March

Mr. March philosophizes on the meanings of courage and cowardice. He believes that fearlessness should not be equated with bravery, but with “a mind devoid of rationality and imagination” (168). A truly brave man “quakes with terror, sweats, feels his very bowels betray him, and in spite of this moves forward to do the act he dreads” (168). In Mr. March’s view, sometimes inaction is a sign of true courage, such as in those who refuse to participate in war efforts because of conscientious objection.

Mr. March thinks about Brown’s attack on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. Though Brown expected this action to provoke a massive slave rebellion, it did not. Brown’s sons, along with other followers, were killed. He was captured and eventually executed. Mr. March has learned “to look back on the episode without bitterness or blame,” even though he had financially supported Brown “to free human beings, not to slaughter them” (169). Mr. March, and other local supporters of Brown, became concerned that they would be investigated for providing him financial support.

Following Brown’s death, there were fewer refugees arriving via the Underground Railroad. On a cold January night, a teenaged girl arrived at the March’s door. The girl, Flora, was disguised as a man. On her feet were open wounds, which Marmee treated. During a moment alone, Marmee told Mr. March that Flora was pregnant. Rather than send her along to Canada, they decided to keep Flora with them for a longer stay so that her feet could fully heal. Beth, who was typically shy, grew close to Flora. She helped to bring Flora back to health, even convincing Mr. March to provide here with dairy products.

While Mr. March and Marmee were at a speaking engagement, a constable had come to their home in search of runaway slaves. Marmee gently asked Beth to recall what happened. Beth said that the constable had barged in and claimed he had information that a runaway slave was in the home. Beth told the constable that this wasn’t true. She then explained to Mr. March that she hadn’t told a lie to the constable because, as Mr. March had often said, “there are no slaves in God’s eyes” (180). This warmed Mr. March’s heart.

The constable had said he would come inside to search the house, but Beth told him she needed to see a warrant. Because he didn’t have a warrant, he stormed out. Mr. March and Marmee were very proud of Beth. However, Mr. March was aware that the constable would get a warrant and soon return. That night, they sent Flora on her way to a new home on the Underground Railroad. A year after Flora’s departure, they received a letter from a Canadian woman who said that, though Flora’s baby had died, she was well and learning to read and write.

After war was declared, young soldiers gathered in Concord. One of them asked for a short speech from Mr. March. He offered them Biblically-charged words of encouragement. As he said the words, Mr. March realized they were empty when measured against the action that the young men were about to take. He locked eyes with Marmee, noting that she heard “ a truth in (his) words and recognized (his) intention even before he knew it (himself)” (183). Mr. March then made clear to the soldiers that he would be joining them in the battlefield. When he finished talking to the crowd, Marmee was speechless, which Mr. March took to mean that she was overwhelmingly proud of him.

Now at Oak Landing, Mr. March wishes he were still a man of moral certainty. He misses his family, as well as his concrete sense of right and wrong.

At Oak Landing, they are prepared for a great cotton harvest and spirits are high. That night, a sound awakens Mr. March and he can smell fresh horse droppings, though there were no stables nearby. Immediately, he crawls into his hiding hole. Soon, a guerilla kicks in his door and searches his sleeping quarters. Mr. March hears one of the intruders say that the bed is still warm. From outside, he hears pistols shots and screaming.

Soon, he hears Canning shout, “No!” (186). The guerillas tell Canning to summon Mr. March or they will also shoot his other leg. Canning refuses and is again shot. Mr. March considers giving himself up, but “fear lay on (his) chest, crushing the air out of (him), pinning (him) like a rockfall” (186). Canning faints and the guerillas’ major summons Ptolemy, the old servant. Mr. March can hear the voice of Zeke, who seems to be assisting the major. The major calls out to Mr. March, telling him to reveal himself or he will behead Ptolemy. Mr. March’s mind tells him to save Ptolemy, but his “sinews had turned to broth” (187). Ptolemy calls out to Mr. March, telling him to stay hidden because he was used up and ready to go to heaven. Mr. March hears the decapitation and starts to sob.

The major tells his men to start burning down the buildings. Mr. March has to flee to avoid incineration. Mr. March notes that he was “man enough, it seemed, to save (his) own life” (188). He crawls through a hole that had been created when a guerilla kicked the wall. Outside, he sees Canning unconscious and lashed to his horse, Aster. The guerillas had also cut off Canning’s ear. Young guerillas throw Ptolemy’s body into the fire. Mr. March prays for Ptolemy’s soul but wonders why God would bother listening to him after his show of cowardice. He feels pure hatred for the guerillas, but also for himself.

Mr. March remains hidden in the woodpile until it is safe to move. He is consumed by guilt. His sense of self-disgust grows into a sense of purpose. He feels driven to redeem what happened, even if it kills him. Though he is in his sleepwear, he decides to follow the guerillas, who round up Canning and some of the workers. He runs into the house to see if anyone is still there. He thinks about how Canning was right that Zeke’s loyalty was with his sons, who serve as Confederate guerillas. Upstairs, he pries loose a floorboard and retrieves Canning’s secret stash of cash, as well as an ambrotype of a girl. He puts on Canning’s boots, but they are too small; to make them fit, he cuts off the toes.

He follows the guerillas. There are about 20 of them, two of whom are black, presumably Zeke’s sons. The guerillas have taken several workers. When they take Jimse, Zannah chooses to go with them. Mr. March starts to make a move toward the guerillas, but Jesse comes up from behind and puts his hand over his mouth, telling him to stay put because it is not the right time to attack. The guerillas head into the woods and, from a safe distance, Mr. March follows along with Jesse, who carries a knife and hopes they will get an opportunity to attack while the guerillas sleep.

For hours, Mr. March and Jesse walk through the woods. The boots flay Mr. March’s feet and he is “dizzy from lack of food and parched for water” (193), but he persists. At dusk, the guerillas make camp in a clearing. Jesse tells Mr. March that he set two big jars of moonshine outside of his cabin, hoping that the guerillas would take them. For two hours, they remain hidden in the bushes. It seems that the guerillas are indeed getting drunk. Mr. March and Jesse creep forward to get a better look at the situation. All the plantation workers are bound, except for Zannah, who is tending the cook fire. Canning is not bound because he is immobilized by his wounded legs.

A guerilla takes Zannah into the woods to rape her and Mr. March tells Jesse that they must help her. Jesse tells him they must wait or else they will be killed, and Zannah will be sold into slavery and face years of violations. He also says that he added something to the liquor to make the guerillas sick. The first guerilla is overcome with stomach trouble and runs into the woods to relieve himself. Jesse sneaks up on the man and kills him. He takes the man’s guns and sword. Under the noise of the drunken banter, the other guerillas don’t notice. Another man wanders into the woods; Jesse also kills him and takes his weapons.

Mr. March hears the guerillas discussing what to do with Canning. They consider holding him for ransom. Canning has regained consciousness and tells them that he is a worthless loner and that they may as well kill him. When a guerilla lifts his pistol to shoot Canning, Mr. March leaps from the bushes in an attempt to stop the execution. Mr. March implores Canning to tell the guerillas that there is someone who cares about him, the girl in the ambrotype. Canning says that she died six weeks before they were supposed to be married.

The guerillas tie Mr. March to a tree and he listens to Jimse cry out for his mother. Mr. March apologizes to Canning. He then briefly drifts into unconsciousness and awakens in a daze. Zannah appears and frees Mr. March, along with the other workers. A fight erupts between the workers and the guerillas. Saddleback fever is gripping Mr. March but he fights as best he can. A guerilla is about deal Mr. March a death blow, but Cilla stabs the man from behind. The major has a point-blank shot at Mr. March but misses because Canning, with his last bit of strength, struck the major’s ankles with a rock. Mr. March watches the major turn to Canning and shoot him in the head. The major again aims his pistol toward Mr. March and Cilla. The last thing Mr. March recalls hearing is a thump, and then oscillating screams.

The next day, Mr. March wakes up in the clearing. He sees several bodies, including those of Canning and Cilla. He loses consciousness. Days pass and Zannah cares for him as his body pendulates between hot and cold. During a period of lucidity, he asks Zannah about Jimse and she starts to cry, showing him “a cluster of tight-curled ringlets” that she saved (203). She gives one of the ringlets to Mr. March. Much later, he asks her about Jesse and she makes a gesture to indicate that he was captured. She was the only one who escaped.

Mr. March awakens on a ship that is taking him to a hospital in Washington. A nurse tells him that he was grazed by a bullet, but his illness is much more concerning. Apparently, Zannah had brought him to the federal lines. There, she was greeted with scrutiny, but she used charcoal on fabric to communicate Mr. March’s identity. This news compels Mr. March to sob. He hears the nurse call for a surgeon before again slipping into unconsciousness.