The Autobiography of an Idea · Character

Moses Woolson

A Boston schoolmaster whose presence and method leave a mark on the young Sullivan, even as the boy drifts through trances no teacher can interpret.

supporting

Also known as Woolson

First appearance: IX: Boston—The English High School

As a supporting figure in The Autobiography of an Idea, Moses Woolson is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The master teacher whose rigorous plan and inspiring lectures on literature, nature, and culture transform Louis into a focused, independent thinker.

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Woolson belongs to the world of the English High School, one of the formative figures in Louis's Boston years, when the boy is regarded as a practical little fellow who likes to work even as a 'living mystic presence' enthralls him from within. The family sits 'without the pale,' the father chasing orators, the mother spiraling toward bodiless bliss, the grandmother quietly devout. Against that backdrop Woolson represents the discipline of the classroom — an influence Louis carries with him as he begins to suspect that what perturbs him lies far deeper than thought.

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See Moses Woolson in IX: Boston—The English High School

Character Web

14 connections

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Relationship types

Social
Other

Character groups

Early Teachers & Artistic Guides
Protagonist
Early Family & Childhood Influences

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This passage is the dramatic climax because it represents the psychological peak where the narrator’s obsessio…

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Relationships

Louis Henri Sullivan
social · positive
Moses Woolson is a teacher or mentor, providing intellectual and moral guidance. How this plays out →

Relationship notes

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In the story

Moses Woolson appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

IX: Boston—The English High School

Chapter companion notes

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See Moses Woolson in IX: Boston—The English High School