Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Susan Glaspell was one of the most appreciated playwrights of modern American literature who won the Pulitzer prize for her drama Alison’s House in the year 1931. The play was first performed on December 1, 1930. The hundredth anniversary of the birthday of Emily Dickinson was to be celebrated on the 10th of December 1930 and Alison’s House was a great tribute by Susan Glaspell to the extraordinary American poet. The play is set on the last day of 1899 as the nineteenth century is coming to a close and a new, more materialistic world is emerging. The play is loosely based on the life of Emily Dickinson. Initially, Susan Glaspell wished to use Emily’s name for her play but she was denied permission for the use of Dickinson’s name and work by the late poet’s heirs. The Dickinson family prohibited Susan to use Emily’s name or to quote her poetry. As a result, Susan created a fictional Stanhope family and utilized poetry from Ralph Waldo Emerson, whom Dickinson admired.
Susan Glaspell was an early feminist writer who carved and shaped American feminism. To cultivate and defend one’s freedom in a man’s world was a continual theme for her that she continued to pursue in her dramas and writings. Obviously, Susan took the feministic point of view out of Emily Dickinson’s life to strengthen her call for early 20th-century feminist politics. The other question raised through this drama was how the lives of artists become fodder for a voyeuristic public. The drama shows how the competing demands of celebrity and privacy have and have not shifted in the 93 years between its first performance and today.
Characters of Alison’s House
Alison Stanhope is the titular character of the play who never appears on the stage because Alison Stanhope died 18 years before the day depicted in the play. Alison Stanhope was the country’s foremost poet. The character is based on Emily Dickinson. Many mysteries about Alison Stanhope have been kept secret by her siblings for the sake of her privacy and family reputation. John Stanhope is the elder brother of Alison who is 63 years old. John Stanhope wishes to sell the house but he is worried about his and Alison’s elder sister Agatha, who lives in the house alone with the housekeeper, Jennie. Ann Leslie is the family secretary. Richard Howels is a prying reporter for the Chicago Record-Herald who visits the house to find out some story of the famous dead poet. Ted is John’s youngest son who was two years old when Alison died. Eben is the elder brother of Ted and Louise is Eben’s wife. Elsa Stanhope is John Stanhope’s daughter and sister of Ted and Eben. Bill is the man whom Elsa loves.
Summary of Alison’s House
Alison’s House is a 3-Act play that begins in the library of Stanhope’s home on the last eve of 1899. John Stanhope is considering the option of selling this old house on the banks of the Mississippi where he spent his childhood days with his elder sister Agatha and younger sister Alison Stanhope. Alison died 18 years ago and now Agatha lives here alone with the housekeeper Jennie who takes care of her. John’s elder son Eben is a practicing lawyer who wishes to become a poet like his late aunt Alison. His wife Louise is a housewife. Ted is his younger brother who is being forced by John to pursue his studies to become a lawyer but he is not interested. Elsa Stanhope is the only daughter of John but he doesn’t talk to her much.
Ann Leslie is a young woman who is the secretary of John’s family and fortune. She is cataloging and safekeeping the books of Alison. The whole family got together to celebrate the upcoming new year, and the new 20th century. John and Ann Leslie talk about her late mother whom John once loved but never revealed his love for her because he was already a married man and a father. He cares for Ann like his own daughter, while he is angry with Elsa, his daughter.
While John is determined to sell the house to Mr. and Mrs. Hodge, the potential buyers, he is worried about Agatha who never left this house and doesn’t wish to leave it before her death. Agatha is not happy about John’s decision to sell the house as she feels she and Alison are being kicked out of their house. She feels Alison’s soul still linger in the house.
Eben is not happy as a lawyer and wishes to take a leave and try as a professional writer and poet. He is leading an unhappy married life with Louise who doesn’t appreciate his poetic mind and is more materialistic. Louise doesn’t like the fact that Elsa has also joined them for the celebrations of the new year as she doesn’t like her at all. She claims that Elsa is just like her late aunt Alison. Elsa fell in love with a married man and eloped with him. That married man is Bill, the husband of one of Louise’s close friends. Louise complains to Eben that such adultery is in their blood as Alison also fell in love with a married man and tried to run away with him but her brother stopped her from doing so. John failed to stop Elsa and thus, he is angry with his daughter.
On the eve of the last day of 1899, a reporter Richard Howels arrives at Stanhope’s house in hope of finding some interesting material to write a story about Alison Stanhope. He tries hard to pry at the family members to gather some information. Louise is not comfortable with his presence. She worries that he will stir up gossip and stories about Alison’s past and which will ruin the family’s reputation further and will harm her husband’s and children’s present.
There is a room in the house that always remain locked. It is Alison’s room. Agatha keeps a guard in the room to protect her memories and reputation. While all the family members are on the ground floor, Jennie calls for help as she observes smoke coming out of Alison’s room. John and Eben run upwards and see Agatha trying to burn some papers. However, she is hesitant to throw the papers in the fire as if she is in two minds. They put an end to the fire.
John and Ann talk about Agatha and wonder what she tried to burn and what was in those papers that Agatha denied sharing with anyone. Knowles wonders if the family found any other papers left by Alison. John strictly tells him to go away and he takes his permission to visit the house once more at the appropriate time. Before he goes, he offers Ann a paper with a poem written by him.
Mr. and Mrs. Hodge arrive at Stanhope's house to finalize the deal. Mr. Hodge says that they are planning to paint it bright yellow, cut up the big rooms to make smaller ones, and make it a home for summer boarders. The deal is finalized as John decides to sell the house to Mr. Hodge.
The family members all gather in the library and John talks about his dead mother and sister. Ted tries to look for some books by Alison as he is writing a paper for his University to get better grades as his professor is a huge fan of Alison. He declares that he doesn’t want to become a lawyer and would join the rubber tire business. Eben says that he is planning to take a leave for a year and will work on his poetry. John doesn’t approve of their ideas. Louise announces that she cannot live with Elsa under the same roof but Eben takes Elsa’s side. John interrupts Eben and says that he is angry at Elsa because unlike her, he and Alison were responsible and didn’t run off with the people they fell in love with.
Richard Howels returns at the same time and asks Ann to go for a walk with him. Ann looks towards John for permission and he nods to give his approval. As Ann and Richard go away, John starts reading some poems of Alison. They hear the footsteps of Agatha coming downstairs. Agatha comes and offers a leather portfolio to Elsa and says that it is a gift for Elsa from her and Alison and soon she dies.
After some time, all gather again. Ann and Elsa talk about their love life and Elsa informs how happy she is with Bill. Ann says that Richard has proposed to her and she has accepted his marriage proposal. Eben talks about his childhood memories with Elsa at the old house. Elsa then decides to open the portfolio given to her by Agatha. It contains a huge amount of unpublished poems by Alison. John wants to burn them while Ted wants to sell them. Eben persuades his father to let Elsa have her right to the poems. Stanhope finally agrees to let Elsa keep the gift from Alison’s century to the people of Elsa’s century as the clock strikes 12 O’Clock midnight. Stanhope embraces Elsa, forgiving her as the play ends.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of American English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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