Lousia May Alcott’s Little Women opens to a common scenario—the women knitting at home and waiting for news from the man of the family, who is at the war front. The family dynamics of Little Women, as a microcosm of the larger society, are marked by explicitly articulated male dominance. The division of labor has it so that women are confined to the domestic sphere while men step into the public sphere and engage in activities there, returning to the domestic sphere at night to be cared for by their spouse or female children. Alcott describes the character of Meg, a young wife, as “often … lonely,” with her husband “absent till night, and nothing to do but sew, or read, or potter about.”

Marmee later tells Meg that she ought to “take [her] part in the world’s work,” even though she is a woman. Ultimately, however, “taking her part in the world’s work” meant no more than talking to her husband about politics whilst remaining at home, allowing him to continue to be the mediator between Meg’s individuality and the world at large. Chapter 38 of the novel wraps up the issue by concluding that “a woman’s happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor the art of ruling it [as a] wise wife and mother,” such position being “the sort of 15 shelf on which young wives and mothers may consent to be laid, safe from the restless fret and fever of the world.” Some have read Alcott’s romantic glorification of women’s confinement as sarcastic, but either way, her loving readers must have agreed with the statement, for the novel has never been out of print.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) explain the continued popularity of a novel
(B) detail the domestic confinement of 19th century women
(C) analyze the sociological implications of a work of art
(D) argue for the emancipation of women
(E) indict the politics of a literary work



The passage implies that for a woman to effectively “take [her] part in the world’s work,” she must do which of the following?

(A) Talk to her husband about politics
(B) Rule her home
(C) Sew, read, and potter about
(D) Find a mediator to interact with the world at large
(E) Leave the house

Consider each of the answer choices separately and indicate all that apply.

The passage implies which of the following about American society at the time that Little Women depicts?

A. It was wartime.
B. It glorified women’s confinement.
C. The vast majority of public activities took place during the day.