Problem
First published in 1863 as "The Brothers" but later retiled "My Contraband," Louisa May Alcott's story of Civil War, interracial attachment, and interfamilial rivalry is one of the 19th century's most famous short stories.
How does each title reflect different thematic elements endemic to Alcott's story? While "The Brothers" emphasizes the relation between the story's focus on the traumatic history of two siblings, "My Contraband" emphasizes the interracial bond that the story chronicles between the tale's heroine and its hero, Bob. Which title do you think better captures the main purpose of the story's literary treatments of Civil War violence, racial trauma, and interracial attachment?