The argument I put forward in this paper is such: children's literature is a vital tool in didactic fiction, as in the words of Phillip Pullman, it teaches lessons "about what it means to be human, to grow up, to suffer and learn- (assignment handout, 11/3/03). ... It has been said that Little Women has in it the universal theme of human nature (Meigs, 213). Louisa May Alcott presents this human nature as a woman's struggle between duty to family and personal growth. ... Nevertheless, Little Women is a story about teaching and educating young women about maturation, and Alcott eff...

• Word Count: 1473
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

A bothered and isolated Elisa Allen in the story "The Chrysanthemums," finds herself subject to this phenomenon and is persistently mistreated and in a sense, unnoticed by her traditionally productive, yet dull and dismissive husband. ... Henry is ready to offer what he can, but Elisa's urgent need for someone to talk to who can understand the essential nature of her yearning for a poetic vision of the cosmos is, unfortunately, beyond Henry's range and insight (Lewis). ... Her limitation as a women is stated in the first sentence of the story which talks about the Salinas valle...

• Word Count: 1174
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate