Louisa May Alcott Biography
Best remembered for her books about the March family, especially her children’s masterpiece, Little Women, Alcott also wrote sensational novels and thrillers for adults. She was a very creative, difficult, and willful girl who was both moody and loyal.
Born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on November 29, 1832, Louisa was the second daughter of Abby May and Amos Bronson Alcott. Being one of four sisters, who were Anna Bronson, Elizabeth Sewall, and Abba May, the Alcott sisters had a very happy childhood. The Alcotts went through a series of moves, weither they were from one house to another in the same town, while others were from town to town, this was only a beginning of what was to continue throughout Louisa’s life. Her father, Bronson, was a transcendentalist thinker and writer who refused to take work that was not related to education or philosophy, which had the family commuting due to where he would be employed, which he rarely had been. Rather than being a step up for the family, these changes were just a step down, for the family had to depend on the generosity of others. Living in Concord, Massachusetts with friends and neighbors, Louisa’s father committed his time to educating his four daughters being that he was unemployed. Bronson could not be relied upon to support the family, which led her to live a pretty fugal life for his inability to keep a steady job. The plainness of their clothes, food, and home never seemed to bother them, but the issue of money was a constant source of worry for Louisa. She saw it as her mission in life to support her family. In her early teens she began to work with her sister Anna as governesses to increase the small earnings of their father. Then by her early twenties, she was writing and getting paid for it. The death of her younger sister and marriage of her older were very traumatic experiences, and to fill the void left by their absence, and to seek some purpose in life and participate in the Civil War, Alcott became an army nurse in Washington, D.C. After six weeks she got typhoid fever, from which she never fully recovered and left her permanently weakened, a condition that got worse with age. After the war Alcott began Little Women in 1868, along with all the gothic thrillers, which brought in money for the family.
The families living conditions were horrible. They lived in a very small apartment which at times had more than ten people living in it. Since LaJoe was a very friendly and considerate person, she brought many kids and adults "under her wing" and took care of them when in need. Some kids in the neighborhood even called her "mom." LaJoe did not have the heart to turn her back on anyone that appeared at her door.
As for the analysis of the book itself, although the author aims toward providing a chronicle of two years in the lives of the two brothers, he actually ends up writing more about their mother. He discusses LaJoe's parents, how they met and married and why they moved to Horner. He depicts LaJoe as an extremely kind-hearted yet tough woman who will do anything to help not only her own family, but all the neighborhood children as well. LaJoe feeds and cares for many of the neighborhood children. For this, she is rare and special in an environment of black mothers who are prostitutes and drug addicts. She sticks by her children when most mothers would be ashamed and disown them. I finished this book feeling a great deal of respect and admiration for LaJoe and everytihg she went through.
...eenth century's most important woman's rights advocates, antislavery leaders, and feminist thinkers (Lerner). "Whatever is morally right for a man to do, it is morally right for a woman to do. I recognize no rights but human rights - I know nothing of men's rights and women's rights; for in Christ Jesus, there is neither male nor female" (Grimke, Angelina). "Here then I plant myself. God created us equal;- he created us free agents; - he is our Lawgiver, our King, and our Judge, and to him alone is woman bound to be in subjection, and to him alone is she accountable for the use of those talents with which Her Heavenly Father has entrusted her. One is her Master even Christ" (Grimke, Sarah). As women who spoke publicly against slavery and for women's rights, they continued to inspire female activists to not give up and keep fighting for all human beings to be equal.
The thought of her brothers still being in her former home environment in Maine hurt her. She tried to think of a way to get at least one of her brothers, the sickly one, to come and be with her. She knew that her extended family was financially able to take in another child, and if she showed responsibility, there would be no problem (Wilson, 40). She found a vacant store, furnished it, and turned it into a school for children (Thinkquest, 5). At the age of seventeen, her grandmother sent her a correspondence, and requested her to come back to Boston with her brother (Thinkquest, 6).
Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was a prominent American author who wrote over 30 books in her lifetime. She is greatly remembered for her book Hospital Sketches, which she wrote to home while serving as an army nurse during the Civil War. Growing up, her home was a stop on the Underground Railroad and this helped her realize the effects of slavery on these slaves. She wanted to help in any way she could. In December 1862, Alcott left for the Union hospital in Georgetown, outside of Washington, DC, to become a nurse. She had no formal training as a nurse and no formal training was required. The only requirements were to be sober minded, mature, and plain-looking.
Watson, N. (2009) ‘Louisa May Alcott, Little Women (1868-9) Introduction’, in Montgomery H and Watson N (eds), Children’s Literature Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan in association with Open University, pp.13-17
Just like Las Casas, Angelina Grimke and her sister Sarah are two very famous women that created history together. While Bartolome De Las Casas changed the Latin Community forever, these sisters changed the way Anti-Slavery was protested. They not only wanted to free the enslaved, but they wanted to end discrimination throughout the United States. The Grimke sisters were not just famous for their avocation against slavery, they were also among the first abolitionists to acknowledge the importance of women’s rights. These two icons were not separate from the other advocates because of their declamatory and legendary talents, nor their never-ending assurance of the causes of racial and gender equality. It was their first-hand experience within the institution of slavery. Other known enthusiasts such as the editor of “Liberator” William Lloyd Garrison and Theodore Weld (Angelina’s husband) could give a breathtaking speech on their ambitions to end slavery but they’re not able to testify to the impact on African Americans or their masters from personal knowledge.
Thomason, Elizabeth, ed. “Little Women: Louisa May Alcott 1868.” Novels for Students. Vol. 12. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 116-129. Print.
Conformity is one of the main reasons that people are concerned with the wearing of school uniforms. The fear that a child's individuality could be suppressed
School uniforms are a way for principals to know who belongs on campus and who does not. A while back, researchers studied that the reason certain school require students to wear school uniforms is because they feel that it will help stop other students from bulling one another, just because they don’t have on high priced shoes or clothing it shouldn 't stop them from doing what they do best. "The good thing is people judge you on your inner characteristics rather than what you wear," said Nick Duran, an 8th grader and the student-body president at Rogers Middle School (Portner)." Safety is they key, when students enter the school ground, they should feel safe and not think that someone is going to harm them. Students feel as if they have to wear school uniforms it will
One of the first cons of wearing school uniforms is that kids lose their freedom of expression. Self-expression is important for kids to have. If kids aren’t expressing themselves through clothing they will in other routes, such as the wearing of makeup, the use of jewelry, tattooing and piercing. Wearing uniforms stop kids from being unique, having their own individuality. Uniforms detract from a child’s individuality by forcing them all the wear the same clothes.
All too often children are forced to fit in. When they don’t it is hard for them to function in school. Children will take from others, rob and even murder others all so they can have the latest Jordan’s or Nike hat. When children wear uniforms they all look alike kind of like team mates do. Able Being able to tell who belongs at the school is important to keep away the gangs. It also keeps those who would plan to harm others out of the building by helping staff identify who should or should not be on school grounds. Yes I know that there are ways around this but it would deter some. I do think that schools who adopt a uniform for both teachers and students are taking a great extra step to insure that the students are clear also as to who belongs in the school and who doesn’t. According to King (1998), “Children's hunger to be fashionable brings another dimension to the connection between clothing style and...
Firstly, I believe that wearing a school uniform does not give children a sense of individuality and suppresses their own true identity. The way they dress and present themselves is essential to their upbringing as it helps them to learn about themselves and is a way in which one can express themselves. Plus, our teachers are always saying how important it is to just be ourselves and not to worry about what others might think. Having a uniform takes that away from us, and this may lead students to try to find other ways
School Uniforms are a logical choice for the public school venue. Uniforms prevent students from a lower income background to be singled out for poorly made or cheap clothing, prevents use of gang colors, allows for certain safety measures, and allows teachers to form impressions of students based on actions and work rather than dress code choices.
As stated, in the article “The Pros and Cons of Uniforms in School” by Holly Charlonne, “some schools will look to uniforms as a possible way to bring together students from various backgrounds as a unit” (Charlonne). When the students are dressed alike, it takes away the social segregation that sometimes a child may feel if they do not have the same style of clothing as another child. Charlonne, also suggests, another proof of this advantage can be seen in the “cutting down the number of cliques that are formed in school due to economic or social status seems to have had a positive outcome in past from having students wear designated uniforms in public schools” (Charlonne). Wearing the uniform reduces the competition for who has the best clothes and who doesn’t, and allows the student to focus their attention on more productive matters. When the students all wear the exact same thing, they feel as though they belong to the group. The unity created by all students in uniform gives them an elevated sense of pride toward their school. Recent surveys have shown that “despite the fact that they (students) aren’t exactly thrilled about wearing uniforms, some students do recognize the benefits they offer”, in fact “54% of the students” included in this survey, report “having to wear a uniform didn’t compromise their identity” (Lake). It is for this reason that I firmly agree with the notion of public school