FAMILY VALUES IN LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S NOVEL LITTLE WOMEN

This research aimed to find out the family values in Louisa May
Alcott’s Novel entitled Little Women and the portrayal of the importance of
family by the author throughout the story which is presented by March family
member, includes Mr. and Mrs. March, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. This
research is a qualitative descriptive study. Data are collected by reading and
interpreting the story. The obtained data are analyzed by family values
proposed by DiVietri. The results of the research showed family values that
appeared in the Little Women novel, there were sacrifice, dependability,
respect, love, friendship, religion, trust, and faith, responsibility, patience,
self-control, forgiveness, honesty, understanding, commitment and fidelity,
faithfulness, flexibility, hope, loyalty, perseverance, non-violation in
parenting, and modesty. The result in second finding showed that family is
portrayed as the source of gratefulness, something valuable, and contributes
as companionship. To conclude, family values in this novel tend to be
presented in the form of positive traits of the characters, and the March family
represents an ideal family form, where the March family has strong bonds
and fulfil the important roles in the family.
Key Words: Family, Family Values, Little Women