“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
— Little Women (1868)
Spoken by Amy March. Alcott's confidence is earned, not naive — the emphasis is on learning, not mastery. Courage as a process, not a state.
Author Quotes
Louisa May Alcott
Louisa May Alcott was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet best known as the author of the novel Little Women and its sequels Little
“I'd rather take coffee than compliments just now.”
— Little Women (1868)
Jo March's characteristic directness. Alcott refuses sentimentality in favor of the concrete — flattery is less useful than caffeine.
“Women have been called queens for a long time, but the kingdom given them isn't worth ruling.”
— An Old-Fashioned Girl (1870)
Alcott's feminist insight: the pedestal is a cage. Being crowned "queen of the home" is not honor but confinement to a diminished domain.