“Little Women” Movie Analysis (Movie Review Sample)

“Little Women” Movie Analysis
“Little Women” by Greta Gerwig in 2020 examines gender roles during the nineteenth century by focusing on the life experiences of four sisters from childhood to adulthood. Gerwig explores how Amy, Meg, Beth, and Jo have different beliefs and perceptions of marriage. The film depicts a patriarchal society that limits females to domestic roles like cooking and cleaning houses, leaving men to perform advanced duties. In addition, young girls were supposed to focus on finding wealthy husbands for marriage. However, some girls like Jo rejected such expectations and cultural norms and proved that women could live independently. Children have much to learn from the film, including some of the societal expectations and how women's role in society has changed over the past centuries. Therefore, Gerwig's film would significantly influence how children form relationships and socialize with others.
The film demonstrates that men were responsible for culturally masculine duties, including business activities that resulted in financial gain. Wealth accumulation was a necessity for men because they had a responsibility to meet their families needs. For instance, parents advised their young girls to find wealthy men for marriage, implying that those who lacked wealth stood little or no chance of being husbands. In addition, young men were supposed to engage in maintenance activities and protect their families from different forms of dangers due to their masculinity. However, Laurie rejects such societal restrictions and norms by engaging in culturally feminine roles (Gerwig, 00:40:00). His desire to pursue a music career and abandon masculine activities illustrates his disappointment in societal norms and beliefs. Therefore, societies during the nineteenth century expected men to provide for their families by engaging in activities that helped them accumulate wealth.