Little Men

“My child, you have got a father and a mother now, and this is home. Don’t think of those sad times any more, but get well and happy; and be sure you shall never suffer again, if we can help it. This place is made for all sorts of boys to have a good time in, and to learn how to help themselves and be useful men, I hope.”

Alcott bases education at Plumfield on a family model, in which the teachers love their students as parents would and model a good society within a domestic setting. Mrs. Jo’s sentimental dialogue emphasizes to Nat that Plumfield will be his new home, and his teachers, his new family. The novel demonstrates that the outcome of education is personal growth and becoming a productive member of society, which Mrs. Jo describes as learning to “help themselves and be useful.”

“Demi was one of the children who show plainly the effect of intelligent love and care, for soul and body worked harmoniously together. The natural refinement which nothing but home influence can teach, gave him sweet and simple manners: his mother had cherished an innocent and loving heart in him; his father had watched over the physical growth of his boy.”

This characterization of Demi, the nephew of the Bhaers, highlights the values of family life that create a desirable character and successful holistic education. The description of Demi’s parents highlights the conventional roles of male and female parents in raising children. In the 19th century, mothers were expected to support the moral development and emotional health of the child, while fathers were tasked with providing for their physical welfare. This view is emphasized through the description of Demi as dually blessed in “soul and body,” representing the balance of his parents’ approach and the importance of a “home influence.”