The Theme THE ANALYSIS OF LOUISE MAY ALCOTT’S NOVEL LITTLE WOMAN

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3. THE ANALYSIS OF LOUISE MAY ALCOTT’S NOVEL LITTLE WOMAN

3.1 The Theme

Theme in particular for literary work is defined as the central idea of the work. It is the conclusion of the whole story till the end. Theme can be divided into several sub-themes; yet, the central idea cannot be separated any more into any other small ideas. In short, theme represents all the events in the very beginning of the story till the end. There are four types of love including Agape, This is an unconditional love that sees beyond the outer surface and accepts the recipient for whom heshe is, regardless of their flaws, shortcoming or faults. It’s the type of love that everyone strives to have for their fellow human beings. Philo is love of fellow a friend. It makes you desire friendship with someone. Storge is a kind of family and friendship love or love between brother and sister. This is the love that parents naturally feel for their children; the love that member family have for each other. Eros is a passionate and intense love that arouses romantic feelings; it is the kind that often triggers high feelings in a new relationship and makes you say “I love him her ” It is simply an emotional and sexual love. The theme of the novel Little woman is family love and included on the type of Storge love. Love is supposed to be a foundation to the members of the family. Love is kind of cement that ties friendship, togetherness, equality, 17 readiness to face trouble or family matters. Above all, love is a valuable thing to share for the happiness or unhappiness experienced by members of the family. The novel is basically related to family members including these four March sisters: Meg Margaret is the oldest at 16 years, Jo Josephine is 15, Beth Elizabeth is around 13, Amy Amelia is 12 and their mother Mrs. March . From the name of the characters that all represents woman implies that the matter of the family is about love among women. How women express their standpoints about love is the key point or theme of the novel. Love is fundamentally universal for all people in the world. There is no one living in the world recognizes no love in his or her heart. Love is naturally born from birth to death. One can share kindness is because of love; and one can hate the other because of wrong love. So, love is a kind of response towards something good in life. It is true love can make people feel disappointed and desperate. It is true as well that love can make someone realize who she or he is. Love, in short, may result something good or bad either. Christmas won’t be Christmas without any present; grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. It’s so dreadful to be poor sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress. I don’t think it’s fair some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all, added little Amy, with an injured sniff. We’ve got Father and Mother and each other; said Beth, contentedly from her corner. The four young faces in which the firelight shone brightened at the cheerful words, but each silently added it, thinking of Father away, where the fighting was. Nobody spoke for a minute; then Meg said in an altered tone: You know the reason Mother proposed not having any present this Christmas was because it is going to be a hard winter for everyone; and she thinks we ought not to spend money for pleasure when our men are suffering in the army. We can’t do much, but we can make our little sacrifices, and ought to gladly. 18

3.2 Plot