Monday, January 18, 2016

Louisa May Alcott in fact and fiction

When I read The Selected Letters of Louisa May Alcott, I noted that some of those included survive only in transcripts made by Ednah Dow Cheney.  I assumed that her book, Louisa May Alcott, Life, Letters and Journals, consisted mainly of transcripts. It was only when I finally started reading the book (a long-term resident of the TBR shelves) that I discovered it was published in 1889, the year after Alcott's death; and that it is a biography as well as a compilation of Alcott's writings. It was clear from the text that Ednah Cheney knew Louisa May Alcott. When I looked for information about Cheney, I found that she is a fascinating figure in her own right, part of the Transcendentalist inner circle, an activist in the abolitionist and women's rights movements. Her biography is the first written on Alcott. She had access through Louisa's only surviving sister, Anna Alcott Pratt (Meg), to family papers. She did note that Louisa burned many of her papers before her death, and also sorted and burned her mother's. Anna Pratt may have done the same later for Louisa's. Among the extracts Cheney included were entries from a diary that Louisa kept as a child during the utopian "Fruitlands" experiment organized by her father Bronson Alcott. The original of the diary has since been lost (or destroyed), along with letters. (Alcott amended her journals later in life, adding notes and comments, which Cheney included in her transcriptions.)

I can't remember if I have read a full biography of Louisa May Alcott before. I found this an interesting outline of her life, and I enjoyed reading Alcott's own words. It is certainly not a rigorous scholarly biography. Cheney seems to have felt the need to defend Alcott, against accusations that her early writings were too sensational and immoral, or too full of slang; and also to assure her readers that Alcott was a true woman. Though she had no children of her own - and apparently didn't really care for children - still she had "the mother-nature strong in her heart..." At the same time, she allowed Alcott to speak for herself, and that keeps the book from turning into hagiography. I was surprised to read in a diary entry from the period when Alcott was writing Little Women, "Never liked girls or knew many, except my sisters..." In 1877, as she was writing Under the Lilacs, she said in another entry that she was "tired of providing moral pap for the young." And she complained, a lot, about how hard she had to work, and how easy other people had it, particularly her youngest sister May (Amy). She noted at one point that "she [Anna] has her wish, and is happy. When shall I have mine?"  On one birthday she wrote "I never seem to have many presents, though I give a good many." By then she had become the main financial support of her family, which led her to exhaust herself in writing. I was reminded of Margaret Oliphant, churning out books and articles for her family's support, and sometimes complaining about it all.

Cheney's biography made me want to read one of Alcott's novels, and I chose Jo's Boys, published in 1886. I read it many times growing up, but it's one I re-read less often these days. Learning that it was Alcott's last novel piqued my interest. It is the third story of the March family, opening ten years after Little Men. Plumfield has now become part of Laurence College, funded by the estate of old Mr. Laurence. He has gone to his reward, as has Marmee. In real life, Louisa had also lost her sister May, the original for Amy. A touching Preface states that "since the original of that character died, it has been impossible for me to write of her as when she was here to suggest, criticise, and laugh over her namesake. The same excuse applies to MARMEE." Professor Bhaer is the president of the college, Mr. March its chaplain and resident philosopher. Meg has a house on the campus and acts as a den mother for the women students. Laurie and Amy have also built a house there, which is a center for art and music.

Reading this novel right after Cheney's book made it clear how much Alcott took straight from her own life for this book. Jo has become a famous author after writing "a little story describing a few scenes and adventures in the lives of herself and her sisters - though boys were more in her line..." The success of this Little Women-ish book allowed Jo to fulfill her dream: "a room where Marmee could sit in peace and enjoy herself after her hard, heroic life." That was exactly Alcott's wish for her Marmee, achieved through her own writing. With the runaway success of Jo's novel and the books that follow, fans deluge her with letters and camp out at Plumfield to see her. One woman visitor who forces her way in tells her, "If ever you come to Oshkosh, your feet won't be allowed to touch the pavement" - almost the exact words a fan spoke to Alcott herself in 1875. Jo however considers herself "only a literary nursery-maid who provides moral pap for the young..." Like her creator, Jo prefers "little Charlotte Brontë" to George Eliot. "I admire, but I don't love, George Eliot," she tells one of the women students who aspires to be a writer.

I was also reminded, reading this, of how subversive Louisa May Alcott could be. Laurence College is integrated, accepting African American students, including freed people from the south. It is also co-ed, and the women students are there to learn. The point is made more than once that women can study just as hard and as well as men. Many of the women students are preparing for careers - some out of necessity, and others by choice. While Alcott gave less attention to the girls who first appeared in Little Men, we get one of my favorites, the harum-scarum Nan, now studying to be a doctor and determined to remain a spinster. Meg's daughter Daisy, the rather bland twin sister of Demi, is set for marriage and domesticity, but her younger sister Josie is determined on a career as an actress. Amy and Laurie's daughter Bess, who will never have to earn a living, wants to be a sculptor. In the last chapter, Alcott tells us that Nan, Josie and Bess all achieve their goals. Alcott was an active worker for women's suffrage, organizing the women of Concord to vote in local elections. Nan argues for women's suffrage, and Demi supports her, pointing out that Meg, Jo and Amy vote in every election. And we also get the wild and wicked Dan, who can't settle down to anything but finally decides to dedicate himself to working among Native Americans. There is a fair bit of "noble savage" stereotyping, but Alcott also has strong words for the way "those poor devils" have been treated by the government, "cheated out of everything, and waiting patiently, after being driven from their own land to places where nothing will grow." It reminded me of her daring to marry the Boston blue-blood Annabel in the Eight Cousins books to a Chinese merchant, in the face of rampant anti-Asian prejudice.

Speaking of Eight Cousins, Cheney's book includes a long letter from Alcott describing a Christmas spent helping Abby Gibbons distribute food and toys in New York City. It was written in December of 1875, a few months before she began working on A Rose in Bloom, which mentions Abby Gibbons's work. I do love tracing connections like this.

Two quick quotes, to end with. As a child, Alcott listed among her vices, "Love of cats." And in Jo's Boys, the chapter "Plays at Plumfield" begins, "As it is impossible for the humble historian of the March family to write a story without theatricals in it as for our dear Miss Yonge to get on with less than twelve or fourteen children in her interesting tales..." Having finally read Our Dear Miss Yonge, I appreciate the truth of that statement! (It does make me wonder too if Alcott ever read Anthony Trollope - she knew his dear platonic friend Kate Field.)

20 comments:

  1. Thank you - I enjoyed this review. It is impressive how much of Alcott's more subversive statements Cheney included.

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    1. Thank you for stopping by! I think Ednah Cheney had some pretty subversive ideas herself - at least for the 1880s :)

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  2. Abby Hopper Gibbons (1801-1893) was the wife of James Sloan Gibbons (who wrote the lyrics to "We Are Coming, Father Abraham," a well-known Civil War recruiting song.

    Her father was Isaac Tatem Gibbons, one of the "founders" – insofar as one person could be said to be a founder – of the Underground Railroad.

    Isaac had a son by his second wife, John Hopper, who married Rosalie DeWolf

    John and Rosalie had a son, William DeWolf Hopper (1858-1935), who became an actor and is famous for two things: holding the all-time record for the number of times he recited, in public, "Casey at the Bat," and his fifth wife, Hedda Hopper.

    William and Hedda had a son, William DeWolf Hopper, Jr. (1915 – 1970), also an actor, who is known for the role of Paul Drake in the original Perry Mason television series.

    (James Sloan Gibbons' older brother, Henry, was my great-great-grandfather.)

    It was an exciting moment to find MY relative, Abby Hopper Gibbons, mentioned in ROSE IN BLOOM.

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    1. So many fascinating people in that family line! I had a crush on Paul Drake when I was younger :)

      Your great-great-uncle James was along for LMA's Christmas with Abby in 1875. "Mr G. and I discussed pauperism and crime like two old wise-acres; and it was sweet to hear the gray-headed couple say 'thee' and 'thou,' 'Abby' and 'James'..."

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    2. Yes, they all used the plain language, and my aunt told me that when her grandmother, James' niece, ceased to use 'thee' and 'thou' to her grandchildren and used 'you,' they KNEW they were IN TROUBLE.

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    3. Like when my mother used our full names. "LISA ANN MAY" meant TROUBLE as well :)

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  3. Somewhere, I know, I have a book about the whole Concorde community, including both Alcott and Cheney. You remind me that I bought it in order to read it, not just to leave it sitting on the shelf!
    'Jo's Boys' has always been my favourite of the March novels. I love knowing about how the children all grow up with such integrity.

    If you're interested in how an author's life influences their writing have you ever read L M Montgomery's letters? A student of mine did her dissertation on the way in which Anne's life echoed that of her creator. It was really interesting to supervise.

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    1. Please let me know when you come across that book, I probably need to add it to my reading list!

      I haven't read L.M. Montgomery's letters yet, but I've read two volumes of Dorothy L. Sayers' letters, and I found them really interesting & illuminating.

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  4. I haven't read all of Alcott's novels, but I've always found her own story fascinating. I think she would have been an interesting person to know; and I doubt a friendship with her would ever be boring. Great review!

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    1. I like the way that reading someone's letters - not to mention journals - can make you feel like you really know them, even if the letters aren't actually addressed to you :)

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  5. Jo's Boys is probably the LMA book I've reread least often. I return pretty regularly to Little Women and Eight Cousins and some of the others, but I wasn't awfully interested in the further adventures of the March sisters. I should go back and see if that remains true in adulthood, or if anything's changed from when I was a kid.

    That line in the preface about Amy and Marmee is so sad! :(

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    1. Little Men is probably my least favorite - no, wait, that's Under the Lilacs, so my second least favorite. I much prefer the grown-up children of Jo's Boys, and it's such an exciting story. A shipwreck! bicycle accidents! possible rabies case! prison breaks! And I do love Dr. Nan.

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  6. What a truly fascinating yet frustrating life she had. It saddens me a bit that the 'moral pap' I love was written by someone who didn't enjoy writing it - but I'm so glad she did. I have a copy of Eden's Outcasts on my stack of 'to be read in 2016' books and I'm looking forward to finding out more about her life.

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    1. I was taken aback by the "moral pap" statement in the letters, and then flummoxed to find it in the novel. I felt the same way - saddened that she thought that way about books that have meant so much to me.

      I wonder if Eden's Outcasts is the same book that Alex is thinking of (above) - if not I may have two books for the TBR lists!

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  7. I've only read the four books that probably everyone has read, so I feel I should read some more, especially Eight Cousins. It is amazing to me how advanced some female American writers were in their ideas of equality for women and any other disadvantaged groups.

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  8. Oh definitely Eight Cousins, and A Rose in Bloom, Katrina - though the "Scotch airs" of the Campbell family might sound a little funny to you :)

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  9. Thanks for such a fabulous and fascinating review.
    I'm joining in a Little Women/Good Wives readalong in Feb. I've read theses books sooooo many times as a child but maybe only once as an adult. I'm really looking forward to dipping into Alcott's world again and this post has simply fuelled my desires :-)

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    1. I remember seeing a tweet from you about the readalong. It sounds like fun! I'll look forward to your posts.

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  10. Thank you for a great review & for adding several more books to my wishlist. I've only read Little Women but would love to read Jo's Boys, Eight Cousins & Rose in Bloom which all sound wonderful. Also LMA's letters. I love reading other people's letters. Willa Cather's letters were on my Top 10 list last year.

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    1. I had two books of letters on my list as well, lyn - including Dorothy Canfield Fisher's.

      Not to add more to your wishlist, but there's also An Old-Fashioned Girl, which is just delightful. Polly, Tom and Maud are great fun.

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Thank you for taking the time to read, and to comment. I always enjoy hearing different points of view about the books I am reading, even if we disagree!