Louisa May Alcott wrote “Little Men”. This is a sequel to “Little Women”, where Jo March has married Professor Bhaer. They have begun a school in New England at Plumfield, which they inherited. The school is almost a home for orphans, taking in boys in trouble from the streets and elsewhere.
The book also follows the lives of the other March girls. It takes in events in their married lives and the lives of their children. Alcott brings in an innocent quality for both romance and adventure, as well as emphasizes family relationships and morality.
The boys become Jo’s children as she and her husband combine to give them an extraordinary education. The story follows Nat, the ragged orphan who learns to trust and Stuffy, the spoiled and willful boy who learns to give. There are many other boys in the story, and their adventurers are humorous.
There are also girls in the story, girls who reflect Alcott’s own views of women in society. Nan is a very strong-willed girl who dreams of becoming a doctor, despite the odds in the society of the day. She is very much the tomboy, while Daisy is very much a “girl”. How they adjust and grow is interesting.
Jo embraces each of the children and gives each with a strong sense of self. She cares deeply, and the pain she feels when Dan runs away is real. The book is reflective of nineteenth century Protestant Christian values and morality yet is full of adventure and excitement as well.
