Little Women

by Alcott, Louisa May; Cheever, Susan

• ISBN13: 9780375756726
• ISBN10: 0375756728
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-09
• Publisher: Modern Library

Summary

This authoritative, accurate text of the first edition (1868-69) of Little Women is accompanied by textual variants and thorough explanatory annotations. "Backgrounds and Contexts" includes a wealth of archival materials, among them previously unpublished correspondence with Thomas Niles and Alcott's own precursors to Little Women. "Criticism" reprints twenty nineteenth-century reviews. Seven modern essays represent a variety of critical theories used to read and study the novel, including feminist (Catharine R. Stimpson, Elizabeth Keyser), new historicist (Richard H. Brodhead), psychoanalytic (Angela M. Estes and Kathleen Margaret Lant), and reader-response (Barbara Sicherman). A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included.

Author Biography

Louisa May Alcott was born in 1832 in Pennsylvania and grew up in Concord, Massachusetts. She is best known for her books for children. The daughter of philosopher and reformer Amons Bronson Alcott, she was also a supporter of women's rights and an abolitionist. Family debts led her to write the autobiographical novel <b>Little Women</b> (1868). The book was a huge success, followed by <b>Little Men, An Old-Fashioned Girl</b>, and several other novels.

Table of Contents

Oxford World's Classics Little Women	p. i
Acknowledgements	p. vi
Introduction	p. vii
Note on the Text	p. xxviii
Select Bibliography	p. xxx
A Chrlonology Of Louisa May Alcott	p. xxxiii
Preface	p. 3
Playing Pilgrims	p. 5
	p. 5
A Merry Christmas	p. 15
Being Neighborly	p. 46
Jo Meets Apollyon	p. 71
Meg Goes to Vanity Fair	p. 81
The P. C. and P. O	p. 97
Experiments	p. 106
Camp Laurence	p. 117
Castles in the Air	p. 136
A Telegram	p. 154
Letters	p. 162
Little Faithful	p. 169
Dark Days	p. 176
Amy's Will	p. 184
Confidential	p. 192
Laurie Makes Mischief, and Jo Makes Peace	p. 199
Pleasant Meadows	p. 211
Aunt March Settles the Question	p. 218
Gossip	p. 229
	p. 229
Domestic Experiences	p. 263
Calls	p. 277
Consequences	p. 289
Our Foreign Correspondent	p. 300
Tender Troubles	p. 309
Friend	p. 332
Beth's Secret	p. 357
New Impressions	p. 362
On the Shelf	p. 373
Lazy Laurence	p. 385
The Valley of the Shadow	p. 398
Learning to Forget	p. 404
All Alone	p. 416
Surprises	p. 424
My Lord and Lady	p. 439
Daisy and Demi	p. 444
Under the Umbrella	p. 450
Explanatory Notes	p. 474
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Playing Pilgrims


"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents,"grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.

"It's so dreadful to be poor!"sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.

"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have lots of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.

"We've got father and mother, and each other, anyhow,"said Beth, contentedly, from her corner.

The four young faces on which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but darkened again as Jo said sadly?

"We haven't got father, and shall not have him for a long time." She didn't say "perhaps never,"but each silently added it, thinking of father far away, where the fighting was.

Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone, "You know the reason mother proposed not having any presents this Christmas, was because it's going to be a hard winter for every one; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure, when our men are suffering so in the army. We can't do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to do it gladly. But I am afraid I don't;"and Megshook her head, as she thought regretfully of all the pretty things she wanted.

"But I don't think the little we should spend would do any good. We've each got a dollar, and the army wouldn't be much helped by our giving that. I agree not to expect anything from mother or you, but I do want to buy Undine and Sintram for myself; I've wanted it so long,'said Jo, who was a bookworm.

"I planned to spend mine in new music,"said Beth, with a little sigh, which no one heard but the hearth-brush and kettle-holder.

"I shall get a nice box of Faber's drawing pencils; I really need them," said Amy, decidedly.

"Mother didn't say anything about our money, and she won't wish us to give up everything. Let's each buy what we want, and have a little fun; I'm sure we grub hard enough to earn it,"cried Jo, examining the heels of her
boots in a gentlemanly manner.

"I know I do, teaching those dreadful children nearly all day, when I'm longing to enjoy myself at home," began Meg, in the complaining tone again.

"You don't have half such a hard time as I do," said Jo. "How would you like to be shut up for hours with a nervous, fussy old lady, who keeps you trotting, is never satisfied, and worries you till you''e ready to fly out of the window or box her ears?"

"It's naughty to fret, but I do think washing dishes and keeping things tidy is the worst work in the world. It makes me cross; and my hands get so stiff, I can't practise good a bit." And Beth looked at her rough hands with a sigh that any one could hear that time.

"I don't believe any of you suffer as I do," cried Amy; "for you don't have to go to school with impertinent girls, who plague you if you don't know your lessons, and laugh at your dresses, and label your father if he isn't rich, and insult you when your nose isn't nice."

"If you mean libel I'd say so, and not talk about labels, as if pa was a pickle-bottle," advised Jo, laughing.

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Excerpted from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.