“I am not afraid of storms because I am learning to sail my ship. – Louisa May Alcott
Words by Amy March – The characters from Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women” capture the quiet strength that comes from growing through adversity.
What does the quote mean?
Alcott’s words – spoken by Amy – remind us that courage is not about running away from the challenges life throws at us. Rather, it is about gaining skills and confidence through these challenges and preparing for the process.
“Storms” represent challenges in life, difficulties or uncertain situations. Through his words, Alcott exhorts man to “sail” the ship of life “through the ‘storm.’
In simpler terms, he advises his readers that life’s difficulties teach a person how to navigate them – equipping them with the resilience and mindset to overcome challenges.
Where does the quote appear?
Today’s Quote of the Day was written by Amy Curtis March – one of the daughters of Margaret March and Robert March in the classic “Little Women”
In the novel, Amy is described as a “snow maiden”—pale, blond, and blue-eyed—who seems to instinctively understand the social graces that set her apart from her sisters.
The quotes from Amy and the other March sisters in the novel reflect much of what Alcott’s life was like – plagued by poverty and how she was forced to work at an early age to keep her family on the brink of starvation.
Who was Louisa May Alcott?
Born in 1832, Alcott was known as a staunch feminist.
Her father, Bronson Alcott, is often referred to as the father of modern education in the United States. Despite his intellect, he struggled financially, and the Alcott family lived in real hardship—much harsher than the situation faced by the March family in Little Women.
To help support her family, Louisa began working at a young age. Like one of the March sisters – Jo – she was determined to become a writer and initially turned to writing pulp fiction to support her family.
She continued to write for the Atlantic Monthly and achieved her first major success with “Hospital Sketches” in 1863. She achieved literary fame with the first edition of “Little Women” in 1868.
The American feminist movement was gaining momentum around the time “Little Women” was published – and the seeds of feminist thought can be found within the pages of the novel.
