The Young House-Keeper, or, Thoughts on Food and Cookery (1838)

AUTHOR: Alcott, William Andrus

In this text, William Alcott does not explicitly advocate for a veg*n diet but he vigorously discourages the consumption of meat, cheese, and butter, while he does discuss the benefit of time-savings for women of a vegetable diet.

KEYWORDS: food and diet, women's status, household economics

SUMMARY (Bryn Skibo, edited Deborah Madsen):

Preface: The purpose of the book is to elevate house-keeping to a respected profession and one deserving of study: “The elements of the nation, nay, of the world itself, are prepared, to a great extent, in our nurseries, and around the domestic fireplace” (19). “I hope [the text] will prove a timely contribution to the cause of human improvement – to the melioration, the elevation, the restoration of fallen humanity” (20).

Chapter I: “Dignity of the House-Keeper”
Alcott makes clear that he is not confusing the positions of “mother” and “housekeeper,” because they are very different (27). Alcott is not a feminist, and he states that “[t]he plan of the Creator most certainly does require that these household duties should, as a general rule, be performed by the mother” (30). A lengthy discussion follows of the value, importance, and duties of a housekeeper (note: the mother directs the housekeeper), placing the housekeeper potentially above legislators, because no one more directly influences the development of a person than her. He discusses such topics as “Cookery, As It Should Be”; “Economy of Time, By a Reformation in Cookery”; “Expense of Animal and Vegetable Food Compared”; and “How to Begin the Work of Reformation.” The chapters that most directly address Alcott's vegetable diet are:

Chapter VI: “Nature of Food in General”
Alcott poses a series of questions. "Man" is an omnivore “But because he can subsist on all things, does it therefore follow that he must eat all things?” (80). “Why has the Creator delegated him the right of choice?” (80). “...What kinds of food are best for healthy persons – best for their whole being, here and hereafter?” (90).

Chapter XLII: “Flesh and Fish”
Alcott believes that milk is the least injurious of animal substances, then “butter, cheese, and eggs” (283). Fish are less diseased, and so are less dangerous to eat, but Alcott draws a hard line against shellfish, finding it as repulsive as “locusts and snails,” and even less nutritious than snails (288).

 

Last updated on May 2nd, 2024

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