correspondence of, 36, 53–55, 59, 73, 74–75, 87–88, 211, 225
Cottage Street home of, 31
criticism of, 26, 28, 31–32
death of, 252–53
debts of, 26–27, 31–32, 37, 44–45, 61, 69, 115
economic views of, 30–31
education of, 8–9, 18
as educator, 6–32, 36, 51–55, 60, 78, 83, 101, 102, 107, 218, 222–24, 243
Emerson’s relationship with, 19, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 33, 34, 45, 48, 49, 50, 53–56, 63, 66, 71, 73, 79, 110, 115, 121–22
England visited by, 52–55
family headed by, xiii, 52, 57, 58–60, 66, 69, 70–75, 87–88, 90, 94, 105, 120
as farmer and gardener, 3, 36, 44–45, 48, 65–68, 80, 87, 103, 105–6
as father, xii, xiii, 19–20, 28, 53, 62–63, 100, 101, 120, 121, 122, 218
finances of, 13, 25, 26–27, 28, 31–32, 33, 34, 37, 44–45, 53–54, 55, 58, 60, 61, 62, 69, 73–74, 78, 79, 87–88, 90–93, 94, 97–98, 103, 106, 110–11, 115, 121, 166
at Fruitlands, 60–74, 75, 78, 94
grave site of, 255
health of, 77–78, 132, 246, 248, 251
at Hosmer Cottage, 33–34, 37–38
journals of, 12–13, 28, 78, 99, 121, 132, 192, 204, 207–8
Lane’s relationship with, 52–61
lectures given by, 29–31, 48–50, 83, 87–88, 93, 99, 110, 119–20, 161, 205, 211, 235, 240
LMA’s relationship with, 5, 7–8, 18, 19–21, 32, 59–60, 78, 79–80, 100, 101, 110–11, 112, 138, 140, 159, 162, 188, 189, 192, 197, 204, 207, 211, 219, 222–23, 233, 235, 241–42, 246, 248, 249–50, 251, 252–53, 255
in London, 54
love affairs of, 99, 207–8, 211
marriage of, 11–13, 27–28, 44–45, 56, 57, 58–59, 62–63, 68–72, 87, 88, 99, 110, 114, 232, 233
name changed by, 8, 10, 192, 226
New York State visited by, 74–75
optimistic idealism of, 11–13, 34, 50, 51, 53–54, 57, 72, 74–75, 86, 116, 207, 251
as peddler, 9–10, 31, 49
personality of, 11, 15–18, 21–28, 34, 51, 53–54, 55, 62–63, 68–72, 73, 93, 99, 171–74
physical appearance of, 8, 77–78
religious views of, 21–22, 29–31, 57, 94
reputation of, 6–32, 52–55, 66, 74, 86
as schoolteacher, 5–6, 11–12, 18–19, 21–32, 34, 78, 79, 105, 140, 222–24
sexuality of, 28, 31, 68–72, 99
in Still River, 73–76, 77
stroke suffered by, 241–42, 249, 251
as tax protester, 57
Thoreau’s relationship with, 86, 87, 115, 116, 121, 122, 132, 150–51
as Transcendentalist, 57
utopianism of, 50, 55–76
as vegetarian, 8, 16, 37, 39, 57, 65, 66
in Washington, D.C., 159
Whitman visited by, 150–51
writings of, 2, 14–15, 21–22, 26, 29–31, 44, 51, 86, 192, 197, 198, 201, 205, 211, 222
Alcott, Anna (LMA’s sister), see Pratt, Anna Alcott
Alcott, Elizabeth Sewall (“Lizzie”) (LMA’s sister), xii, 14, 24, 64, 78, 84, 117, 119, 120–22, 123, 128, 157, 202, 266n
Alcott, Junius (LMA’s uncle), 54, 75, 171
Alcott, Louisa May:
as abolitionist, 96, 107, 127–29, 195
acting career considered by, 79, 99–100
advice column written by, 196
in Albano, 219
ambition of, xiii, 79, 85, 106–7, 110, 125, 140
as aunt, 221, 231, 236–43, 244, 248, 250, 251, 252, 253, 257
author’s research on, ix—xii, 48, 62–63, 104–6, 172, 255–57
at Baden-Baden, 183
in Baltimore, 147, 160
Beacon Hill home of, 240, 244, 250, 252
Beacon St. home of, 205
biographies of, 28, 62–63, 68, 71, 108, 112–13, 171–74, 184, 256, 257, 265n, 269n, 270n
birthday of, 125, 233
birth of, 5–6, 13
in Boston, 7–8, 25–27, 33, 43, 87–114, 116, 119–20, 126, 128, 140–41, 165, 189, 191–99, 205–7, 213, 232, 239, 240, 241, 244, 250, 252
in Brest, 182, 215
British publication of works by, 189, 204, 215
Brookline Street home of, 205
in Brussels, 182
in Canada, 210
Chestnut Street home of, 126
childhood of, 5–8, 18, 19–21, 44–48, 54, 59–61, 64, 68–69, 75, 78–82, 83, 104–5
children’s works by, 1, 46, 59, 113–14, 167, 190, 252
in Cologne, 182
in Concord, ix—xiv, 1–5, 33, 38–48, 54–61, 64, 75–88, 104–5, 114, 115–44, 159–80, 189–91, 192, 193–94, 198–207, 215, 216, 219, 225, 226, 227, 231, 232–37, 239–40, 244, 249–50, 251, 255
correspondence of, 43, 48, 79, 82, 87–88, 100, 108, 145, 157–58, 162, 166, 167, 176–77, 180–82, 187, 189, 195, 204–5, 225, 227, 231, 234–35, 248, 252, 253
criticisms received by, 111–14, 162–63, 165–69, 176–77, 179, 190
daily routine of, xiii, 56, 92–93, 105, 190–91
death as viewed by, 120–22, 156–57, 252–53
death of, 28, 253
debts paid by, 190, 191, 192, 205, 206, 208, 219, 220, 231, 252, 253
in Dedham, 99–101, 109, 112, 113, 180, 181
in Dorchester, 195
dreams and nightmares of, 160, 161
Dunreath Place home of, 250, 251, 252–53
early writings of, 59–60, 79, 84, 85, 93–94, 97, 98, 107–9, 111–13, 130–31, 136–41; see also specific writings
education of, xiv, 1, 2, 18, 19–20, 26, 45, 47, 84, 90
in England, 180–82, 189, 190, 195, 199, 219
essays written by, 109, 111–14, 162
European visits of, 180–90, 193, 195, 199, 205, 214–19, 227
fame of, xiii, 79, 85, 106–7, 108, 110, 125, 140, 161, 162–63, 165–66, 179, 188, 195, 203–7, 212, 214, 219–20, 225, 227, 229, 233, 248–49
family newspaper of, 97, 107, 202
femininity of, 81–82, 92–93, 118–19
as feminist, 90, 164, 236, 245
fever contracted by, 158–63
final days of, 252–53
finances of, xii, 28, 52, 82, 90–93, 99–101, 109, 110, 124, 136–37, 140–41, 168, 179, 186, 188, 190, 191, 192, 195, 197, 203–4, 205, 206, 208, 219, 220, 231, 252, 253
first publication of, 98
in France, 182, 185–87, 214, 215
French studied by, 184, 185
at Fruitlands, 60–74, 75, 77, 78, 106
in Geneva, 185
in Germany, 180, 182–83, 205
as governess, 126, 180–87, 188, 189, 190, 205, 212, 269n
grave site of, 255
hand injury of, 2
Hayward Place home of, 191–94
health of, 2, 8, 67, 97, 99, 134, 158–63, 170, 171–74, 188, 190–91, 193, 207, 209, 210–11, 221, 227, 233, 239, 244, 245–48, 249, 250–53
in Heidelberg, 183
at Hillside House, 79–88, 104–5, 122
historical context for, xiv—xv, 5, 48, 62–63, 104–6, 122–25, 155, 171–74, 188, 255–57
at Hosmer Cottage, 33–34, 37–38, 44–48, 54–61, 64
illnesses of, 2, 134, 158–63, 170, 171–74, 188, 190–91, 207, 209, 210–11, 227, 239, 244, 249, 250–53
immune disorder ascribed to, 172, 251
as intellectual, xiii—xiv, 1, 2, 47, 76–77, 80, 87, 90, 101–5, 110, 125, 131, 137, 139, 140, 147, 152, 155, 164, 172–73, 175, 189, 191, 195, 198–99, 236, 241, 245, 247
in Italy, 215–19, 221
journals of, 2, 4, 32, 48, 70, 79, 83, 110, 113, 118–19, 121, 122–23, 129, 130, 131, 138, 140, 141, 165, 166, 179, 183, 185, 186–87, 190–91, 194–95, 203, 211, 212, 214, 218, 234, 235, 241, 243, 248–49, 250, 251, 252, 253, 269n
in Lausanne, 183
literary career of, x, 1–5, 46, 59–60, 79, 84, 85, 93–94, 97, 98, 107–14, 123�
�24, 125, 126, 130–31, 132, 136–41, 145, 147, 159, 160, 161–70, 174–77, 179, 180, 181, 182, 189, 190, 191–92, 196, 197–98, 200, 202, 203–10, 214, 218, 219, 221–24, 240–41, 249, 252, 265n; see also specific works
in Liverpool, 180, 189
in London, 180–82, 189, 195, 199, 219
love life of, 46, 80, 83–84, 118–19, 123–24, 130, 154, 158, 184–88, 202, 269n
as magazine editor, 1, 191, 195, 197, 198, 202, 204
in Maine, 210
marriage as viewed by, 110–11, 114, 118–19, 122–25, 130, 164, 169–70, 204–5, 212–13, 214
melodramas and romances written by, 107–9, 113, 114, 130, 136–37, 139, 141, 145, 147, 160, 167, 174, 176, 190, 200, 210, 265n
memoirs of, 2, 18, 63, 65, 66, 72–73, 88, 109, 111–14, 153, 162, 165, 174, 175–76, 198, 223
mercury treatments for, 158–59, 171, 190–91, 250
name of, 13
in New London, 145
in New York City, 214, 218, 219, 224–32, 271n
in Nice, 185
at Nonquitt, 244, 248, 250
as novelist, x, 1–5, 46, 93–94, 114, 130–31, 132, 136–37, 140, 163, 164–70, 174–77, 179, 181, 182, 189, 210, 214; see also specific novels
as nurse in Civil War, 2, 5, 130, 141–63, 165, 171, 180, 210, 250
Alcott, Louisa May (cont.)
at Orchard House, ix—xiv, 1–5, 85, 104, 115–18, 121, 125–26, 129–30, 141, 165, 193–94, 205, 216, 224, 227, 231, 233, 234–35, 239–40, 244, 255
as paid companion, 99–101, 109, 112, 113, 126, 180–90, 205, 212, 215, 269n
at Palazzo Barberini, 216–19
in Paris, 186–87
passport of, 180
personality of, 5, 7–8, 19–25, 28, 37, 43, 59–60, 70, 78–84, 87–88, 92–93, 98, 99–101, 105, 110–11, 112, 118–19, 123–24, 126, 129–30, 139, 140, 143–44, 145, 152, 153–58, 159, 160–63, 165, 170, 171–74, 188, 191, 195, 212, 214, 234–35
in Philadelphia, 231–32
physical appearance of, 8, 80, 97–98, 124, 139, 140, 156, 159, 172, 195, 217
Pinckney Street home of, 106, 109, 111, 210–11
poetry written by, 46, 59, 83, 98, 128–29, 161–62
political views of, 39, 128–29, 131, 132, 152–53, 236
portraits of, 172, 217
in Poughkeepsie, 227
poverty known by, xii, 28, 44–45, 54, 57, 87–88, 90–93, 94, 97–98, 101, 106–7, 110–11, 113, 209, 223, 224
pseudonym of (A. M. Barnard), 4, 107, 108, 136–37, 147, 160, 162, 167, 175, 176, 210, 265n
pseudonym of (Flora Fairfield), 98
psychological analysis of, 28, 80, 81–84, 99–101, 123–24, 160, 161, 170, 171–74, 188
publication of, 98, 111–14, 130–31, 136–37, 162, 165–69, 176, 189, 192, 197, 209–10, 218, 219, 249
at Randall’s Island, 229–30, 271n
reading by, 1, 2, 47, 110, 125, 131, 139, 147, 152, 155, 189, 191, 198–99, 241
as reformer, 39, 96, 107, 127–29, 195, 235–36
rejections received by, 165–66, 190
religious views of, 39, 170
reputation of, xiii, 108, 111–14, 161, 162–66, 176–77, 179, 188, 195, 203–7, 212, 214, 215, 217, 219–20, 225, 227, 229, 233, 240, 248–49, 255–57
revisions made by, 167–68, 174
in Rome, 215–19, 221
in Roxbury, 250, 251, 252–53
sales figures for, 176
as schoolteacher, 88, 90, 92, 96, 97, 107, 108, 109, 112, 113, 140–41, 163, 190, 212, 220
in Schwalbach, 182–83
as seamstress, 45, 99, 107, 109, 141, 158, 190, 196, 212
sense of humor of, 129–30, 143–44, 145, 152, 153–54, 191, 195, 212, 214
sexuality of, 28, 80, 81–84, 99–101, 123–24, 188
short stories of, 107–8, 113–14, 130, 136–37, 141, 190, 191–92, 197–98, 202, 209–10, 252
as sibling, 43–44, 53, 120–25, 128, 130, 132, 218, 232, 234–37
as single woman (spinster), xiv—xv, 5, 122–25, 208, 227, 237
social life of, xiv—xv, 5, 140–41, 186, 189, 195, 228–29
in Still River, 73–76, 77
in Switzerland, 182, 183–85, 202, 215
in Syracuse, 225
temper of, 78–79, 80, 105, 110–11, 112, 139, 158
theatrical pieces written by, 84, 93, 123–24
at Tombs prison, 230–31
as Transcendentalist, 131, 170
as vegetarian, 155
in Venice, 219
in Vevey, 183–85, 202, 215
vocal problems of, 210–11
voting by, 236
in Walpole, 119
in Washington, D.C., 2, 5, 142–59, 160, 172, 180, 225
wealth of, 179, 195, 203–7, 208, 210, 211, 214, 217, 218, 219–20, 221, 229, 231, 233, 238, 239, 240
will of, 239
writing style of, 107–9, 111–14, 130, 136–41, 145, 147, 160, 161–69, 174, 175–77, 179, 181–82, 190, 197–98, 200, 210, 265n
Alcott, May (LMA’s sister), see Nieriker, (Abigail) May Alcott
Alcott, William, 8–9
Alcott House, 51–52, 53
Alcotts, The (Bedell), 71, 78
Allyson, June, xii
Almy, Lillie, 204
Amelia (Fielding), 139
American Revolution, 9, 10, 40, 70, 77, 79, 135, 227
Anderson, Robert, 132
Antietam, Battle of, 144
Anti-Slavery League, 31, 97–98
Ariès, Philippe, 197
Army of Northern Virginia, 129, 144–47
Army of the Potomac, 144–47
Arthur, Chester, 245
Assabet River, 41, 77, 134
Associationism, 58, 65, 66, 67, 74
Athenaeum, 49
Atlantic Monthly, 2, 114, 130, 141, 162
Aunt Jo’s Scrap Book (L. M. Alcott), 184, 227, 269n
Baring Brothers & Co., 54
Barnard, A. M. (LMA’s pseudonym), 4, 107, 108, 136–37, 147, 160, 162, 167, 175, 176, 210, 265n
“Baron’s Gloves, The” (L. M. Alcott), 190
Bartlett, Alice, 215, 217, 219
Bartlett, Dr., 159–60
Bartlett, George, 204
Barton, Clara, 150
Baudelaire, Charles, 187
Beacon Hill, 91, 106, 107, 111, 210, 240, 244, 250, 252
Beauregard, P. T., 132, 133
Bedell, Madelon, 71
Beecher, Henry Ward, 231–32
Behind a Mask (L. M. Alcott), 210
Bell, Alexander Graham, 201
Bellevue Hotel, 241, 244
“Betsey’s Bandbox” (L. M. Alcott), 210
“Bettina” letters, 84
Bible, 21–22, 29–31, 57, 65
Booth, Edwin, 229
Booth, John Wilkes, 179
Boston Common, 6, 14, 21, 99, 107, 111
Boston Courier, 26
Boston Daily Advertiser, 26
Bostonians, The (James), 169, 245
Botta, Anne, 229
Botta, Vincenzo, 229
Bowditch, Dr., 210–11
Bowdoin College, 104, 107
Bower, Samuel, 65
Brazelton, Berry, 81
Brick Ends, 74
Briggs, George W., 113
Bristol, Conn., 11–12
Bronson, Tillotson, 9
Brontë, Charlotte, 125, 139
Brontë, Emily, 139
Brook Farm, 50, 65, 202
Brooklyn, Conn., 11–12
Brooks, Geraldine, 71
Brooks, Preston, 126–27
Brooks, Van Wyck, 27
Brown, Anne, 129–30
Brown, Deacon, 76
Brown, John, 41, 127–28, 136, 138, 165
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, 189
Browning, Robert, 154, 189
Buchanan, James, 127
Bullfinch, Charles, 14
Bull Run, First Battle of, 132–34, 135
“Bunny’s Re
venge” (L. M. Alcott), 209
Burney, Fanny, 139
Burnside, Ambrose, 144–47, 152, 158
calomel, 152, 158
Cambridge Turnpike, 35, 41
Carlyle, Thomas, 36, 53, 86, 139
Carnegie, Andrew, 247
Cassatt, Mary, 233
Catholics, 25, 65, 91, 219
Catton, Bruce, 133–34
Centennial Ball, 232
Chandler, Ellen, 207–8, 211
Channing, William Ellery, 16, 66, 96, 122, 154
Charles Auchester (Sheppard), 139
Chase, Salmon, 178
Cheever, John, 47, 200, 226
Cherokee Indians, 42
Chestnut, James, 135
Christianity, 6, 9, 21–22, 25, 29–31, 57, 65, 91, 92, 111, 115, 128, 216, 219, 245–48
Christian Register, 26
Christian Science, 245–48
Civil War, U.S., 2, 5, 25, 40, 89–90, 94–97, 114, 126–36, 138, 141–63, 165, 171, 177–79, 180, 195–96, 210, 250
Cogswell, Horatio, 79
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 243
Collier, Asa, 193
Collins, John, 75
Coming Fury, The (Catton), 133–34
Commonwealth, 162
Communist Manifesto, The (Marx and Engels), 89
Compromise of 1850, 95–96, 126
Conan Doyle, Arthur, 245
Concord Academy, 38
Concord Amateur Dramatic
Company, 204
Concord Artillery, 131
Concord Cemetery, 122
“Concord Hymn” (Emerson), 40
Concord Prison, 235–36, 240
Concord River, 17, 33, 34, 41, 48, 64, 76, 77, 134
Confessions of an English Opium Eater (De Quincey), 110
Congregational Church, 34
Congress, U.S., 126–27, 154, 177–78, 196
Consociate communities, 65, 66, 67, 74
Constitution, U.S., 127, 188
Conversations with Children on the Gospels (B. Alcott), 21–22, 26, 29–31, 51
Conway, Moncure Daniel, 177
Correspondence with a Child (Goethe), 83–84
Cost of an Idea, The (L. M. Alcott), 211, 222
Courbet, Gustave, 187
Cricco, Nancy, 226
Crowninshield, Frederic, 217
Crowninshield, Mary, 217
Daisy Miller (James), 169, 183–84
Dall, Caroline, 166–67
Dance, Charles, 195
Davis, Jefferson, 131
“Debby’s Debut” (L. M. Alcott), 141
Declaration of Sentiments, 90
Deese, Helen, 167
Degas, Edgar, 187
De Quincey, Thomas, 110
De Voto, Bernard, 67–68
Dial, 44, 57, 90, 102
Dickens, Charles, 1, 2, 47, 110, 139, 147, 152, 154, 189, 191, 198–99, 241
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