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From Contraband to Robert Dane: The Language of Personhood in Louisa May Alcott’s “My Contraband”
Dora Lešnjak
Sažetak
This essay discusses the construction of Black male identity and masculinity in Louisa May Alcott’s Civil War short story "My Contraband". Focusing on the character of Robert, a formerly enslaved man, the paper analyzes how the various names he assumes throughout the story reflect
broader cultural tensions around race, gender, and personhood in Civil War America. Through the lens of the white narrator, Faith Dane, the story maps Robert’s transformation from the dehumanizing label of “contraband” to the symbolic adoption of the name “Robert Dane.” This progression reflects the transitional period that both the character and the country at large find
themselves in during the time period. The essay also aims to analyze the historical framework of the terms used in the story. Additionally, it considers how Robert’s masculinity is affirmed through his military service and ultimate death, echoing contemporary cultural narratives of racial sacrifice. Finally, the act of naming, particularly Robert’s rejection of his former master’s name and his assumption of Faith’s, reflects both elements of agency and the lingering impact of the system of slavery, while simultaneously subverting gendered rules of naming. The essay argues that the naming and descriptive language used in “My Contraband” reflects the limited terms under which Black identity could be publicly acknowledged in Civil War-era literature.
Ključne riječi
Black masculinity; Louisa May Alcott; Civil War literature; identity; contraband; naming
Hrčak ID:
340935
URI
Datum izdavanja:
11.12.2025.
Posjeta: 312 *