"black woolen pinafore and a cap with a red bow"

[Samantha Sears]

This passage is from Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women."

The passage is describing Jo's writing attire when she isolates herself in her spot beneath the eaves of the house and writes fervently. The black pinafore is appropriate because it enables Jo to wipe her inky hands whenever necessary. The red bow indicates that she is feverishly writing. When the bow is standing upright it indicates that she is in the writing zone. When the cap is strewn onto the ground it indicates that she is frustrated and cannot be bothered.

The writing attire is significant because it is unlike the customary and acceptable attire of a young woman. In Jo's secluded writing space she is able to escape from the typical customs and expectations of women. She is able to separate herself from the world and she does not have to conform to acceptable societal standards of attire. These garments demonstrate the way in which she has been able to escape and subvert female expectations. This literary attire is a displacement/transformation of the usual apron. The attire is also significant because it underlines Jo's overwhelming desire to be unique and to shun the expected norms of society. Jo continually struggles with the expectations for young women and these garments in conjunction with her private writing place are one instance in which she is able to escape from the demands of proper womanhood.