As the author who expressed as well as helped shape American ideals of domesticity through the cross-generational appeal of her

Little Women

, Louisa May Alcott has been a writer of note for more than a century. Since 1888, the year of her death, there have been numerous biographies and critical studies of the popular author. And yet, it is in the context of recent debates on the cultural significance of non-canonical texts that Alcott’s work appears more fascinating than ever before. Scholarly criticism on Louisa May Alcott has increased significantly since the 1970s, when the discovery of her sensational thrillers revealed unsuspected dimensions to the work and personality of the author popularly known as “The Children’s Friend”.

Louisa May Alcott was born on 29 November, 1832, in

2685 words

Citation: Maragou, Helena. "Louisa May Alcott". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 February 2004 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=62, accessed 19 March 2024.]

62 Louisa May Alcott 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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