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Little Women: study guide
By Louisa May Alcott. A spoiler-light guide with themes, characters, vocabulary and questions to discuss.
Little Women
Louisa May Alcott · 1868–1869 · public domain
The story
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March grow up in New England while their father is away during the American Civil War. Their mother, called Marmee, guides them as each sister faces ambitions, friendships and hardships, and as their neighbor Laurie becomes part of the family.
This summary avoids the ending, but later sections of a guide can spoil details.
Main themes
- Family and sisterhood
- Ambition and women’s roles
- Growing up
- Generosity and sacrifice
Characters
- Jo March
- The writer and fiercely independent second sister.
- Meg, Beth and Amy
- The domestic eldest, the gentle musician and the artistic youngest.
- Marmee
- The sisters’ wise and warm mother.
- Laurie
- The lively boy next door who becomes their close friend.
Words worth knowing
- genteel
- polite and refined, often in a way that belongs to the upper classes.
- vexation
- annoyance, or the thing that causes it.
- industrious
- hard-working.
- mortified
- deeply embarrassed or humiliated.
Questions to discuss
- Which sister do you relate to most, and why?
- How does the book treat the idea that women should choose between love and ambition?
- What does the family learn from having little money?
- Why has this story stayed popular for over 150 years?