Difference between revisions of "Week 13-14 Questions/Comments-327 11"
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(→Mary Livermore, [Northern women on farm during war], 1890 -- Woloch and Major Problems readings.) |
(→Louisa May Alcott, Hospital Sketches, 1862-1863) |
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While describing the men she is taking care of, Alcott betrays her understanding of societal gender norms. In her notes from January of 1963, she mentions a man named John Sulie, who is uncommonly kind and gentle, with "a heart as warm and tender as a woman's, a nature fresh and frank as any child's." (259) Those comparisons imply that a typical man was not expected to be warm- or tender-hearted, and also not frank. That is to say, the average man was cold- or steely-hearted and somewhat devious or deceptive--not a particularly ringing endorsement of men; in a later instance, a doctor caring for Alcott when she falls ill is described as "a motherly little man," solely because he checks up on Alcott and fusses over her in a matter than seems, apparently, feminine. Additionally, her concerns about looking motherly (and her apparent discomfort when he feels she's being viewed in a sexualized way by a man she cares for her in December) reinforce her understanding--and Dix's strong conviction--about the importance of nurses as maternal figures. -- Nicole | While describing the men she is taking care of, Alcott betrays her understanding of societal gender norms. In her notes from January of 1963, she mentions a man named John Sulie, who is uncommonly kind and gentle, with "a heart as warm and tender as a woman's, a nature fresh and frank as any child's." (259) Those comparisons imply that a typical man was not expected to be warm- or tender-hearted, and also not frank. That is to say, the average man was cold- or steely-hearted and somewhat devious or deceptive--not a particularly ringing endorsement of men; in a later instance, a doctor caring for Alcott when she falls ill is described as "a motherly little man," solely because he checks up on Alcott and fusses over her in a matter than seems, apparently, feminine. Additionally, her concerns about looking motherly (and her apparent discomfort when he feels she's being viewed in a sexualized way by a man she cares for her in December) reinforce her understanding--and Dix's strong conviction--about the importance of nurses as maternal figures. -- Nicole | ||
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| + | The thing that I found most interesting in this particular passage was Alcott's definition of gender norms throughout the entire thing. She begins this by hoping that she acts "motherly" to the patients (pg 259, 2nd paragraph). However, a couple paragraphs later she distinguishes the types of men by their gendered qualities. For instance, she says, "the men are docile,respectful, and affectionate, with but few exceptions; truly lovable and manly many of them." She goes on: ". . . a Virginia blacksmith, is the prince of patients. . . a common man in education and condition, to me is all I could expect from the first gentleman in the land. Under his plain speech and unpolished manner I seem to see a noble character, a heart as warm and tender as a woman's." This blacksmith was described by both his manliness and also his womanly character--his tender heart. Later, Alcott describes a man as "patient as a woman." It is interesting to me that she uses all of these gendered characterizations to describe her patients and also the people who worked in the ward with her. --Mary Beth M. | ||
== Mary Livermore, [Northern women on farm during war], 1890 -- Woloch and Major Problems readings. == | == Mary Livermore, [Northern women on farm during war], 1890 -- Woloch and Major Problems readings. == | ||
