Angel in the House: Gladys in "A Modern Mephistopheles" by Louisa May Alcott

        In 1877, Louisa May Alcott went to Bostons Bellevue Hotel for a few weeks to write A Modern Mephistopheles, a gothic thriller that was a major change from Little Women and her other youth sustains that Alcott called moral pap for the two-year- out of date (Strickland, 1). A Modern Mephistopheles is the story of nineteen year erstwhile(a) Felix Canaris, a poet on the brink of starvation, until Jasper Helwyze helps him. Helwyze promised Felix fame and fortune in riposte for complete control over his life. When Felix falls in sleep together with Olivia, Helwyzes companion, he is instead forced into a marriage with Gladys, a young girl who enjoys him, but he does non bop in return. Overtime, Gladys wins the heart or admiration of everyone in the story, and veritable(a) in remnant influences other characters choices. By the end of the book, it is exculpated that the hero is non Felix, who lies about writing his famous book of poetry, but Gladys, the nonsuch (Alcott 1-258).

        In A Modern Mephistopheles, Alcott expands on the idea of the square-toed angel in the house (Strickland 1), describing not only Gladys intimate angelic traits, but her angelic display: Through the incensed hall thither came a excellent creature in a quaint white gown, who looked as if she might defecate stepped down from the marble Hebes pedestal, for there was something wonderfully virginal and pert about the maidenly figure with its deep, soft eyes, pale pig and features clearly cut as a fine cameo. emerge from the gloom into a flood of sunshine, which stirred her head with a glint of gold... (Alcott, 18-19).          Alcott also stressed her love for flowers an! d the fact that she seems at home among th flowers, saying that there was something peculiarly vindicated and fresh about her then, as if... If you compliments to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderEssay.net

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