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Generations of a story. 

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The Movie “Little Women”

Little women is a movie with poise and character, a book that carries a message with time. The story of Little Women is one many girls will remember forever. Little women is a message of the struggles they faced but the strength they carried back then and in today's time. This topic of women's strength is one that is very prevalent in today's time. The overall idea of the message that is trying to portray is the thought that the women back then are not so different to the women today. Strengths and character were hidden for women back in the day and that is something that many want to embrace in today's age but also a struggle that many women face. I will be covering the New rendition of Little women directed by Greta Gerwig. We will be covering the messages within the story, actors, director and more. The message of working women, the director and her approach and the idea of passions and dreams with women back then and in today's society.

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Jo march and family behind.

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Working Women

“Working Women '', that phrase was non-existent for many in the early 1800s women were told to be household wives. You take care of the kids, house and husband. That is your only option. Going out into the workforce for many women was not a thing until the 1900s. In the movie “Little Women'' they defy what society has labeled women. They are a household of all women and only women. They do the jobs society wants but they also live the dream they want. For example you have Jo March. This character is the definition of a working woman. She wanted something different so she went out to go pursue litereature. She would write and submit her work and keep on doing it and that was her income and she loved it. She was the one to defy society and what they told her. Jo was one who loved her job but society did not. With today's time this is a problem many women face. Women are now in the workforce 100 years later but they do not gain the respect they deserve. Many women “On average in today's time earn just 78 cents for every dollar a man earns. An increase of only 17 cents on the dollar since the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was enacted”( Frankfurter). Women working in the workforce nowadays do not nearly get the same wage as a man. The struggle of equality in the office is one many face. Women not only do not get equal wages but they have to conquer over what they call the glass ceiling. This is where you are stuck in a certain position with work and can not move up and improve because society has said so. This happens to many women where they do not even have the chance to make more money or improve in their work. The women in “Little Women'' all face their idea of work like this in a different way. They all worked in different areas, some followed societal roles the other sisters did not but they all succeeded and broke the glass ceiling. The author of the original story of “Little Women'' is Louisa May Alcott and many described her as a girl who did not listen, “She fully admitted that never ever as a small child she gladly played the role that society considered proper for a girl. As a woman she fully admitted that she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of independence that she has achieved”( Strickland 43). Her personality has been represented through the many stories of “Little Women”. Her and the sisters were successful because they were driven, passionate and carried strength within themselves and those are traits I see many women carry today, not letting society tell them how to work.

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Greta Gerwig

The hardworking woman is a common theme in this movie and a very hard worker is the woman who directed “Little Women'' Greta Gerwig. She embraces what this movie stands for and truly represents the strength that many women wish they had. She does not push away the power of a woman but takes it in and embraces the traits we all share. She wanted to take on a film with a message for many women to take in, and she did that by embracing the role of a strong women director and she did not let anything stop her. Greta Gerwig filmed this whole movie while pregnant. She was doing the strongest thing women can do and did not let that stop her. She spoke about her being pregnant and said “She told me after the fact that she didn’t want anyone to treat her any differently,” added Ronan.“And people would have done. Because she works around the clock. She’s such a workhorse. And when a woman is pregnant, everyone always questions, ‘Are her decisions sound?’ and all this sort of stuff.”( Kaufman). Gerwig knew how society treats women in the workforce and while pregnant and she did not want to be held back while filming the movie so she did not tell anyone. She knew she could complete the movie and that is all that mattered as long as she carried the strength in her, the movie was going to come out successful. Greta Gerwig went on to direct the movie and gave birth to her son and did not let any of that stop her from her job. She represents what all women back then and now want to be. The strong independent women succeed in a society that holds them back.

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Greta Gerwig | Breaking Bold

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Dreams and Goals

All these working women share one thing: they carry many passions and dreams. In the movie Little Women all the girls carried passions they loved literature, Painting and music, and more and they all worked hard to be good at what they loved. Women carry so many different passions and dreams and we see a lot of women succeed in what they work hard for but many are still held back by what society tells them. During the time of Little Women, the women were told to be “housewives''. That is the only option if you want to achieve something, else you can not because that is not what a woman does. In today's time though it is a little different and more and more women defy these “rules” many are still stuck. We have the labels of a “soccer mom” or “PTA mom” woman who are more likely to stay at home and take care of the kids and house. Though many choose that route, with time many realize that they are wasting the dreams and passions they used to have. Greta Gerwig is one who overcame these labels society put on us and achieved her passions like the women in the movie. Many love Gerwig and what she stands for “Reviewers have rushed to celebrate Gerwig’s Little Women for its contemporary feminist relevance, arguing that it shows that “dreams and ambitions can be greater and more soaring than Louisa May Alcott, trapped in the 19th century and kicking against it, could ever have hoped” (Carr). Gerwig and many are in the act of achieving their dreams and fighting what society tells them to do, not letting that get in the way of their passions and goals in life. “Little Women” is a book that is not as prevalent with the times but the movie truly brings back such a powerful story. The message is stronger than ever “Little women is a piece of history or perhaps more important a piece of a woman's autobiography that depicts female aspiration, Family life, and a woman's career choices” ( May, 20). With this message May is trying to tell Gerwig and Alcott what their message of dreams and aspirations meant to women. They want women to be strong and independent souls, ready to fight for their aspirations.

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“Little Women”

The movie Little Women covers the struggles many women face but it highlights their strengths and resilience that they carry. The new rendition of the movie came out during a perfect time. The time where women are starting to ignore society and work and conquer what they want to and not letting anyone get in their way. This movie is a perfect representation of that, each sister in the movie represented different strong women. It was something many women could relate to. The movie is showing the struggles they face and these struggles are related to today's society. Passions and dreams and overall strength that has been talked about with this movie is something all women back then and in today's time can relate to. It is a story of resilience, and hopefully a message that can be carried throughout the times.

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