What are the themes in Little Women?

For its time, Louisa Mae Alcott's Little Women
was radical in its portrayal of such independent young women, especially the
character Jo.  But, because of this avant-garde challenge of gender
roles and its compelling narrative, Little Women remains a beloved
classic, one that both boys and girls enjoy.  Here are three prevailing themes of
Alcott's novel:

Gender
Roles

With the husband and father gone to
fight in the Civil War, the March family is composed solely of females.  Rather than
following the traditional role of women in the nineteenth-century, however, the March
girls and their mother develop minds and spirits that are independent.  Mrs. March, for
example, unlike Mrs. Bennett of Pride and Prejudice, does not groom
her daughters solely to become wives; rather, she instructs her girls that they should
develop themselves into educated and interesting women so that they can live happy
lives.  It is "...[B]etter [to] be happy old maids than unhappy wives," she tells
them. 

Josephine March, who is sixteen at the beginning of
the narrative, is the most independent of the girls.  Considered a tomboy, she is
exuberant, self-confident, and very bright.  Uninterested in marriage, she is upset when
her sister Meg marries because she feels that the family is being broken apart. 
Nevertheless, Jo herself later separates from the family, but she realizes that she must
pursue her own dream of becoming a writer.  After she moves away, she meets Professor
Bhaer, who encourages her and is supportive, rather than chauvanistic as was customary
for the times. 

Another member of the family who does not
follow the norm is Meg.  For instance, when she visits her friend Anne Moffat and feels
uncomfortable in her old dress, her friends dress her for a dance, yet Meg feels
foolishly like some doll that has been dressed by its
owner.

Maturation

Alcott's
novel is greatly concerned with the girls' search for self.  Meg, for example, is very
family-orientated and is concerned about pleasing others while Jo is fiercely
independent.  Beth is selfless and Amy is more concerned with herself and her acquistion
of things than are the other girls; like the others she, too, seeks her own
identity.

While the Marches are poor, they are not so
impoverished that they cannot charitably help others.  In addition, they are not ashamed
of their condition and unabashedly visit the Laurence home and marvel at the wonderful
library. Never are they envious or petty; instead they embrace Laurie as their friend,
especially Jo. For, the Marches realize that they are wealthy in ways that the Laurences
are not as they have parents while Laurie does not.  Clearly Miss Alcott demonstrates
through the relationship of the March girls with Laurie that there is wealth that
supercedes economic wealth.