Literature Network » Louisa May Alcott

Racial sacrifice and citizenship: the construction of masculinity in Louisa May Alcott's 'The Brothers.'

Content courtesy of

From: Studies in American Fiction
Date: 19970922
Author:Patterson, Mark

Louisa May Alcott addresses measuring a black man's masculinity, through honor, strength and empowerment and by the degree of which he will sacrifice. This theme is portrayed by the black soldiers who attacked Fort Wagner in order to eventually win rights granted by the 15th Amendment.

How do you make a man? In Frederick Douglass's slave narrative, man-making is the consequence of physically and psychologically resisting slavery's oppression -- in his case, through battle with his overseer, Covey. However, implicit in the formulation of his claim is the discursive quality of that ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Louisa May Alcott

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.