Annie Fields and the gift of sympathy.
Item
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Title
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Annie Fields and the gift of sympathy.
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Identifier
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AAI9630487
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identifier
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9630487
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Creator
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Mandel, Norma Haft.
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Contributor
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Adviser: William Kelly
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Date
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1996
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Literature, American | Women's Studies | American Studies | Biography
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Abstract
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Annie Adams Fields (1834-1915), literary hostess, editor, poet, diarist, and philanthropist, was married to publisher James T. Fields for twenty-seven years and was a partner in a Boston marriage with author Sarah Orne Jewett for twenty-eight years. Although historically she has been undervalued, often described only as the wife of James Fields, she was a complex and talented woman who played an important role in the social, political, and literary changes that occurred during her adult lifetime.;Annie Fields contributed to the world of letters through her encouragement of young writers and to the field of social reform through her work in a variety of philanthropies. As her husband's editorial assistant and confidant, she affected several generations of authors, many of whom became members of the literary circles which developed with her at their center. Not only did she influence these writers, she engendered feelings of connection and empathy among them. Outside the literary realm, as co-founder of the Associated Charities of Boston, she helped to effect changes in volunteer services among the poor. She was successful in her many endeavors because of her intelligence, her education, her marriage, and her gift of sympathy.;This concept of a gift of sympathy, the ability to give and receive in an empathetic relationship, is central to my examination of the life of Annie Fields. It is the lens through which her role in nineteenth-century Boston is enlarged and clarified. The gift of sympathy explains her skill in making her home an integral part of her husband's success as a publisher; it elucidates her friendships with the leading authors of the century and illuminates her relationships with her circles of friends. Gradually her gift of sympathy touched more people as she became a leader in emerging educational, social, and philanthropic reforms.;Through the use of modern theories of connection, the psychological component of a gift of sympathy will be examined. In addition, Annie Fields' relationship with James Fields, Sarah Orne Jewett and other women authors, the Fireside Poets, and Charles Dickens will be discussed.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
