Using detailed examples from both Little Women and Treasure Island, compare and contrast the novels’ treatment of conformity and rebellion in young women and in young men.
In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting the treatment of conformity and rebellion in young women in the novels Treasure Island and Little Women. Both novels come under the genre of bildungsroman. I will be looking at Jo who resists the role as well as the paradoxical nature of her end, as well as Laurie and his struggles to fit within the confines of masculinity. I will also be looking at Jim and how his exploration and search for a masculine model shaped how he conformed and rebelled as a male in the 19th century. This was a time with staunch Victorian values and “Much of children's literature developing through this period echoed the needs of the society and was as Kimberley Reynolds suggests 'used quite consciously as a form of social control” (Open university, 2012) Naturally, one can expect books within this era, especially children’s literature to hold ideologies and values of that time and promoting said ideologies.
While Little Women is a didactic, domestic fiction which is rooted in Christian and patriarchal ideas that shape what being a female means and should be in the 19th century. Treasure island is a historic romance, that shows the value of “empire” and civil service” and shapes the construction of masculinity that Jims development is shaped by. Stephenson uses his novel, to explore issues around masculinity, using several almost father like characters to shape a young man, “Jim’s identity and ideals around what it meant to be masculine and what was praise worthy and showing us how Jim rebelled and conformed within the constraints of a hyper masculine world, surrounded by ”strong” men who each have different ideas of what it means to truly be a man.
Little women, “A book for women” begins by starting at the home, and seems to be the “centre of the book”, (Study guide p77), the place where they all come back”. This seems to be an ideal and appropriate setting for these young 19th century girls, in contrast to the adventure like scenes that “Treasure island” quickly dives into, suggesting that these books were likely upholding the social values and readers expectations of the novels at that time, clearly presenting an overt message.
Our first introduction to Jo, the character that Alcott uses to present a young girl internally fighting with both herself and her society, is presented as a “masculine, tall and tomboyish” (study guide, p 77) character. She is the anomaly amongst the females around her. Alcott uses her throughout the novel to showcase the rebellion of a young girl, yearning for more than what society deemed acceptable for her as a female. Much like her sisters, she was expected to be “selfless” act in a tender manner, not to have a temper, be overly concerned about her physical appearance and to prepare herself for the day a man may control her and her finances. She has “no desire to marry” and intends her fate to be that of a “literary spinster” (Alcott, p 130)
However, Alcott makes a point to show through the dialogue and interaction between her and Meg, prior to the ball. She lets Meg know 'I'll go without” (Alcott, p28) and that she doesn’t care what people say!' to which Meg gave her a half glove and would rather have mismatched gloves than to see her sister look improper and be “mortified” (Alcott, p28). Ironically enough, Megs desire to look as conventionally attractive and acceptable as possible lead to the burning of her hair and Jo had a better time, who didn’t care so much about what society thought of her. This may be Alcotts way of showing that despite her sister conforming and her rebelling, it is Jo who was rewarded in the end with a pleasant experience and the subvert message that aspiring to more than just looking good for society also bears a reward.
Later on in the novel, we see that Jo’s rebellion shows us Alcotts own limitations as a 19th century female writer. While Alcott herself did not marry, a novel like this that is designed to overtly instruct young girls and model them into the ideals, fitting into and spreading the ideologies of the Author as well as society, Alcott rebelled against giving the audience a romantic ending for Jo, a life without the need of marriage. Jo surprisingly ends up married, convinced by her “fatherly figure” of a husband to forego her dreams of being a fully-fledged writer. Despite Parille (Parille, 2009 p37) observing that critics have said that her marriage to Mr Bhaeur is a punishment” She remarks of her previous life to be “selfish”, and how her book can “wait”, while she tends to her family. Fetterly remarks that the experience of little women is “built on a paradox” of which I agree. (Fetterly, 2009, p27)
Her main lesson on selfishness may come from seeing the destruction her writing can cause, where Beth contracts Scarlett fever due to her irresponsibility and business in writing. This act of rebellion against society and indulging her time in her own pleasure causes fatal issues within her home life, and has negative repercussions to her sister, whom she loves dearly. As Fetterly remarks, “Beth’s life is a constant reminder to Jo of her own inadequacies and failure of what she ought to be” (2009, Fetterly, p29)
Young Laurie, “a frustrated, lonely young man” (Alcott, p57) is reminiscent of a female, locked away in a mansion that indulges in feminine activities such as playing piano. When one of the March guests states, “he keeps his grandson shut up” (Alcott, p25), we are reminded of the state of many 19th century women. Laurie embodies non-traditional ideals of a “masculine” character, rebelling against the societal norms. He serves as an almost parallel to Jo, who is so desperate to be more “masculine” in nature. Parille observes that his unhappiness stems from “proving himself a man” and Amy constantly reminding him of his “distance from cultural ideas of masculinity”. ( 2009, Parille, p35)
His friendship with Jo appears to be the vehicle that Alcott uses to break gender stereotypes, giving each of them attributes usually associated with the opposite gender. Both of them do not conform to societal expectations and are shown to rebel, though with little reward. Laurie pressured by both his grandfather and Amy into fulfilling more “masculine” roles and a stable financial income.
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Burning his music sheets, like Jo burning her writing, he gives into societal pressures and conforms. As Parille (2009, Parille, p37) ( states “However, while this does appear to be symbolic sacrifice, unlike the March girls, he still had the opportunity and wealth to travel and do as he pleased. While Parille does state that Alcott may wants to draw our attention to the similar sacrifices boys and girls make” In contrast to Jo, “he ought to be the happiest boy in the world” (Alcott, p60) His societal pressures are different though still valid, but perhaps not to the extent of the way the Parille is describing, since we see evidence of a privileged experience of childhood in contrast to the lives of women and the March sisters.
In the novel Treasure Island, centred on empire and individualism, we can see examples of both conformity and rebellion in young men through the character of Jim. In contrast to little women, where we are introduced to the characters home, Treasure Island delves straight into adventure and excitement, gripping the readers in the eye of a young boy. “As Loxley states, “from domesticity and confinement” to “adventure and freedom” (Loxley, 2009, p61) Due to the expansion of 19th century imperialism, we see that it is linked to a certain masculine identity. This was an ideal of physically strong males who were string pioneers and adventurers. This was a gender expectation that suited the agenda of the elite. It is interesting that there is a lack of parental figures, so Jims construct of masculinity and adhering to gender norms is all learned behaviour from the various men around him who are not as one dimensional as we would think.
Through the pirates, Long John Silver and the Dr, Jim is shown various ideals of what men are, or should be. He is far from any family figures, contrasting to how home centred little women is, which is telling of the social expectations at the time. This is a freedom that was afforded to boys at the time, encouraging them to travel, explore and be brave, unlike the selfless, patient and home bound March girls. An absence of females and family after the first chapters frees Jim from any emotional connections, and encounters.
We can see elements of rebellion in Jim’s initial fascination with Billy Bones and the life of pirates, which were a “threat of degeneracy and corruption” according to Loxley. (Loxley, 2009, p65) Billy Bones was a man who seems to do exactly as he pleases, even withholding rent. Jim looks to him as a standard for masculinity as a strong figure. However, this rebellion of authority and freedom is almost sneered upon in comparison to Dr Livesay who is a magistrate and “gentleman (Stephenson p38) ”, one whom society depends upon and represents a civilised society.However he has his limitations, as his authority is only relevant in the real world has the authority in the real world. When Jim sees the Doctor at the Admiral Benbow, he compares him to Bones. He says, I remember observing the contrast the neat bright doctor, with his powder as white as snow, and his bright, black eyes and pleasant manners, made with the coltish country folk, and above all, with that filthy, heavy, bleared scarecrow of a pirate of ours, sitting far gone in rum, with his arms on the table.”(Stephenson, p11)
Perhaps the only reconciliation for Jim was Long John Silver, a man who seems to be able to navigate both worlds with ease, and Jim wonders if this is the model of masculinity. Jim believes Long John silver to be” well tempered and clean” (Stephenson, p59) suggesting that mild manners are traits of civilised males whom he should aspire to be like.
The novel does not simply encode patriarchal ethics and ideals of empire, rather it resists them as well. Jim learns from Dr Livesey yet does not have the emotional connection to the practical, civilised world Livesey represents. Likewise, he does not completely fit into Silver’s worlds though he takes a fancy to his charismatic figure.
Once he has rebelled against all the masculine authorities, it is only then that he finds victory and also approval from the men, it seems as though going out and proving to be able to hold his own, with no help from the others is a respected and admirable trait that paradoxically pushes him into the man he wants to be. It almost reaffirms the imperial individual values that the book was centred around. In order to prove his masculinity, however, Jim becomes ‘savage-like’ himself at times, suggesting brutal expectations of both colonialism and a constructed masculine gender identity.
As we see further in the novel, he returns back to life on the shore, working in the civil domain, reaffirming that he has a place back home to return to, that despite his courage and strength, his civil duty appears the most rewarding, even with a taste of the more romantic adventurous life. As Loxley (Loxley, 2009, p72) states” Treasure Island grooms it’s Hero Jim” and other young male readers for roles within the British state. The state needed people to come back and re enter society in a dignified manner that men should be, that they couldn’t live out their fantasy forever. This spirit of adventure and growth, along with problem solving skills he developed are all the rewards of his rebellion against the civil society and plunging into this “savage like world”
As a young boy, his spirit of adventure is treated differently to if he was a man, set in his ways of life. Stephenson allows him to explore, and to break free and rebel from the constraints of 19th century society. Stephenson rewards his rebellion and rejection of traditional societal norms by allowing him to seek treasure and go on this great, exciting quest, as Parkes (Parkes, 2009, p78) states he is able to “break free of social constraint in the world of romance: Contrary to the girls in Little Women, it seems that Jim is only able to pursue manhood and reach a model of masculinity that his society may deem acceptable once he has explored and gone out of his comfort zone where the girls are instead taught to nurture their inner selves, at home.
In conclusion, it is apparent that through characters such as Jo and her resistance towards patriachial value and distaste for conventional gender norms that she is seen to be less bothered about her appearance and appears to enjoy life more, however further along she appears to be almost punished through her choices, where she paradoxically ends up marrying a patriachial father figure who convinces her to burn up her writing, choosing to focus on family, in a way that Laurie also had to, symbolysing their dreams dying in favour of conforming to gender norms, That in the end, it appears as though society and conforming to it won.
In Treasure Island, Jim is heavily influenced by some of these hyper masculine figures who shape what masculinity is for a young boy going into adulthood, but also resists these ideals. He is taught by Dr Livesey yet he doesn’t emotionally connect to the civilised and proper world that Livesey is a representative of, not does he entirely fit into Silver’s world. However, his rebellion of civil society was rewarded as they allowed him to develop skills that would later prove useful in the civil society where he was welcomed back with open arms. As Reynolds says “all the origins of popular forms of children’s publishing have their roots in this period” (Open university, 2012)
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