The Image of Women in The Film 'Little Woman'

Abstract

The purpose of writing this article is to describe the image of women in the 19th century represented by the character
Jo March in the film 'Little Woman' directed by Gillian Armstrong. The image of women here is the perception of
women in the 19th century in expressing love, career, struggle for existence and independence in making choices. In
describing the image of women reflected in the film 'Little Woman', the researcher used a descriptive qualitative
research method with the type of Library research. The results showed that women in the 19th century, especially
women in the middle to upper social status, were considered as ideal women if they could fulfil the criteria as a woman
who could do all domestic work in the household. Women in the 19th century were more inclined to the male view
of the ideal woman at that time. The presence of the character Jo March in the film 'Little Woman' breaks the view of
the ideal woman who must submit or obey the rules and do domestic household chores. The presence of the character
Jo March shows that women also want self-actualization, independence, freedom to choose a life partner, express
feelings, and achieve goals. In addition, the presence of Jo March as a woman who is able to actualize herself is a
representation of most women in the 19th century who began to break the rules that restrained women's freedom in
showing their existence along with the industrial revolution at that time. This research is examined from the
perspective of feminism. The film 'Little Woman' represents the image of women in the 19th century who tried to
reach their dreams, love life, and independence. And the character Jo March is able to represent the women in the
19th century who succeeded in achieving all their dreams.
Keywords: Feminism, Women's Image, Descriptive Qualitative