ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF LANGUAGE STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
MAJOR THEMES IN LOUISA MAY ALCOTT’S
“BEHIND A MASK or A WOMAN’S POWER”
BY
SHIMELIS MULATU
A SENIOR ESSAY SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF
ARTS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE
Advisor: Linda Yohannes
June 2011
0 | P a g e
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who carries me through every moment in my life. He is so great to enable me to finish this work in a busy environment.
I also want to offer a sincere expression of gratitude to my advisor Miss Linda Yohannes for her kind advice and guidance. Without a doubt, this paper would not be possible were it not for the strong support and guidance I was I provided without getting bored of it.
My special gratitude goes to my dearest mother and sister. Their unconditional love and support has made me the man I am today. My father abandoned me the day I was born almost. It was my mother who raised me on her own. My mother is truly an amazing woman. I have had several big influences in my life but none greater than my mother.
The same is true of my sister who has been my source of inspiration. Thank you mum and sis for having been there with me through all my ups and downs.
Just one more thing before I close. I also wish to give thanks to the various teachers who taught me at primary and high school levels and some lecturers of the Faculty of
ILS, and most particularly those English and Folklore department. One day, I hope to influence one of my students the way that you have influenced me.
1 | P a g e
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page INTRODUCTION...... 1
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY………………………………………………………. 2
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY………………………………………………… … 2
SCOPE OF THE STUDY……………………………………………………………… 3
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY……………………………………………………… 3
CHAPTER ONE A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF LOUISA MAY ALCOTT...... 4
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………….. 7
CHAPTER THREE. THEME ANALYSIS...... 11
3.1 WHAT DOES “BEHIND A MASK OR A WOMAN’S POWER” MEAN...... 11
3.2 SYNOPSIS OF ALCOTT’S BEHIND A MASK OR
A WOMAN’S POWER …………………………………………………… 13
3.3 MAJOR THEMES OF THE STORY………………………………... 14
3.3.1 QUEST FOR PROSPERTY (WEALTH) AND SECURITY…………….. 14
3.3.2. RAGE AGAINST HYPOCRISY OF THE RULING CLASSES………… 19
3.3.3 MARRIAGE AS A TRDAE………………………………………………….. 20
3.3.4 WOMEN’S STATUS AS OBJECTS OF MEN DESIRE………………… 22
3.3.5 MALES ARE OBJECTS OF LUST………………………………………… 23
CHAPTER FOUR. CONCLUSION………………………………………...... 25
BIBLIOGRAPHY …………………………………………………………………….. 29
2 | P a g e
Introduction
It is acknowledged that a literary work is part and parcel of the social, cultural, economic and political context in which it is produced. It is also a naked truth that writers develop various themes in their literary works on the basis of their general observations and knowledge that they have for life, human beings (the society they live in) and their surroundings. A literary work is to be considered to be beautiful because of the truth it reveals. The literary work by Louisa May Alcott, (Behind a Mask) which I have selected for study is no exception to this universal truth.
This senior essay will attempt to analyze the major themes of one of Louisa May
Alcott’s work “Behind a Mask” or “A Woman’s Power”. The writer of this essay focused on this literary work because it raises very important economical, socio-cultural and anti- romantic issues to be considered as thematic concerns. The writer of this essay has chosen his senior essay topic with two primary objectives in mind: one is to show his concern and sympathy for women living under difficult situations both in our culture and the world at large. Second, his great desire for Alcott’s works.
The contribution of this senior essay is immense in that it will be a discussion paper to all concerned. It is hoped that it will inspire others to make further study on
Alcott’s works in particular and women’s literature in general.
To begin with, the paper covers four chapters. Chapter one introduces us with
Louisa May Alcott. Facts about Alcott, from early childhood to last years of her life, have
been presented. Chapter two will discuss the literature review. This chapter will discuss
3 | P a g e
the available literature on themes.
Chapter three will focus on how the author (Alcott) tries to convey a message about the topic. In this chapter, we will discuss in more detail the main themes of
Behind a Mask or A woman’s Power. Chapter Four provides my conclusion of the text
I have read. It will be a concluding section of the essay.
Objectives of the study
The objective of this paper is to explore the major themes in one of Louisa May
Alcott literary work, Behind a Mask or A Woman’s Power Besides that, it will try to find
out what necessitated the author to write such a book.
Significance of the Study
Whether a literary text is written by a male or female writer, it reveals, as has
been said repeatedly, the socio-cultural and psychological aspects of life. One or
another way, it is the images of society that can be depicted in their literary pieces.
Literature is therefore no less a tool to uphold the gender issues being raised by many
people. Similarly, this study is expected to make the following important contributions:
-it may serve as stepping stone for those who have an interest in conducting
further study on Alcott’s literary works.
-this study may also initiate students of literature to know more about Alcott works
in general, and “Behind a Mask or a Woman’s Power” in particular.
4 | P a g e
Scope of the study
This study will only focus on finding out the major themes of the text Behind a
Mask or a Woman’s Power”. It will not be easy to include the whole works of Alcott and no attempt will be made to explain all gender issues reflected in the work of Alcott.
Limitations of the study
In this study, the writer expects the following limitations. Firstly, there are shortages of literary studies particularly Alcott’s works. Secondly, a time constraint is a problem which any researcher faces. Hence, the study may not satisfy to the expectations of all people.
5 | P a g e
Chapter one
A Brief Biography of Louisa May Alcott
We may find it difficult to say much about the novella without knowing something about Alcott, her life and the larger significance which the fiction may have had t to her,
in her time and culture. It therefore seems appropriate to provide a brief overview here.
Louisa May Alcott is a great and noted writer who has made significant contributions both to American literature and feminist fiction. She has produced a considerable number of works in fiction though she is best known for her classic novel,
Little Women. She wrote, both before and after the publication of this famous novel, in
many genres supporting herself as a writer when it was rare for women to do so.
Louisa May Alcott, the second of four daughters of a famous Transcendentalist,
Amos Bronson Alcott, was born in November 29, 1832, Pennsylvania but spent much of her childhood and teenage years in Concord, Massachusetts. Alcott developed a strong interest in writing at age sixteen and wrote her first book, "Little Women" which is still one of America's best loved children's books. It is a work that still defines Alcott's career. This book is widely recognized as a classic children's book. Today, it is frequently taught in schools and read at home. It has been made into a film many times, the last in 1994, with stars Susan Sarandon and Winona Ryder.
Louisa began to write because she was convinced that she could earn some money to alleviate the family's poverty. As her diaries revealed, she worked as a nurse, as a governess, as well as in the home as a writer. What is so special, however, about
Alcott is she began her career under the male pen name A. M. Barnard. It was two
6 | P a g e women academics, Madeline B. Stern and her partner in the Old Books, Rare Friends,
Leona Rosenberg, who first discovered the hidden secret of Louisa May Alcott's life along with her anonymously published "blood and thunder" stories on subjects like transvestitism, hashish smoking, and feminism. They were intrigued by the details which
Alcott provided of her earnings from her various stories and novels. Stern and
Rostenberg went to Houghton Library at Harvard and began further research into
Alcott’s manuscripts, journals, family papers, publishers’ letters and financial accounts.
In the latter, they found the key to a fascinating mystery: five letters from one of Alcott’s publishers, Elliot Thames and Talbot. The letters reveal that Alcott and the pseudonyms writer of thrillers A.M. Bernard were one and the same.
Alcott decided to publish her works under her assumed male identity because she did not really want to be known, all the publicity afterwards. In those old bad days, literary works were rejected for publication on grounds of gender. As a result, publishing under male and gendered pseudonyms was one way in which women writers made their work public, defied social convention, yet also became successful in their own day.
George Eliot and, Louisa may Alcott published under pseudonyms. Many famous authors throughout history have written under pseudonyms that became vastly more
known than the authors themselves. Some authors choose to write under a pen name as a form of “artistic expression”, while some others do so against their will. Authors will use pseudonyms to conceal their true heritage or to conceal their true gender. Thus, it is not surprising that woman such as George Eliot and Alcott often wrote under pen names.
7 | P a g e
It is also revealed that Louisa May Alcott was not only an accomplished writer, she was an active abolitionist and advocate of women's rights from early childhood. She became involved with these reform seeking movements because she believed that the idea of slavery was wrong. She and her family harbored an escaped slave for a week in
1847. During the Civil War, Louisa May Alcott worked as nurse and a volunteer in
Soldiers’ Aid Societies, an organization to which she devoted her life (Louisa May
Alcott, from Hospital Sketches (1960, 7). Alcott uncle Samuel Joseph May was also a leading orator within the American anti-slavery society. Alcott’s immediate family all participated as rank-and-file abolitionists. Alcott rejoiced over John Brown’s attempt to trigger a slave insurrection in October 1859 and her entire family mourned his execution in early December 1859. She dedicated a poem on the occasion of a memorial service for Brown held in Concord. “With a Rose That Bloomed on the Day of John Brown’s
Martyrdom” was published in William Lloyd Garrison’s abolitionist newspaper The
Liberator month later.
Alcott wrote many other highly acclaimed works in her time. During her late health began to seriously decline. Despite her ill health, she continued to write until her death. She lived her life the way she wanted to and wrote what she felt. Apart from
“Behind a Mask: A Woman’s Power” (1866) and “Little Women” (1868), she almost wrote 29 books of which the following are few to mention-
- Flower Fables (1849)
-The Rose Family: A Fairy Tale (1864)
-Moods (1865)
8 | P a g e
Chapter Two
Literature Review
The real world is full of all kinds of problems to solve. Some are issues that everyone must face. Other problems are found in our city and neighborhood. Still others are ones we may have to solve on our own. Nobody sees the world or responds to it quite like writers. People read literature because it has something to say about life.
Richard Dutton says that one reason why readers enjoy reading a literary piece is because it has a tremendous power to communicate life issues and to bypass values.
Sharing the impressions of authors might help one identify or open up to new ways of thinking and feeling. Thus, the power of literature is undeniable.
The role of literature has historically always been not only ‘to delight’ but also ‘to teach’, as was pointed out by the Roman poet Horace over two thousand years ago.
Writers choose topic of interest (life problems) to readers and show or call for actions to be taken. And most writers choose to write about topics that they are extremely interested or educated in and when they believe a situation is socially unjust and should be changed. As one well known philosopher noted, a writer’s goal is not so much to express empty feelings, but to arouse emotion in his audience.
Authors make their ideas known to their readers through a literary device known as theme. Ideas are important in literature because they concern people in their lives.
Usually, ideas are intertwined with values. An idea is “like a key in music–a continuous thread tying together actions, characters, statements, symbols, and dialogue” 1959 of A
River Runs Through It. According to Maclean, characters stand out as representative of
9 | P a g e