troisoiseaux

It's really interesting because Alcott herself was surrounded by Natural Geniuses (Genii?) -- all male and supported by women mostly (Bronson, Thoreau, Emerson, Melville, &c &c) -- and she was surrounded by women who fiercely wanted to Work and also had to work to support their genius men (in fact one of her first novels is called Work). She writes about Jo's (and her own) Gothic moneymakers with kind of tender mocking affection. But then later on she had to grind out sequels and collections to keep making money to support several extended families -- a lot like L.M. Montgomery a bit later on who had to keep writing and writing about Anne and then churn out other series. I've seen dozens of articles about how omg Terrible it was than Melville was condemned by poverty and non-recognition of his genius, but few tears are shed over however many women writers didn't have the privilege of sitting in a room along with their mss. while someone else ran the house and paid the bills. -- Anyway, so in her framework, if someone has actually put in time and work and concluded they don't have enough natural talent, turning their abilities to something else productive that can help other people only makes sense, with that particular New England work ethic.

(I've always found it kind of really touching that Louisa paid for May to study art abroad. Altho then of course May has to DIE, thank you 19th century male doctor hygiene standards.)