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Little Women is Louisa May Alcott’s most famous novel. The novel follows the ____ of the four March sisters-Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy-and is based on the writer’s own ____ of growing up with her three sisters during the American Civil War（1861-1865）.

The main theme in the story is the importance of ____. Other themes include the need to work and self-improvement.

When the story begins the sisters are complaining because they are ____ and have to work. Their mother says that they mustn’t spend money on pleasure ____ there is a war and everybody must help. Their father is in the army. In the letters their father sends home, he tells his daughters to work hard and not to waste their time. They must try to ____ the bad things in their lives and stay cheerful. He wants to be proud of them when he comes home. The girls decide to make an effort to ____ themselves because they love and miss their father very much.

Alcott was interested in women’s rights and through the four March sisters, she explored （探索）four different ____ of being a woman in those days. Meg leaves the family to get ____ and have a new family. Beth devotes （致力于）herself to ____ her own family. Amy focuses on herself and her own pleasure. And Jo, like Alcott herself, tries to have a career in writing and care for her family at the same time.