The contrast between Little Women and pride and prejudice

The contrast between Little Women and Pride and Prejudice 

The novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott was set during the American Civil War around the 1860s. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was set around 1811. Both novels present the social expectations of women, love between classes, the unbreakable bond between sisters, family, struggles, and social norms...these were common in both novels but appear different according to their society.

Little Women revolves around the life of the March family, where Mr & Mrs March is very concerned about their children but never forces them to do anything. They never conclude any situation with society's norms, but they did care about their children's concerns regarding that particular opinion. Mrs. March supports Jo in her decision to confess to Laurie as her mother knows that Jo has pure love towards Laurie, but they don't know that he is already engaged to her younger sister. Mrs. March also supports and encourages Jo for her writing and publishing, but Jo is so concerned about her family and her mother’s opinion towards publishing, that she uses a pen name. The family didn't worry much about what society said about them. They ignore the criticism of Aunt March for being generous to the people in need and being left with nothing. The women had liberty to work but should be under the control of father or husband. The stereotype of getting good fortune after getting married to a boy of wealthy family comes along with people century after centuries.

However, pride and prejudice presents the life of 5 sisters who are in the age of getting married, and their mother tries her best to get a man from a wealthy family for her daughters but their father doesn't seem to care about it. The Regency England had unfair social norms, such as women were meant to be under the control of men, either father, brother or husband, They could be treated however their husband's wanted, and they couldn't complain to anyone. Entailment - giving the fortune to a closet relative if the family has only daughters. Women can't be independent, and Mr & Mrs Bennet wanted their daughters to fulfill society's expectations. Bennet forced their daughter to get a man of good fortune.

These two novels were set with a difference of few decades but the perspective and changes in the family were huge. Little Women talks about the society during America during civil war, Pride and Prejudice gives you a detail description on society of Regency England.