小妇人

LittleWomenThewriter’sintroduction•LouisaMayAlcott•TheauthorofLittleWomen,wasbornon29thNovember1832atGermantown,Pennsylvanian[,pensil'veiniən]宾夕法尼亚,Americaanddiedin1888attheageof56.Thewriter’sintroduction•Undertheinfluenceofherwriterfather,shegainedinterestonwritingatanearlyage.In1860,hernovelandpoetrywerepublishedonTheAtlanticforthefirsttime.8yearslaterhermostfamousbook,LittleWomen,gotpublishedandquicklybecameabestseller.Thebook’sintroductionLittleWomeisastorybasedonthefactoftheauthor’slife.IttellsastoryoftheMarchsisters:Meg,Jo,BethandAmy.Theirfatherisawayfightinginthewar,theylivewiththeirmother,overcomeplentyoftroublesintheirlifeandbecomemature.Nomatterhowhardsituationstheyfaceto,theyallusetheoptimisticattitudetomanagetomakelifemeaningfulandbeautiful.IntroductionMrs.MarchMegJoBethAmyTheimportantperson----Mrs.MarchMrs.Marchisaprettygreatmother.Sheistheauthorityofthefamily.Sheattachesimportancetotheeducationofthegirls.Becauseofherselflessloveandstrongfaith,herdaughterscanfaceuptothehardlifehopefullyandconfidently.Herattitudestowardthelivesteachherdaughtersthattheremustbesomethingmoreimportantandnecessarythanfortuneandstatus,whichwillaccompanythemtilltheendoflife.SaidbyMrsMarch“Moneyisaneedfulandpreciousthing,—and,whenwellused,anoblething,—butIneverwantyoutothinkitisthefirstoronlyprizetostrivefor.I’dratherseeyoupoormen’swives,ifyouwerehappy,beloved,contented,thanqueensonthrones,withoutself-respectandpeace.”Haveregularhoursforworkandplay,makeeachdaybothusefulandpleasant,andprovethatyouunderstandtheworthoftimebyemployingitwell.thenyouthwillbedelightful,oldagewillbringfewregrets,andlifebecomeabeautifulsuccess,inspiteofpoverty.----MrsMarchMegMegisbeautifulandwell-mannered,notenticedbythemoney.Sherunsthehouseholdwhenhermotherisabsent.MegalsoguardsAmyfromJowhenthetwoquarrels,justasJoprotectsBeth.MegisemployedasagovernessfortheKings,awealthylocalfamily.Becauseofthegenteelsocialstandingofherfamily,Megisallowedintosociety.However,afterafewdisappointingexperiences,Meglearnsthattrueworthdoesnotliewithmoney.ShefallsinlovewithMr.JohnBrooke,Laurie'stutor,whomshemarries.BethBethisaquiet,kind,considerateandshyyoungwoman.Shealsohelpshermotherwiththehousework.Shepreferstobehomeschooledandavoidsmostpublicsituations.Atthebeginningofthebook,Alcottdescribesherasasweetgirlwitharoundyoungfaceandbrownhair.ShehasacloserelationshipwithJo,althoughtheyhavethedifferentpersonality.But,finally,whenhermotherisinWashingtoncaringfortheirfather,Bethcomesdownwithscarletfever(猩红热).AmyTheyoungestsister—Amy,sheisinterestedinarts.shealwayswantstomarryarichman,andregardhersuccessfulmarriageasherobligationtoherfamily.SheisdissatisfiedwiththeshapeofhernoseandsheinsistedthatitwasJo’sfaultforJoonce“droppedherintothecoalhod.”WhenAmysawtherealworksofartists,shegaveupherart,becauseshethoughtshedidn'thavethetalentinart.JoJoMarch,theseconddaughterofMrs.March,ismyfavoritecharacterinthisbook.Sheisoutspokenandhasapassionforwriting.Hernatureoftengetsherintotrouble,butherheartoftenpushesherintoactsofkindness.Sheisfreeandeasy,andshehassteadfastdeterminationtostruggleforherdream.Joisareallyspecialgirl.•Unlikeothergirlswhobehavedlikequietwater,Jowasneithersoftnorgentle.Shewasjustlikeavigorousflamegivingendlesshappinessandenergy.Andshewasalwaysoptimisticandbravetosharetheburdenofthefamily.Sheactedlikeaboyanddeterminedtobelikeaman.Inthebeginningofthebook,Joclaimedthat:IhatetothinkI'vegottogrowupandbeMissMarch,andwearlonggowns,andlookasprimasaChinaAster.It'sbadenoughtobeagirl,anyway,whenIlikeboy'sgamesandworkandmanners.Ican'tgetovermydisappointmentinnotbeingaboy,andit'sworsethanevernow,forI'mdyingtogoandfightwithpapa,andIcanonlystayathomeandknitlikeapokyoldwoman.•Thisspeechperfectlydeliveredthenatureofacompletewomanwhowasnotwillingtobendovermenbutmeanttostandwiththem,whilehersisterswerealldreamingaboutabrightandcomfortablelifeasaprettywife.Atthisearlyage,thewishandbeliefofJowassostrongthatsheshowednocompromisetotheso-calledmen’sworld.Whenthisspiritwasshownonalittlegirl,itsymbolized['simbəlaiz]thebudoffeminism['feminizəm]whichwasjustreachingthepeakofthefirst-waveatthosedays.•Joendedupbeingatraditionalhousewife,butalltheyears’hardwork，fightagainstlifeand“men’sworld”hasalwaysbeeninspiringtoallthefeminists['feminist]女权主义运动andisstillraisingtheawarenessofmoreandmorewomen.ThefeelingafterreadingFromtheirpointofview,homewasnotonlytheplacewhichtheygrewup,butalsoalocationavoidedhardship.Fromtheirmother's.theylearnedhowtousetheirskillfulhands,brightbraintocreateameaningfullife.Aspoorasthesegirlswere,theyallhadthepositiveattitudetoanymatter,theyknowtheirshortcomingsandcorrectedthemassoonaspossible..Theeyebecauseofflowsthemulti-tearsbutPureBrightness,theheartbecauseofhadexperiencedmuchsufferingbutisgood-natured.眼睛因流多泪水而愈益清明，心灵因饱经忧患而愈益温厚。Fullofhopetofuturelifeandnevergiveup...•Thanksforyourlistening~