The Absent Male in Little Women "No gentlemen were admitted" writes Louisa May Alcott in Little Women to describe the all-female private revue the March sisters perform. And as the novel progresses, one cannot help but wonder if this same sentiment does indeed echo throughout the novel, as male characters are conspicuously absent while all the pivotal parts are played by the women characters. This gender imbalance -- in that there are more female characters …showed first 75 words of 1814 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1814 total…and mother. Without a strong male focus in her life, Alcott grew up understanding girls better than boys, although she once announced: ³I was born with a boy¹s bib and tucker.² Her understanding of what makes girls tick contributes to the success of her novels for girls. Girls are able to identify with her characters as the female voices are more clearly defined. The males seem but mere ornaments around which the girls interact.