Charlotte Temple

A detailed Summary of Charlotte Temple

Charlotte Temple is a tragically weak character, shaped by many external factors. Her education, both in school and by her parents, was not teaching her how to deal with life. Montraville, an English soldier "eager and impetuous in the pursuit of a favorite object" (Rowson Anthology 869) and on his way to America, carries off Charlotte and seduces her. She is soon pregnant, and then abandoned. Quickly after this she is wandering the roads in winter in a thin shawl. She is then taken to a hospital and soon passes away, leaving behind a baby. While mistreating Charlotte, Montraville has fallen in love with Julia Franklin, who is "the very reverse of Charlotte Temple" (Rowson 887). Julia is a strong and independent woman. After Charlotte's death, Montraville fights a duel to avenge her honor and is wounded. Julia nurses him back to health, and they are soon married. After this, the tale is over in relation to Charlotte, and the novel comes to an end.

Susanna Rowson's sentimental novel, entitled: Charlotte, A Tale of Truth was extremely popular and successful. The way that women were portrayed at that time is shown in Rowson's novel. Susanna Rowson says that she wrote this novel to "dear girls" (Rowson 864). In t

everything in the novel. "The tear of compassion shall fall for the fate of Charlotte, while the name of La Rue shall be detested and despised" (Rowson 904). This both looks forward and backwards through the novel. Looking back, Charlotte can evoke compassion because she has been taken from her home, abandoned and with child. Looking forward, Charlotte will soon die soon after her father arrives, leaving a child behind. La Rue heightened the situation of seduction in the first place. Without La Rue as an antagonist, this horrible situation would never have befallen Charlotte Temple. La Rue, now Mrs. Crayton, will soon deny knowing Charlotte Temple, and leave her in the icy street in the freezing winter with nothing but a shawl to keep her warm. This appalling situation ultimately led Charlotte to her deathbed.

In Chapter XXVIII, Rowson tells the readers how they should feel about

Belcour visits Charlotte in Chapter XXVII and tells Charlotte that she should go to New York, enter society and meet with women. She, saying that they will scorn her, declines, and goes into a speech that shows her evermore striving for independence from Montraville: "if I am no longer beloved, I will not be indebted to his pity to redress my injuries" (Rowson 902). This is a huge step for the heroin of the novel, which has finally stated in clear terms that she never wishes Montraville to help her, except maybe to help their unborn child.

In the chapter titled Reflections, Rowson reflects on some of Charlotte's faults, and shows her pity in a more tangible and straightforward manner. "How dreadfully imprudent have I been" says Charlotte, admitting to her faults and that she had "disgraced her friends, forfeited the good opinion of the world, and undone herself" to be with a man who has forsaken her. Rowson makes the biggest support for Charlotte and her faults when she says:

"I would follow you through every danger, and, in studying to promote your happiness, insure my own. But I cannot break my mother's heart" (Rowson 873). Although she tells Montraville that she loves her parents more than she loves him, she also says that if Montraville is happy, then she will be happy. Contrary to the fact that she loves her parents more than her lover, she plans with Montraville to leave with him, entreating her to his protection. Of course, in true Charlotte Temple fashion, she cannot make up her mind on this either. The next day, she decided that she would go with La Rue to the place that they decided, tell Montraville that she loved him, and say goodbye forever. "My resolution is fixed...I will sacrifice love to duty" (Rowson 875). This resolution shows the type of strong, independent woman that Susanna Rowson wished all of her readers to become, although she needed to show the character's flaws to solidify her argument. Montraville, the cunning man that he is, used "every argument" until "Charlotte's resolution began to waver." "The chaise drove off. She shrieked, and fainted into the arms of her betrayer" (Rowson 875). The word "betrayer" is a tip to the reader. There are many other words that Rowson could have used in this case, but betrayer is the one that shows her feelings. Lover, fiance, suitor, and the like would not have shown Rowson's disgust towards what Montraville has done to her sentimental heroine, Charlotte. He is a representative to the readers of the betrayer to young women everywhere.

After Charlotte meets with Montraville, Rowson tells us "Charlotte had taken one st

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Approximate Word count = 2377
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English