Short Stories by Louisa May Alcott

Title: Behind a Mask: A Short Story Collection

Author: Louisa May Alcott (American, 1832-1888)
Originally published: 1863-1874
Page count: 197

Dates read: 3/9/22-3/22/22

2022 book goal progress: 6 out of 20

Back to the Classics category: 19th Century Classic
Author Challenge: x

Mindful Readers' Family Bookclub genre/theme: March - Feminism

Read my other book reviews for my 2022 goals HERE.


Contents:

-From Hospital Sketches (1863)

     1. Obtaining Supplies - 9 pages

     4. A Night - 15 pages

-My Contraband (1863) - 19 pages

-Pauline's Passion and Punishment (1863) - 40 pages

-Behind a Mask (1866) - 96 pages

-Happy Women (1868) - 4 pages

-How I Went Out to Service (1874) - 14 pages

Descriptions from the Note in the book:
The first two stories in this collection, "Obtaining Supplies" and "A Night," are based on Alcott's experiences as a volunteer nurse during the Civil War. These autobiographical stories were collected in Hospital Sketches. "My Contraband" is set in a military hospital, too. The dramatic tension between the officer, his ex-slave, and the nurse is balanced by the convincing realism that characterizes all of Alcott's autobiographical fiction.

"Happy Women" and "How I Went Out to Service" explore issues that Alcott faced in her private life. The former story is a short sketch warning young women against rushing into marriage. The question of women and work was a major concern for Alcott and she presents a humorous account for her early bid for independence as a household servant in "How I Went Out to Service."

Published anonymously, "Pauline's Passion and Punishment" follows a women's revenge through deceit and manipulation prompted by the betrayal of her lover. "Behind a Mask," bears Louise May Alcott's pseudonym, A. M. Barnard. Alcott loved the theater and the 'mask' adopted onstage by a performer applies to her character Jean Muir, who literally transforms her appearance when she arrives in her 'role' as a governess at an English estate. Like Pauline, Jean Muir sets out to achieve her goals by cleverly manipulating her susceptible prey.

Favorite quotes:
"I maintain that the soldier who cries when his mother says 'Goodbye,' is the boy to fight the best, and die the bravest, when the time comes, or go back to her better than he went."

-Obtaining Supplies

"One weapon I possessed, - a tongue, - often a women's best defense; and sympathy, stronger than fear, gave me the power to use it."

-My Contraband

"Traitors are always betrayed in the end."

-Behind a Mask

Review (of all but Behind a Mask):

I'm not a huge fan of stories about war, so the 3 military nurse stories weren't particularly interesting to me. If you're into that or the nursing aspect of it, I highly recommend them - they're just not for me. Out of the 3, My Contraband was the best, though it got quite dark and used the n-word.

I then skipped to the last 2 stories of the list. Happy Women is very short, but, to me and my understanding, very forward-thinking for its day. I enjoyed it. How I Went Out to Service was a cute, humorous story about a woman finding a job. It isn't particularly memorable, but, again, forward-thinking for its day.

Then I moved on to Pauline's Passion and Punishment, which was horrible. I didn't even finish it because it was making me so angry. Pauline falls in love, but it turns out the guy is already engaged and he goes through with that marriage. Pauline then concocts this elaborate plan of deceit and manipulation to get revenge on her ex-lover. I just wanted her to move on. She was making her own life just as miserable as she was making her ex-lover's. It was stupid and it didn't make sense.

Another blog post: Why Didn't You Finish the Book?

Review of Behind a Mask:

I saved this story for last because it was the longest - and actually the reason I got the book in the first place. I couldn't find this story published on its own. Like Pauline's story, Jean's is all about manipulation and deceit, too. The difference is that Jean is trying to make her own life better whereas Pauline was just trying to make someone hurt that way she hurt. Jean's end goal was much more honorable than Pauline's, even though I don't approve of how either of them went about to get it (through deceit and manipulation). If Pauline had focused on bettering her own life, I think her story would have been a completely different one.

Anyway - back to Behind a Mask: You find out very early on that Jean is not who she appears to be, but you don't actually find out her story until the very end. The book pulled me in because I never knew what part(s), if any, of her life, that she told others was true, partly true, or completely made up. I enjoyed it.

First sentence of Behind a Mask:

" 'Has she come?' "

CAWPILE Rating of Behind a Mask: Overall - 7/10 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters      - 8
Atmosphere   - 6
Writing Style - 7
Plot                - 7
Intrigue          - 9
Logic             - 5
Enjoyment     - 7
What is a CAWPILE Rating?

Now I'm off to read another book... but since a review should be more about the author of the book than about the writer of the blog, I will let Louisa May Alcott have the last words:

"Be true to yourselves; cherish whatever talent you possess, and in using it faithfully for the good of others you will most assuredly find happiness for yourself, and make of life no failure, but a beautiful success."

-Happy Women