back to Louisa May Alcott because her father believed in writing everyday, and since he practiced his techniques on his own family, she must have had a lot of practice which led to her becoming such an amazing and famous

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Bronson being a self taught philosopher went out of his way to teach his daughters about the world, and made sure they were well educated. Amos Bronson was in the circle of the transcendentalist movement, and was close friends to Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau. In 1834, Amos moved his family to Boston, Massachusetts to open an experimental school and joined the Transcendental Club with Emerson and Thoreau. At the age of eight Louisa began to write in her diary recording everything in her life from her passions, her moods, her experiences, and everything in between. Her journal was a way for her to expression her feelings, and was used as a gateway into her literature career.

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