Louisa May Alcott’s novel, Work: A Story of Experience, is illustrated through the vocational journey of a young, female protagonist who seeks independence and a meaningful life. In her final pages, Alcott’s heroine, Christie, states: “I owe all I can do, for in labor, and the efforts and experiences that grew out of it, I have found independence, education, happiness, and religion” (317). The female protagonist illustrates the necessary steps to first attain an education and then find work that fulfills her need for independence, happiness, and agency. In a letter to Mrs. Maria S. Porter in 1874, Alcott insists upon, “Let[ing] the professions be open to her, let fifty years of college education be hers, and then we shall see what we shall see” (Letters 190). Here, Alcott expresses a belief that education can bring her “the professions.” While these sentiments are expressed throughout Alcott’s later years, they are prevalent in her novel about work. This activism is reflected in her novel as well because Christie promises to bridge the class and racial divide as part of her philanthropic goals. Christie Devon’s story begins with her declaration to be independent, but it is the rest of the story that illustrates Alcott’s passion for women’s education, the professions, and a meaningful life.