The Creolization of American Culture: William Sidney Mount and the Roots of Blackface Minstrelsy (original) (raw)
Related papers
Does "Little Women" Belittle Women?: Female Influence in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women
1994
This thesis explores how women without money empower themselves in society and how they gain class status without violating traditional expectations of women. The thesis discusses Louisa May Alcott’s representation of class and gender in n ine teen th -cen tu ry America. It asks w hether the daughters’ expectations for themselves are obtainable given the restrictions society places on them. The study examines the discrepancy between the characters’ voices and the au th o r’s voice regarding the role of women in society. It concludes that these voices often contradict one another. The characters are willing to subscribe to a traditional gender role, while the au thor resists such conformity. Ultimately, however, the au thor acknowledges th a t .conforming to societal expectations represents the only way women may achieve power in society. The thesis concludes tha t power may be achieved by women in nineteenth-century America, bu t only at the expense of personal desire. In order for ...
Women's Studies Who Owns Little Women? Adapting Alcott in the Twenty-First Century
Women's Studies, 2019
This article will look at a selection of recent adaptations of Little Women to consider how they are being constantly rewritten to appeal to new audiences and to take advantage of both the old and new forms of media now available, with a particular focus on fan fiction. From sequels, to modern-day retellings, or revisiting the novel from the point-of-view of peripheral characters such as Mr. March; and via media including novels, movies and television mini-series, horror mash-ups, and fan fiction short stories, the desire to return to and reimagine Alcott’s most successful novel is yet to abate. This paper will consider what is at stake in both writing and reading these different modes of narrative; in doing so, I will also analyze the question of textual origin, and ask: who owns Little Women?
Lexicon, 2019
This research discusses how the characters in the novel Little Women written by Louisa May Alcott eventually submit themselves to the stereotypical role of women in the late 19th century when in reality American women were protesting the ideology of ‘separate spheres’ in accordance to the traditional gender stereotype that they faced. The research applies the sociological approach to uncover the connection between the literary work and the social condition of the era and to find out how the gender roles affect the characters of the March girls, supported by the theory of children literature. The primary data used in this research are the excerpts taken from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and some supporting data are taken from academic journals. The research focuses on the characters of the March Girls’ actions and dialogues that show submissive behavior, in contrast to the efforts and movement of the women during that era who were protesting the ideology of ‘separate spheres’ tha...
Who Owns Little Women? Adapting Alcott in the Twenty-First Century
Women's Studies, 2019
This article will look at a selection of recent adaptations of Little Women to consider how they are being constantly rewritten to appeal to new audiences and to take advantage of both the old and new forms of media now available, with a particular focus on fan fiction. From sequels to modern-day retellings, via media from novels, to movies and television miniseries, to horror mashups and fan fiction short stories, the desire to return to and reimagine Alcott's most successful novel is yet to abate. This article will consider what is at stake in both writing and reading these different modes of narrative. In doing so, I will also analyze the question of textual origin and ask: who owns Little Women? This article will consider the question of origin as it relates to Alcott's status as a female writer, asking why it is female writers in particular whose biography we reference to provide a source of reality and origin in their work. Through critical and fan readings of Jo as Alcott herself, and claims to an autobiographical basis to the novel through reference to Alcott's letters and journals, I consider why the question of origin is so often gendered female. After all, as the predominantly female readers' expectations of Little Women continue to shift, such claims are often reflected in their expectations of Jo and Alcott, and even of themselves. I will therefore also explore the association of value with such claims to origin and reality, both in Alcott's own work and fan fiction based on Little Women. In looking at Little Women and its adaptations, I particularly want to consider what the term "fan fiction" might mean and investigate some of the problems around how it is categorized in academic criticism. Lauren Rizzuto points out in her essay on fan fiction and Little Women that: "Fan fiction is a form of writing, but it is also a way of reading"; producers and readers of fan fiction are often one and the same (204). I therefore want to consider what it means to claim reading as fandom, and how reading what is positioned as the "original" text might differ from reading the fan fiction. Reading, here, might be about response in that fan fiction readers often interact with the writer of the fan fiction, agreeing or disagreeing with their take or their canonicity, or giving positive feedback. Yet this is the case with CONTACT Kristina West
Gender Stereotyping in L.M Alcott's Little Women And Its 1949 And 1994 Film Versions
2020
The present paper aims to analyze two of the films based on Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: Little Women (1949) directed by Mervyn LeRoy and Little Women (1994) directed by Gillian Armstrong. In particular, I intend to examine the presence of stereotypes in both of the films by focusing on the main female characters: the four sisters (Jo, Beth, Meg, and Amy), Margaret March and aunt March. Indeed, I shall contend that the presence or the absence of these stereotypes will influence the overall meaning of the novel and the two films. Furthermore, taking into account Tori Moi's distinction of the words 'female', 'feminine' and 'feminist', as well as Susan Bordo's feminist discourse, I shall attempt to prove that the use of the most common gender
Womanhood and democratic household in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women"
Društvene i humanističke studije DHS, 2024
This paper deals with the issues of womanhood and democratic household in Little Women, a novel by Louisa May Alcott. The theoretical framework for the research is Barbara Welter's classic essay on the concept of "true" womanhood in Victorian America. By analyzing the four cardinal traits of proper womanhood as reflected in the novel, the conclusion emerges that Meg, Beth, Jo, and Amy's growing into womanhood simultaneously confirms the limitation of women's potential in Victorian America and testifies to the struggle for actualization. The development of the four girls is under the indisputable influence of both the gender discourses that prevail in society and the progressive views of their mother. However, since each girl interprets these visions differently and adapts them to their various personalities, their paths to womanhood are unique. Finally, the paper aims to demonstrate that the March sisters attempt to strike a balance between actualization and adaption to the needs of the family, two equally important, but opposing aspirations. In conclusion, the actualization of the March girls, initially jeopardized by the limitations of patriarchal culture, is further complicated by their desire to remain true to their family's (mother's) teaching, which is especially emphasized during Amy and Jo's attempts to realize their artistic ambitions.