Eight Cousins

In this part of the novel, Rose continues to improve her mind and body, but also undergoes The Development of Moral Consciousness. This is highlighted through her display of perseverance and compassion as she nurses Mac through his injury. Her comforting presence is attributed to her femininity, as noted by her laddish cousin: “‘Odd, isn’t it, what a knack women have for taking care of sick folks?’ and Charlie fell a-musing over this undeniable fact” (177). However, Steve credits Rose’s moral makeup: “That dolly has got a real good little heart, and a bright mind of her own, […], and mother thinks she is an uncommonly nice girl” (179). Through her kind actions, Rose gains respect from her family, and Alcott uses a mixture of essentialist beliefs about women’s nursing skills and the family’s beliefs about Rose’s moral consciousness to construct Rose as a favorable character for a 19th-century readership.

Rose’s role as Mac’s nurse portrays the contemporary conventions of gendered domestic space. In Chapter 12, while she is out, the cousins disturb the peace of the sickroom with puppies and discussions of sports—emblems of boyhood that emphasize the masculinity of their intrusions. The narrator describes the boys as “invaders” inciting a “riot.” This histrionic description engages the reader by developing the comedy of the moment, and the sense of danger satirizes the threat that unconventionally-gendered interaction poses to the 19th-century structures of middle-class family life. When Rose drives the boys away, her actions reflect societal enforcement of gendered separation between the public and private spheres. The cousins apologize, representing their acquiescence to the convention that the domestic space belongs to women. By the end of the chapter, order is restored to the gendered hierarchies of the sickroom.

The celebration of Rose’s birthday is another turning point that demonstrates Rose’s transformation from a sickly girl into a “strong-minded little woman” (217) who can provide a happy home for her family. The joyous mood of the gathering of the Campbells and Atkinsons centers on their celebration of having Rose in their lives. While at the picnic, Uncle Alec metaphorically refers to Rose’s solidity, comparing her to a piece of wood that he is shaping: “Polish is easily added, if the foundations are strong; but no amount of gilding will be of use if your timber is not sound” (205). He compares the basis of his methodology, Rose’s physical health, to a sturdy foundation upon which he can craft a “real” woman out of Rose. Again, the novel reinforces Parenting Styles and Their Impacts on the character of a young person rather than inherent traits.