Louisa May Alcott

by Susan Cheever

  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