Compare and contrast Alcott's and Stevenson's depictions of 'growing Essay

Compare and contrast Alcott's and Stevenson's depictions of 'growing up' - Essay Example As Massachusetts is part of the New England, Alcott and her writings were obviously influenced by the political and social developments during her time such as the beginnings of Industrial Revolution (this revolution originated in old England and took first roots in the New England region) that transformed society and business, movement to abolish slavery (the author herself was an abolitionist who gave refuge to a fugitive slave), the introduction of free public education and feminism. It was during this period that the first stirrings for womens rights took hold in the form of the universal suffrage (which meant allowing the women to vote for the first time). Alcott with other female writers took the lead in these movements. It was a time of ferment and excitement, when social barriers were being challenged or being torn down. It was also in New England that the first pieces of truly American literature were published. This region produced so many prominent writers and poets like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Emily Dickinson. Some of them were her contemporaries, family friends or personal acquaintances and influenced her works. The other novel, â€Å"Treasure Island† by Robert Louis Stevenson, is one of the famous male adolescent novels of all time. It is a coming-of-age story that has acquired a life of its own in the annals of children literature. Although written entirely as fiction, its descriptions of sea voyages, pirates, maps, buried treasures and tropical islands are so authentic it had been a source of entertainment and inspiration for generations who longed for adventure, risk taking and excitement. The author used the knowledge and experiences he gained in travelling with his father and grandfather, who were both lighthouse engineers, on their maritime expeditions to check on lighthouses as the primary source of much of his exacting