Louisa May Alcott and the Roles
of a Lifetime
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Table of Contents
this thesis was presented
at Southwest Texas State University, in San Marcos, TX
in May 1998
This is Kim Wells' Master's Thesis. For convenience
sake, I have split the chapters up, which will make them easier
to print and/or read.
Contact me at: kim@womenwriters.net
Dedication
Introduction
Features a look at critical approaches to Alcott's work,
surveys the different discussions that have appeared and sets
up thesis argument.
Chapter One:
Fruitlands to Apple Slumps, Or, A Woman's View of Economics
Looks at Alcott's lesser known work, "Transcendental
Wild Oats" from a biographical perspective, pays particular
attention to the "role" that Alcott's mother, Abba,
and her fictional counterpart, Hope Lamb, play.
Chapter Two:
Acting Like Women: The Gothic Stories and Economic Realities
Study of four of the stories Alcott published under the
A.M. Barnard pseudomyn, "Marion Earle, or Only an Actress,"
"La Jeune or Actress and Woman," "Pauline's Passion
and Punishement," and "Behind a Mask." Particular
attention is paid to the theatrical nature of women's roles in
these stories and in general.
Chapter Three:
"To Be the Child I Should"
The March Girls, Louisa, and the Space Between Self and Role
Study of Alcott's most famous work, Little Women, examines
the roles that the March girls play and where these roles fit
into a feminist discussion.
Conclusion:
Public Perception of an Autobiography: the 1994 Film Version
Works Cited