Louisa May Alcott - Classic Literature Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832 in Germantown, Pennsylvania. She was the second child of Amos Bronson Alcott and Abigail May. The Alcott family had four girls and their family life later became the foundation of Louisa’s most famous book, Little Women. The family moved from Pennsylvania to Boston when Louisa was a little girl. Her father was an educator and set up a school. He was known for his unique teaching style, which focused on the involvement of the student as well as a true enjoyment of learning.
Louisa was taught by her father, who was a transcendentalist and taught her to have great respect for nature. In fact, Henry David Thoreau had taught her botany. Her father also had many experimental education theories. He had founded several schools including Temple School but all schools that he founded failed, leaving a struggle financially for his family.
When Louisa was 8 years old the family moved to Concord, Massachusetts. The Alcott’s were friends with a well-known author, Ralph Waldo Emerson who helped the family get settled in their new environment. Louisa enjoyed her life in Concord. She liked the countryside and would take nature walks around the area. Louisa also began to write and act out plays with her sisters.
After 9 years of living in or near Concord, Amos Bronson moved his family back to Boston. He was looking for more steady income. Louisa started to help her family with the financial pressures. She started to take on as many jobs as she could find. She would help care for young children, sewed, did the laundry, whatever she could get. She started to read for an elderly gentleman and his invalid sister, but quit after she did not receive good compensation.
It was at this time that Louisa’s writing career was started. She wrote "Sunlight", a poem when she was 20 years old. The poem was printed in Peterson's magazine. Louisa had used a pen name, Flora Fairfield. When she was 23, she write her first book titled, Flower Fables. The book was published and she received some compensation.
Amos Bronson moved his family to Walpole, New Hampshire. Louisa remained in Boston to work on her writings. Lizzie, Louisa’s younger sister, got scarlet fever. Lizzie recovered from the illness and the family moved back to Concord where Ralph Waldo Emerson purchased the Orchard House for the family. Lizzie’s illness returned and she died.
The death of her younger sister, Lizzie and the wedding of her older sister Anna, made Louisa move from Boston back to Concord so Louisa could help her mother. She took turns comforting her over the death of one daughter and helping with the wedding of the eldest daughter.
Louisa then moved to Washington D.C., when she was 30 years old. She worked as a nurse during the Civil War. Louisa came down with Typhoid fever. She recovered from the sickness but had some lasting effects from the mercury, which was used to combat the fever. Hospital Sketches was written and published at this time. Moods was published a year later.
Louisa’s writing can be classified into three phases. The first was from 1840 to 1860 in which Louisa wrote short stories and used a pen name. The second phase began with the publishing of Moods and included her most popular book, Little Women. This was her most successful time and very profitable. The third phase was 1875 until her death. During this phase her health was going downhill.
Thomas Niles, her publisher had asked Louisa for a story about girls. This was something that Louisa had no problems with. She grew up with sisters and she started writing about her own life experiences. She wrote solidly for 2 and ½ months and the book Little Women emerged. The book was published when Louisa was 36 year old and it became a hit.
Her publisher asked Louisa for a second volume and she obliged and book was extremely successful which helped with the Alcott’s financial struggles. Louisa then wrote Old Fashioned Girl. The success of her writing was evident with the growing audience and Louisa wrote book after book.
She wrote and published Little Men when she was 38 years old. She then wrote Work and followed it by Eight Cousins. Rose in Bloom was published in 1876. At this time Louisa started to get involved in the women’s suffrage movement. She wrote for the Women’s Journal and encouraged women to register to vote. Louisa was the first woman to register to vote in Concord.
Louisa’s mother died in 1877. Around that time, Louisa’s sister May married a wealthy man from Europe. May gave birth to a baby girl the next year. There were some complications and May died. She wanted Louisa to care for the baby, named Louisa May Nieriker, and nicknamed Lulu.
Louisa and Lulu moved back to Boston in 1880. She moved her family to a refined neighborhood in Boston and continued to write. She published Jo’s Boys in 1886. Louisa’s health began to deteriorate. The mercury poisoning from cure for Typhoid fever started to cause her pain and her health started to fail.
Her father died in 1888 and two days later Louisa died. She was 56 years old and left her stories written for many children to enjoy. It has been said the Louisa started writing to alleviate the financial difficulties for her family. The result has been the producing of wonderful books that children have enjoyed for decades and will continue to enjoy.
