For every piece of work, there is subtext, the meaning behind the words. However, every individual deciphers this subtext in extremely different ways. For instance, a poor man may decipher the meaning of a painting in a different way to that of a rich man. The work that I have decided to explain is a novel known as Little Women by Louise M. Alcott. Below is a short description of three different perspectives: gender, class and race.

If a male was to read this novel, he would be less likely to relate to the book it compared to a female. He would most probably think that it is a feminist book because it only focuses on the happenings in the March (the family) household which basically consisted of women. Since the book is set during the American Civil War, the majority of the characters are facing many difficulties and disruptions in their lives. However, the book only describes the hardships that the females are facing and never going into detail about the hardships of the male characters. In addition, most of plot takes place in the household, focusing on the female characters. Therefore, a male reading this book might find the plot slow-moving, with very little action. He would also claim that the issues that the March family faces are insignificant problems for males because the story focuses on domestic problems, which are usually solved by women. Lastly, a male might find it absurd that all the male characters in this novel are weak and in great need of female affection.  

If a person of low economical status was to read this book, he/she would easily relate. This is because most of the characters of this book are of the same class and most probably face similar situations. One message an underprivileged person might receive is that even though you’re poor, you can still spend time with your family and enjoy life to its fullest. The March family were poor but they managed to get through difficult moments together with love and cooperation and they were happier than most of their richer friends. One interesting point in the story is when the March family gave away their Christmas breakfast to a family that was poorer than them. A poor person might also realize that there are many people who are destitute, even poorer than them, and that they should help as much as they can.

From a racial point of view, an African American might have a different perspective on the plot and theme of the book because it concentrates very much on a typical American English family. There were no references to any African American characters, which is ironic since the Civil War, which formed the background to the novel, was fought due to their status in the society.