Louisa May Alcott: The Quiet Feminist?

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

When there is an injustice in the world, say for example apartheid in South Africa, there are two groups of people who fight against it. Ultimately there are those people, like Nelson Mandela, who will lead the eventual toppling of this injustice. But there are also those who, whilst the injustice is still strong, will quietly chip away at the edifice. They won't topple the injustice, but they will help the people who eventually do by weakening it.

I would never say that the fight for women's rights have been effectively resolved. But they're clearly better than they were in 1869 when Louisa M Alcott wrote An Old Fashioned Girl.

Polly Milton is the girl of the title. Fourteen at the beginning of the novel she stays at her friend's Fanny's house in the town. There is the contrast between her simple countryside ways and the sophistication of her friend. But the point is this. Polly sticks to her guns. She is an individual.

Now this book surprised me. To explain I'd downloaded a group of (free) books by Ms Alcott onto my Kindle after having read Little Women (which I didn't like) and not being aware of the plot I was embarrassed as this seemed to be a teenage girl's book. A sort of older version of Polyanna. Given that I'm a fifty five year old man I felt awkward as I was reading it. But as regular readers will know I operate a Mastermind principle when it comes to reading that I've started so I'll finish.

And it was a good thing I did.

Because suddenly the timescale moves to six years later. Polly is a music teacher doing the best she can and still her own person. She becomes a bedrock to those around her in changing times.

It's interesting here to pause and reflect that Polly states that she does not want to become a "rampant" campaigner for women's rights. The use of the word rampant is I'd argue telling.

Also Polly proves to be understanding towards the poor in society, unlike the boo hiss character of the novel Trixie, who is more Trumpian/Brexiteer in approach..

This book is also a romance but cleverly done. Polly is in love but is still her own person. She wants love but clearly it's one of equals rather than of worshipping a man.

I liked this novel. It isn't the best book I've read this year but it's the one that has (pleasantly) surprised me the most and (whisper it gently) it's simplicity made me like it more than Little Women. Quietly it showed a woman achieving and surviving against the odds.

Until the next time.