摘 要

露易莎•梅•奥尔科特以其长篇小说《小妇人》而闻名于世。本论文的第一部分简单地介绍了作者与小说。作为一部自传体小说，《小妇人》以露易莎和她的姐妹为原形，以19世纪中叶美国内战为背景，讲述了生活在新英格兰小镇的马奇家四姐妹的成长经历。论文的第二部分主要阐述了女性主义的萌芽和女权运动。第三部分从以下三方面着重分析了新女性的独立精神：马奇家四姐妹舍弃以财产为基础的婚恋观自主追求爱情，追求独立自主自强意识，追求与丈夫平等的家庭地位。尤其详细描述和论证了乔在生活，写作和婚姻方面的独立精神。第四章是论文的总结，概括总结了《小妇人》中体现出的新女性独立精神。

关键词：新女性  女性主义  独立

Abstract

Louisa May Alcott is famous for her long novel Little Women. The first part of this thesis simply introduces the author and Little Women. This novel is an autobiographic novel and is based on Alcott’s own experiences with her three sisters and family. Set in a small town in New England during American Civil War in the mid-nineteenth century, Little Women tells the four March sisters’ growing experiences. The second chapter mainly introduces the initiation of feminism and feminist movements. The third part focuses on the new woman ideology from the following three aspects: the four march girls allodially pursue Love, pursue the consciousness of independence and self-improvement and pursue the equal family status with the husband. The new woman ideology is especially reflected in Jo’s daily life, career and marriage. The fourth chapter is the conclusion, which summarizes the new woman ideology in Little Women.

Key Words: new woman   feminism   independence

1 Introduction
1.1 Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott  was an American novelist in the 19th century. She was born on November 29, 1832, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. There were four daughters is her family, and she was the second one. She had one older sister, Anna. And Beth and May were the two youngest. Her father was a transcendentalist and educator, and her mother was a social worker. Under the influence and edification of her father, Alcott became interested in writing early. The Alcott didn’t have much money. In order to support the poor family, Louisa tried teaching, sewing and taking care of children to earn money before being a writer. In 1854, she published her first book called Flower Fables. In 1862, during the Civil War, Louisa enlisted as a nurse and went to a military hospital in Washington, D.C. She wrote many letters to her family during this time.