A Young Lady's Letters
The Exploited:
Letters of Emily Dickinson (1931)
Emily Dickinson, edited by Mabel Loomis Todd
The Ohio State University Rare Books and Manuscripts Library
PS1541.Z5 A3 1931 (V1 & V2)
While Emily Dickinson was often begged to publish her work, her death gave those around her the opportunity to distribute her work without backlash. The two volumes published of Dickinson's poetry were such a hit that the publishers decided to make another two-volume set, this time with Dickinson's personal letters. Taking advantage of her silence yet again, Mabel Loomis Todd decided she knew exactly what content would embarrass Dickinson if published and edited these letters for publication. Todd explains this in the introduction. The idea was that readers who enjoyed Dickinson's poetry desperately wanted to get a glimpse inside the life of the poet like the nosy people they are.
It is often the case that those closest to us are the ones to first betray our trust, especially since they often feel like it's their duty to control the women around them. Yes, Dickinson was not necessarily a teenager when her sister decided to publish these works. However, it wasn't the first time her work was published without her permission. The first time was when someone anonymously gave one of her poems to a newspaper. And so was the second, and so was the third. Some of the letters detail instances in which the people closest to her determined her fate. For example, her father was the one to say she wouldn't be attending college after her first year, despite her immense success there.
The Defector:
The Voyage of the Norman D.: as told by the cabin-boy (1928)
Barbara Newhall Follett
The Ohio State University Rare Books and Manuscripts Library
PS3511.0215 V6 1928
This novel is a collection of Barbara Newhall Follett's letters, written while she worked on a ship for a short time at 13. Follett was a spirited young lady who some would call a “tomboy.” While this currently outdated term was used to describe young girls that act --according to societal standards-- like young boys, Follett might have seen it as a compliment or way to prove superiority over her peers. In The Voyage of Norman D., Follett expresses gratitude for being the only woman or girl aboard the ship during the trip and does not seem bothered by those who first see her as a young boy. Even the men on the ship begin to treat her like a boy, describing their wives and other women like objects without feelings or uses, other than pleasure. If one was constantly surrounded by these ideals in youth, isn’t it only natural to reject womanhood in order to feel strong and worthy of respect? After the divorce of her parents and a failed marriage of her own, Follett would continue to reject society’s view of her, fall into a depressive state, and, eventually, disappear completely.