Louisa May Alcott shows a lot of herself throughout the novel Little Women. It shows many parallels between the fictional character Jo and Louisa May Alcott. The novel is an example of their similar personalities, appearances, and life experiences. Louisa was very dramatic and comedic throughout her life. Jo March is the ideal character for Louisa to play. It illustrates what life was like in 19th century America. Through the characters of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott illustrates her struggle as a woman writer in a society dominated by men. Jo March, the protagonist of Little Women, has a similar childhood to Louisa May Alcott. “Jo is the perfect role for Louisa to play” (Carter). Louisa uses these similarities as a foundation to show her aspirations as a writer. The family characteristics, the setting of the novel and the attitudes and desires of Jo and Louisa are rather parallel. First, Louisa lived in Concord, Massachusetts with her parents and three sisters, just like her protagonist Jo and her family. She began writing at a very young age and wrote in a journal daily. She used this journal to describe her childhood experiences, which she later used to create stories and novels. Many of these adventures from Louisa's childhood continue in the novel Little Women. With the support of their families, both women began writing at an early age. “Alcott exemplifies Christian virtues, particularly selflessness, courage, faith and charity, in the context of family and friendships” (Morrow). They share a passion for literature and writing and struggle to help their families overcome poverty. Little Women has similar characters and themes that are found throughout Louisa's life. “A lot of...... middle of paper......Distribution Inc., 2004. Print.Carter, Smart, Betty. “Women and girls. » Weekly Standard. February 28, 2005: 36. Electronic library. Web. February 9, 2014. Cheney, Ednah D. “Louisa May Alcott: Her Life, Letters, and Diaries.” » Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1889. Matteson, John. “Little Women: The Devilish and Devoted Daughter Louisa May Alcott Humanities.” » November 1, 2009: 10. Electronic Library February 18, 2014. The Philosopher's Daughter." World & I 5(2002):240. eLibrary. Web. February 18, 2014. Mullen, Alexandra. "Father/daughter match: Bronson and Louisa May Alcott." Hudson Review 1(2009): 159. Electronic Library. February 18, 2014. Price, Leah. “American Girl,” New York Times Book Review, December 12, 2010: 21. Vincent, Zu. the father/child relationship in Young Adult Fiction” ALAN Review 3 (2008): 36. eLibrary. Web. February 18. 2014.