Date Thesis Awarded
5-2022
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
English
Advisor
Richard Lowry
Committee Members
Jennifer Putzi
Melanie Dawson
Leisa Meyer
Abstract
Mark Twain and Louisa May Alcott were two very successful authors in the late nineteenth century. However, two of their most famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Little Women respectively, highlight failure more often than success. Examining moments of failure within these two novels demonstrates how failure was used as a teaching mechanism in nineteenth century childhood to reveal to children gender norms surrounding ambition. Failure encourages boys to be more ambitious while coercing girls into passivity.
Recommended Citation
Hughes, Ceci, "Ambitious Boys and Girls: Childhood Failure and Gender Norms in Little Women and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (2022). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1786.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1786
