My Contraband And Brothers By Alcott Essays - Ned, The Lucy Poems

My Contraband And Brothers By Alcott Of all the atrocities, man has endured; none has caused more misery and destruction to the soul than human bondage, also identified as slavery. It is illustrated in Louisa May Alcott's story: "My Contraband," originally published "The Brothers." The Civil War was fought over slavery. It pitted brother against brother, but this did not kill these brothers, it was the deep and festering hatred they had for each other that sent them to their early graves. The story these individuals create is complex and depressing; the main character, Robert is a contraband (a slave who has come to the North to seek freedom). Instead of finding freedom, he finds his half brother Ned and his wife Lucy. After the death of his master, Robert arrives from the South to freedom in the North to work in a hospital caring for wounded men of the war. His assignment is to help Miss Dane, a nurse, tend to a dying Rebel. Miss Dane appears to be the narrator in the story She is aware of Robert's troubled existence and observes despair from the moment their encounter. Upon their first meeting, she sensed sadness from deep within him she remarked, "I had seen colored people in what they call "the black sulks" when, for days, they neither smiled nor spoke, and scarcely ate. But, this was something more than that" (528). Miss Dane appears to be a compassionate person; nursing comes easy to her and she lacks intolerance regarding Robert's color. She had wanted"to know and comfort him; and following the impulse of the moment I went in and touched him on the shoulder"(529). This is an example of her compassionate view of the contraband. She believed that "black boys are far more faithful and handy than some of the white scamps" (528). Robert is content to stay with the rebel even though he has typhoid. When Miss Dane informs Robert that since he himself has never contracted this disease, he may become infected with it, he states, "It don't matter, Missis. I'd rather be up here with the fever than down with those niggers; and there isn't no other place for me." (530). For seven days, Miss Dane nursed the Rebel and for these seven days, he did regain consciousness. At times his presence could not be felt, until in his feverish state he begins to ramble on. At times his rambling would be incoherent other times she would be able to understand what he was saying. On this night the Doctor is skeptical about his survival he instructs her to "Give him water as long as he can drink, and if he drops into a natural sleep, it may save him...Nothing but sleep or a miracle will keep him now..." (531). At that moment the Rebel called out for "Lucy" (531). Miss Dane felt "some new terror seemed to have gifted him with momentary strength" (531). She went to his side exclaiming, "Yes, here's Lucy" (531) this agitated the Rebel even further. It was evident when "His dull eye fixed upon me, dilating with a bewildered look he broke out fiercely That's a lie she's dead, and so's Bob, damn him" (531). Miss Dane dozed off, she awoke with a shock as she sprang up she felt "A strong hand put me back into my seat and held me there" (532). It was Robert, he stood there his "eyes full of sombre fire;" (532). Miss Dane was confused and stunned by these events. Robert was calm and told her "Sit still, Missus; I won' hurt yer...but you waked up to soon (533). She "saw murder in his eyes" (533) and began to plead with Robert. She questioned him "Why do you hate him? He is not your master" (533). Robert's reply, "He's my brother" (533), astonished her. Even though she was trying to grasp this information, her mind was attempting to derive a plan to hang on to her life and the Rebels. Again, she pleaded with Robert only this time not for an explanation. She feared for her life and for the Rebels but seeing Roberts mind was full of revenge and hatred, she needed to know why. She pressed Robert further until he agreed; he had been waiting to kill the Rebel until he found out about Lucy. Miss Dane questioned, "Who's Lucy" (534), his reply "My wife- he took her" (534) only incited her curiosity further. She persuaded him to tell her his life. Ned is his half-brother