The matrilineal heritage of Louisa May Alcott and Christina Rossetti
Bibliographic Information
The matrilineal heritage of Louisa May Alcott and Christina Rossetti
Azelina Flint
（Routledge studies in nineteenth-century literature）
Routledge, 2022 [i.e. 2021]
Available at / 1 libraries
Note
Summary: "In an unprecedented comparison of two of the most important female authors of the nineteenth-century, Azelina Flint foregrounds the influence of the religious communities that shaped Louisa May Alcott's and Christina Rossetti's visions of female creativity. In the early stages of the authors' careers, their artistic developments were associated with their patrilineal connections to two artistic movements that shaped the course of American and British history: the Transcendentalists and Pre-Raphaelites. Flint uncovers the authors' rejections of the individualistic outlooks of these movements, demonstrating that Alcott and Rossetti affiliated themselves with their mothers and sisters' religious faith. Applying the methodological framework of women's mysticism, Flint reveals that Alcott's and Rossetti's religious beliefs were shaped by the devotional practices and life-writing texts of their matrilineal communities. Here, the authors' iconic portrayals of female artists are examined in light ..."
Includes bibliographical references (p. [197]-210) and index
Contents of Works
- "I am even I" Rossetti and Alcott Resisting Male Authority
- Secion I: "Left-handed Societies" Women's Life Writing
- "Renunciation is the law, devotion to God's will the gospel" The empowerment of others in the Alcott women's life-writing
- "For every human creature may claim to strength" The Rossetti women's elevation of the left hand
- Section II: "A Loving League of Sisters" Alcott and Rossetti's promotion of Christian values through the ties of sisterhood
- We are all relative creatures The transformative power of sisterhood in Rossetti's Maude
- "Happy Women" Alcott's sisterly utopia
- Conclusion
- Coda: Nineteenth-century women's matrilineal theologies of renunciation
- List of Works Cited
- Appendix 1: "Rolf Walden Emmerboy" Transcription
- Appendix 2: "Two Scenes in a Family" Transcription
- Appendix 3: "Wealth" Transcription
- Appendix 4: "Our Madonna" Transcription
- Appendix 5: "Story of An Apple" Transcription
- Appendix 6: "Extracts From Bradley's Sermons" Transcription
- Appendix 7: "The Maid of Sorrow" Transcription
Description and Table of Contents
Description
In an unprecedented comparison of two of the most important female authors of the nineteenth century, Azelina Flint foregrounds the influence of the religious communities that shaped Louisa May Alcott's and Christina Rossetti's visions of female creativity. In the early stages of the authors' careers, their artistic developments were associated with their patrilineal connections to two artistic movements that shaped the course of American and British history: the Transcendentalists and Pre-Raphaelites. Flint uncovers the authors' rejections of the individualistic outlooks of these movements, demonstrating that Alcott and Rossetti affiliated themselves with their mothers and sisters' religious faith. Applying the methodological framework of women's mysticism, Flint reveals that Alcott's and Rossetti's religious beliefs were shaped by the devotional practices and life-writing texts of their matrilineal communities. Here, the authors' iconic portrayals of female artists are examined in light of the examples of their mothers and sisters for the first time. Flint recovers a number of unpublished life-writings, including commonplace albums and juvenile newspapers, introducing readers to early versions of the authors' iconic works. These recovered texts indicate that Alcott and Rossetti portrayed the female artist as a mouthpiece for a wider community of women committed to social justice and divine communion. By drawing attention to the parallels in the authors' familial affiliations and religious beliefs, Flint recuperates a tradition of nineteenth-century women's mysticism that departs from the individualistic models of male literary traditions to locate female empowerment in gynocentric relationships dedicated to achieving a shared revelation of God.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 - "I am even I" Rossetti and Alcott Resisting Male Authority
Part I - "Left-handed Societies" Women's Life-Writing
Chapter 2 - "Renunciation Is the Law, Devotion to God's Will the Gospel": The Empowerment of Others in the Alcott Women's Life-Writing
Chapter 3 - "For Every Human Creature May Claim to Strength": The Rossetti Women's Elevation of the Left Hand
Part II - "A Loving League of Sisters": Alcott and Rossetti's Promotion of Christian Values through the Ties of Sisterhood
Chapter 4 - We Are All Relative Creatures: The Transformative Power of Sisterhood in Rossetti's Maude
Chapter 5 - "Happy Women": Alcott's Sisterly Utopia
Conclusion
Coda - Nineteenth-Century Women's Matrilineal Theologies of Renunciation
Works Cited
Appendix 1 - "Rolf Walden Emmerboy" Transcription
Appendix 2 - "Two Scenes in a Family" Transcription
Appendix 3 - "Wealth" Transcription
Appendix 4 - "Our Madonna" Transcription
Appendix 5 - "Story of An Apple" Transcription
Appendix 6 - "Hymn For Ascension Day" Transcription
Appendix 7 - "Extracts From Bradley's Sermons" Transcription
Appendix 8 - "A Morning Hymn" Transcription
Appendix 9 - "The Maid of Sorrow" Transcription
by "Nielsen BookData"