Abstract:As a novel once rated ahead of Bible for its influence upon high school students, Little Women finds its important place in American literature and American history. The author is Louisa May Alcott, a famous American woman writer, a lady educated and growing up among transcendentalists. This New England life based novel contains complex cultural contexts and thus can be read from many perspectives, from realism to modern feminism, from domestic novel to children’s literature.
The thesis of this paper is by analyzing Jo, one of the main heroines in Little Women, from the perspective of Transcendentalism and trying to spade out the transcendentalist thoughts reflected in her character and life experience, we can broaden the horizon of reading the novel and have a better understanding of the transcendentalist spirit. Transcendentalists preach the spiritual unity of God, man and nature. Transcendentalism puts emphasis on spirit, individual and self-reliance. Such doctrines are reflected in the personalities and the growing up process of the March sisters in Little Women. The four sisters are different in the talent and temperament, but they all pay attention to their spiritual improvement and perfection, try to be self-reliant and keep their individualism. Especially Jo, she is a model of Transcendentalism. We can see all those transcendentalist characters in her, such as her writings and how she thinks about marriage. Transcendentalist thoughts endow Jo with personal charm which help the novel win the love of the readers. In addition, Alcott extends Transcendentalism in feminine reality, which also adds the readability of the novel.
Key words: Little Women; Transcendentalism; self-reliance; self-knowledge; individualism
