What Is Louisa May Alcott's Influence Her Work?

Louisa May Alcott dramatically influenced writing during the nineteenth century. Her parents, Bronson and Abigail Alcott, had four children, Louisa being the second oldest. She was born in Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832 during a time of huge industrial change. With education being such a huge part of their family, Bronson Alcott taught and “actively studied” Louisa and her siblings from a young age. Louisa would later go on to study with famous writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson (“Little Women”). Alcott endured many hardships from a young age. She watched her sisters suffer from illnesses, heartbreak, and had to grow up in constant financial distress. Coming from humble beginnings, Louisa took up jobs as a servant, a teacher, and a nurse to help support her

In 1856, Louisa published a story called “The Sister’s Trial” which was about four sisters and one of their dreams of pursuing an acting career, which was very similar to her wildly famous novel, Little Women. Aside from Louisa May Alcott’s growing success, she still faced many difficulties including rejection and financial struggles. In 1868, Louisa May Alcott was asked to create a children’s story in which she reluctantly created the first part of Little Women (“Little Women”). Because the novel was such a huge success, she published a second part only a year later. Alcott’s financial, family, and personal struggles are continuously portrayed through her multitude of stories. Little Women is a prime example of how Alcott was able to introduce important parts of her life and transform them into an outstanding story. She even created the character “Jo” after herself as well as weaving her entire family throughout her books. Tragically, Louisa’s youngest sister, Elizabeth, died from scarlet fever at the age of twenty-three. Louisa included “Beth” in Little Women but rearranged the order of events so that Beth would be able to attend their oldest sister’s