Explore the impact of transcendentalism on the life of Louisa May Alcott and American society in this video [4:00] from the American Masters film Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind 'Little Women.' Emphasizing self-reliance, civil disobedience, intuition, the importance of nature, and knowing oneself, transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau left a permanent mark on American identity and values. Alcott spent much of her life surrounded by deep thinkers like Emerson and Thoreau and echoes of their influence can be found in her writing and the way she lived her life. Engage students with discussion questions, a close reading of quotes from Emerson and Thoreau, and connections to the movement in popular culture today.