Behind a Mask
Louisa May Alcott was often writing under a pseudonym or anonymously, and Behind a Mask is one of her blood and thunder tales where the protagonist is considered to be a femme fatale. Femme fatale is a different kind of a Gothic heroine; she knows what she wants and knows exactly how to get it. Moreover, she is the one every other character is intermingled around and everyone does things she subconsciously wants them to do. Basically she is the starter of every action, but also Louisa May Alcott’s heroine is portrayed as if she is acting on a stage of life.
I liked Alcott’s writing style; she is fast with the actions and gives foreshadowing clues that set the plot in the motion. At the end, Behind a Mask with femme fatale Jean Muir playing to be someone else, getting exactly what she wants is a mask Louisa May Alcott is hiding to be someone else. Gothic elements are not as obvious as in the other stories we read, but are rather hiding in the small which crafts of Jean Muir who appears to have supernatural powers.
I liked Alcott's writing style, too. I thought the element of foreshadowing gave the readers an upper hand when it came to these stories so it's a lot more interesting when you know what might happen. Although it lacks excitement with expectations, you're still anticipating what will happen with the characters.
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