Family Existence as Personality in Little Women: A Novel by Louisa May Alcott

Abstract

This study examines the main characters' personalities in "Little Women," a novel by Louisa May Alcott. The research employs a descriptive-qualitative approach to discern the character traits of these individuals. The investigation utilizes a two-fold framework for character analysis. It applies the four-factor character analysis model proposed by the Migrant Education Program Consortium Incentive, which focuses on assessing characters' appearances, spoken words, actions, and emotions. Then, it adheres to the Big Five personality traits concepts formulated by Paul Costa and Robert McCrae, emphasizing conscientiousness and agreeableness. In this study, data was collected by carefully reading the novel, dissecting it sentence by sentence, employing the four-factor analysis to comprehend the characters' personalities, and assessing through the lens of the Big Five theory. The results reveal that all character elements and traits showed unique personality characteristics. Specifically, agreeableness is most prominent in characters' personalities, primarily their emotional qualities. We find attributes like modesty, patience, Altruism, consideration, selflessness, helpfulness, humility, loyalty, and cheerfulness within the domain of agreeableness. However, conscientiousness within the characters' personalities is reflected in their appearances, spoken words, and actions, encompassing qualities such as being hardworking, ambitious, and persistent.