Author Louisa May Alcott – Biography Of A Non-conformist

The author Louisa May Alcott is, among other things, behind the famous novel Young Women , a literary work that left its mark on an entire era and which still arouses interest even today. The book has been translated into more than 50 languages ​​and its success can be measured by its countless film adaptations.

Young women became a benchmark in literature. Not only because it is beautifully written but also because of its realism.

At the time this book was published, the female presence in literature was quite overshadowed by male authors. In addition, Young Women moved away from literary romanticism and immersed themselves in realism, in the everyday lives of real women. That is why Louisa May Alcott’s novel became an immediate success: it was different from everything else circulating at the time.

In addition, Alcott’s book reflects well-founded ideas and values. She writes about women who are thinkers and build their own destiny. This was something completely revolutionary for that time. The author’s slavery resistance and radical democratic ideas can also be seen in the background.

Author Louisa May Alcott and a special family

Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. She was the second of four siblings, all girls, because her only brother died at a very young age.

It was no surprise that she became an enlightened and independent woman, as her father was a famous teacher who we would say today was far ahead of her time. His name was Amos Bronson Alcott; he was a teacher, writer and transcendentalist philosopher. Her mother, Abigail, was a determined and curious woman. Therefore, Louisa, as you can understand, grew up in a very stimulating intellectual and artistic environment.

Her father devoted himself entirely to his daughter’s education at home. He was a man who regarded education as a liberating process, whose function was primarily to teach people to think for themselves. This perspective was very revolutionary at a time when the emphasis was on instruction based on memory and discipline.

The transcendentalist philosophy

Louisa’s father belonged to the transcendentalist movement, a philosophy strongly influenced by religion. One of its most fundamental areas was to reflect on the deepest aspects of humanity. He stood out as an educator, especially because of a school he founded, and he was inspired by a progressive pedagogy.

In his school there were microscopes, rulers and other objects, whose goal was to offer an education based on evidence instead of memory. However, due to his radical decision (at the time) to accept African-American students, his school was closed.

Amos Alcott also strongly believed in women’s equality and was convinced that women should have the right to vote. Therefore, he encouraged his young daughter to pursue what would become her great passion: writing.

He also made decisions that probably affected the imagination of the future author. He created a utopian community at Harvard, which he called Fruitland. It was a group of people who lived in a remote place and ate only vegetable products out of respect for wildlife.

But they suffered from poverty, and the experiment did not last long. Thus, they had to seek new goals.

A successful author

Louisa May Alcott had various jobs, as a teacher, seamstress and nurse, during the Civil War. She also started writing and publishing in women’s magazines in her youth.

Her goal was to help with the household finances, even though her father always insisted that she do what she loved rather than think about money.

She reluctantly wrote her novel Young Women . By that time, she had already written several novels, almost all thrillers. That was the genre she was really passionate about. However, publisher Thomas Nile spoke to her about his interest in a novel aimed at the young women of the time. Thus, Louisa agreed to write it, albeit reluctantly.

The book was an immediate success. She wrote it in just two months, and in the first two weeks after publication, it sold more than 2,000 copies. Thereafter, sales continued to grow until today. Author Louisa May Alcott became a famous and rich woman and was able to lift her family out of poverty.

The author never married. When her mother died, she became the head of the family until her death on March 6, 1888. Many believe that Young Women is above all an autobiographical work. It has gone down in history as one of the novels that can capture the really important things in life, and for that very reason it has never gone out of style.