Being a Little Woman by Molly

Being a Little Woman by Molly - October 2023 Scholarship Essay

As a child, my nose was always buried in a book. Any piece of literature that I could possibly get my hands on became the reason for my happiness during the hours I spent reading. One day my grandmother handed me what would become my favorite book to read, and re-read, for the next 13
years to come. The book itself was a hand me down. The cover was beaten and used, but the pages looked like they had life to them. My grandmother said that an old friend of hers had passed it along to her and that she was waiting to gift it to me until I was old enough to read it myself. I remember brushing my hands across the brown hardcover, tracing the book title's letters with my fingers. "Little Women" by Luisa May Alcott became the work of art I engulfed myself in for the entire week following that day.
This book gave me a new perspective on womanhood. As a 10-year-old girl who lived with her brother and father, the story of five sisters living with only their mother enveloped me. This book goes through the relationships that a girl might have with her mother, sisters, lovers, and death. Not only did it show the harshness of life and growing older, but it taught me that not everyone gets the fairytale happy ending. Life is unfair and the story makes you feel so much for these girls as they all experience different weights to bear throughout the book.
I read the book whenever I feel it is calling for me. When I go through different experiences in my life, I go back to it. Visiting my favorite book again could be over a fight with a friend, relationship issues, or simply when I am just missing my grandmom. This book has remained on the nightstand wherever I live for over a decade.
Something that my grandmom said has always stuck with me. "In each of us Molly, one can find a little woman." I always think of how she meant this when she said it all those years ago. I used to ask her and she would say "Well, it means whatever you want it to mean." I believe that out of all the women in this story, each woman that reads can surely find a little bit of herself in each one. Whether it be the shy and quiet Beth, the strong and bold Jo, or the energetic and lively Amy who just wants to be loved. You could identify with one of these girls your entire life, or you could be a little bit of each one at different times.