Interview Beyond The Grave Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is one of the most famous works of young adult literature of all time, particularly for its focus on young girls and young women.

little-women-louisa-may-alcott-coverIn picturesque nineteenth-century New England, tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy come of age while their father is off to war.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

beyond-the-grave-louisa-may-alcott Young Adult Mag: Your four main characters, Jo, Amy, Beth, and Meg, are said to have been based on yourself and your three sisters.

Louisa May Alcott: That’s true.  But the characters that you will read about in the book are quite fictionalized.

YA: Why did you choose to write the story as a semi-autobiography?

LMA: There’s an old saying: write what you know.  I felt that I wanted to create characters that were strong and memorable, so by infusing these characters with bits and pieces of my real sisters, I think I was able to make characters that people would love as much as I loved my sisters.

 
YA: What do you think about the claim that your story invented the idea of what’s come to have been known as the “all American girl”?

LMA: If being strong, independent, and having integrity translates into an American ideal, then I would say I’m very pleased to have contributed to that model.

 
YA: What advice would you give to young female readers?

LMA: Be strong.  Be independent.  Be yourself.  But even more importantly, know yourself.

 

 



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