Atlantic writers have long meditated on these two fates of all living things.

Chronicles of the needlessly destructive "new normal"

The youngest sister from Louisa May Alcott’s novel remains as spoiled as ever in the latest film adaptation. But she’s finally afforded the depth that’s missing from previous movies.

With remarkable clarity, Greta Gerwig’s adaptation establishes love and its complement, sacrifice, as mutually engaged emotions.

The absence of maids—exploited, largely invisible workers who decades ago made keeping a house in order look much easier—is one of the biggest reasons today’s middle-class families feel stretched for time.