Amanda-Leigh and the Oppressed Man

I am reading Miss Alcott from Concord by Marjorie Worthington. I must give a great deal of credit to Worthington for her lengthy wealth of knowledge of the Transcendentalist movement in American literature. Transcendentalism is associated with naturalism. Naturalist writings include being one with nature. Naturalists feel the nakedness of the natural world upon their souls. Nothing else is really needed except fruits and vegetables. This reminds me of the Garden of Eden in the beginning. This paradise feeling and ideology was taken literally during the period the Alcotts, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and other great reformers. Transcendentalism can easily be associated with Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s concept of solitude.

The more I read this book, the more I get a bad taste my mouth that the female ewriter is not understanding or sympathetic to the oppressed man. More coverage is provided over Ralph Waldo Emerson’s successful literary world than Louisa May Alcott’s father, Bronson Alcott. The way Worthington portrays Mr. Alcott is a raging educational lunatic who has no set goals for success. This reminds me of Sherwood Anderson’s character of the father in “The Egg.” This also reminds me of the life of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy. These three men are portrayed as irresponsible, selfish, uneducated nomads who roamed the earth without much common sense. I don’t feel these female authors provide a sense of justice for Bronson Alcott or Leo Tolstoy. There is no feeling of being connected to their lives on a personal level. There is a strong feeling of alienation on several levels.

More sympathy is stressed on the females lives these men have affected. In Bronson Alcott’s life, his wife and four daughters struggle each day. The Alcotts do not eat meat and must suffer from malnutrition and in a way, starvation. In Leo Tolstoy’s life, his wife was the caretaker of their fourteen children while he would wander off for days. At least the father in “The Egg” took his family with him every place they moved to. “The Egg” was more sympathetic to the poverty-stricken man since the creator was a man. More insight is given from a man’s perspective. Even though Sherwood Anderson provides a grotesque image of grossing out a customer with his egg experiment, I am drawn to this scene more than any other. Why?

I am able to have the passion and high hopes for the father. This high society customer has no idea what poverty is really like. Crossing over into the shoes of the father does not provide a sense of justice for Sherwood Anderson’s characterization of father. Father sees so much potential in his egg experiment. Father puts hours and hours of energy into his egg experiments along with his wife’s resources for new adventures. The nomadic lifestyle creates an unhealthy anxiety for their son. Their son only feels close to his parents when the hands of death strike or a move goes bad. This son is very perceptive to their struggles the way of Louisa May Alcott.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Louisa May Alcott were born in the wrong time. These two extremely talented women of literature were not provided with equal opportunities of modern women. For Stanton, listening to the desperate women speak to Judge Cady, this motivated the wheels in her young head to strive to change the world. As Louisa watched her father return home from being paid little for lecturing, she decided to work for extra income. These young women and son from “The Egg” set out to change their world. These young people were not sheltered from realism. The struggles people faced on a daily basis were great. Nothing became romanticized.

I am the same way as Louisa May Alcott when she read and wrote. Everybody knew not to disturb a great reader or writer while at work. When Louisa May and I begin to read a book, we like to spend the day and night reading. We don’t take breaks. We don’t walk away. We are committed to the goal of finishing in a timely manner. We get moody if our stories are interrupted by obligations of the outside world. Louisa May Alcott and I are bosom buddies in a spiritual sense. We both live in a world that has not been designed for our equal success. We do not want to be hurt by mankind but we are. We love to help others out but we must be extremely cautious to not be victimized.

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day. That meant taking time away from reading. My husband and I had an appointment in the afternoon. As we left our appointment, we saw the man our counselor brought to dinner a year ago. Strength in me overpowered the weakness. My husband and I still went to the grocery store as planned. We met several rude people who refused to smile, say excuse me, and act humane. I went out of my way to avoid the bakery and candy section. Instead, I found a shrimp and noodle Lean Cuisine dinner, dill pickles, a pot pie for my husband, a bottle of sparkling non-alcoholic grape “wine,” and my favorite flavor of light yogurt.

After returning home, I had a massive headache! I never thought Valentine’s Day could stress a woman out so much. I do not feel stressed out this morning, though. I feel happier for not going back to my old way of coping yesterday. There were so many temptations at the store. Giving in to those temptations would not help me stay on the path of leading a healthy lifestyle. Words have become my sweet pink icing. Writers are the vanilla flavored cookies. Red apples have become the sprinkles on the topping. When I am weak, the voices of these great writers provide me with the natural nourishment I need for the day. Their words and causes are worth fighting.  

I hope everybody had a great Valentine's Day!

An apple a day keeps the doctor away!!