Little Women 1994 & Little Women 2019

Set in the 1860’s is a beautiful story of the March sisters going from childhood into early adulthood. In both versions of the film Little Women, there are clear syntagmatic relations between a woman and her role in society. The main character, Jo March is a young woman who wants to pursue a career as a writer. However, Jo is constantly told by those around her that it is not the womanly thing to do. Her Aunt March is strict and traditional- she tells Jo that her only hope is to marry well. In the 1994 version of the film, Jo’s editor tells her that she should try to publish her work in a women’s magazine. This man does not believe her work will be suited for a male audience. In the 2019 version, Jo is handing off her work to be considered to be published and tells the editor that the writer is "her friend". She does not reveal that she is the writer out of fear that she won't be taken seriously as a writer. Also in this version, Jo gives a heartfelt and powerful speech about how tired she is of society’s image of women. She hates that they are only seen for getting married and producing offspring. Because of the anchorage used in both films, the audience is made to feel Jo’s rebelliousness and fiery spirit. Through the challenges that the March family face, we can’t help but feel encouraged for their perseverance. The text provides hope for all women who have felt undercut, undermined, or just disregarded. This site of struggle remains today in the lives of women and those underrepresented. We expect to be heard, to be valued, and most importantly to be believed. Little Women highlights those exact themes, making it such a treasured text.