Introduction: “A Whisper in the Dark” by Louisa May Alcott
Most people may associate Louisa May Alcott with Little Women, but she actually wrote several gothic short stories. This week, we’ll talk about one of them.
Born in 1832, Alcott was exposed to several cultural figures, like David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, throughout her young life. Her parents were transcendentalists, and they suffered financially. Alcott became dedicated to making money, which led to the publishing of her first short story, “The Rival Painters,” in 1852. She also wrote a series of melodramatic and sensational stories under the name A. M. Bernard.
“A Whisper in the Dark” tells the story of Sybil, an orphan who is about to turn 18. Her greedy uncle schemes to marry her to his son, Guy, by telling her that her father’s will demanded it. Sybil comes up with a scheme of her own to manipulate Guy and her uncle. When it backfires, Sybil is deemed insane and imprisoned.
Things to Consider Before You Read
In the essay, “Did They Never See Anyone Angry Before?”: The Sexual Politics of Self-Control in Alcott’s “A Whisper in the Dark,” Lynette Carpenter pointed to the “struggle between truth and respectability” in this piece. Carpenter suggests that the moral of this story, at least for women reading, might be “rule yourself, lest you be ruled by another” (32)
Carpenter also points to several themes and motifs in “Whisper” that are found in other gothic fiction from the 1800s: mother-daughter relationships, secrets, mental health, and greed. You might want to think about them and any other throughlines you notice from other gothic readings.
Doubling is a significant theme in gothic pieces as well. Examine how Alcott uses it. Note any symbolism you come across. For example, what do you make of the lock of hair?
As you read, consider the use of ambiguous language, particular when used in dialogue.
Get Reading
As for the reading itself, there are three ways to read for free:
Sources
Norton Anthology of American Literature (1820 to 1865)
Carpenter, Lynette. “‘Did They Never See Anyone Angry Before?’: The Sexual Politics of Self-Control in Alcott’s ‘A Whisper in the Dark’.” Legacy, vol. 3, no. 2, 1986, pp. 31–41. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25678969.
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