The story Little Women is set in a time when women took on unusual roles as physical laborer, family protector and provider, and military volunteer while their husbands served during the Civil War War. Keeping within the constraints of time, Louisa May Alcott uses herself and her three sisters to create this classic novel from personal experiences. Every sister is different. Each of them sets goals and dreams for themselves, whether they go along with their contemporary society or not. With the help of their mother, friends, and experiences, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy struggle between their personal expectations and those of society as they plan their future and choose their destiny. March, also known as Marmee, like many women of this era had to learn to balance work outside the home with raising a family while her husband served in the Union Army. Marmee shows that “a house can be run successfully without a man to support it, such as hers while Mr. March is at war” (Thomason 123). He proves to have a strong influence on his daughters as they weave together their daily lives and dreams of their future. The girls, each unique in their own personalities and expectations, tend to make poor choices throughout the novel. However, Marmee is always there with the right advice. The girls decide they would like to spend their summer vacation doing only the things they love, but they soon get bored. When they are ready, Marmee imparts words of wisdom to her four daughters. Marmee inspires: “Work is healthy,” she continues, “It keeps us from doing harm, is good for our health and spirit, and gives us a sense of independence” (Alcott 92). Throughout the story...... middle of the paper...... Women: Book One. New York: Harper Festival, 2003. Print.Elbert, Sarah. “Reading Little Women.” Temple University Press (1984): 151-65. Rpt in novels for students. Ed. Elizabeth Thomason. vol. 12. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 144. Print.Janeway, Elizabeth. "Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy and Louisa." New York Times Book Review (1968): 42, 44, 46. Rpt in Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism. Eds. Laurie Lanzen Harris and Sheila Fitzgerald. vol. 6. Detroit: Gale, 1984. 32. Print.May, Jill P. “Feminism and Children's Literature: Placing Little Women in the American Literary Canon.” CEA Critical 56.3 (1994): 19-27. Rpt in Children's Literature Review. Ed. Tom Burns. vol. 146. Detroit: Gale, 2009. np Literature Resource Center. Network. March 2, 2011.Thomason, Elizabeth, ed. “Little Women: Louisa May Alcott 1868.” Novels for students. vol. 12. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 116-129. Press.