We finished reading Behind A Mask, by L.M. Alcott, who really wrote it under the name A.M. Barnard. It was a very interesting novel revealing how authors make their characters hide behind masks, as well as themselves. Just like Jean, the character in her story, Alcott hid behind a mask by writing under another name. It is interesting though because in the end of the story, the governess, Jean, who was ultimately changing the roles in the house by ruling it instead of serving them, gave everyone what they needed, after messing with everyone's hearts. It makes you wonder that if hiding behind a mask is really all that bad? Sometimes it gives a person a little bit more confidence, and ironically, more truth comes out behind the lie of a mask. I think this is because there is no option to hurt your own pride if someone disagrees with you, but if you are not wearing a "mask" to protect you and your opinion, someone could ultimately hurt your feelings and pride.
We also began reading short stories from the Southern Gothic such as, "the Goophered Grapevine", "The Sheriff's Children", and Jean-Ah Poquelin". I enjoyed reading these, but then again, I did not necessarily enjoy the endings of these stories. These stories tell an important story of our Country's history of a past that is so sad, and reading about this time period in and through the ironic stories about curses, illegitimate sons, and disease ridden brothers, it is sad at the end to think that those stories tell a deeper meaning about the history of America, and the fight of the Civil War.
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