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
Belcour visits Charlotte in Chapter XXVII and tells Charlotte that she should go to New York, enter society and meet with women. 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. Looking forward, Charlotte will soon die soon after her father arrives, leaving a child behind. Without La Rue as an antagonist, this horrible situation would never have befallen Charlotte Temple. After this supposed breakthrough, however, she shows her reliance on others, namely Montraville, in the very next sentence. Charlotte "flattered herself that her resolution was not to be shaken" (Rowson 869). Instead of speaking out against this injustice that has been placed upon her, she chooses the passivity that leads her to being alone. Charlotte is a caring person, which is her most admirable quality and also, in a way, her downfall. But I cannot break my mother's heart" (Rowson 873). For the highly religious readers of the period that Rowson wrote, this most definitely would have been a highly successful chapter for the author's heroine. There are many other words that Rowson could have used in this case, but betrayer is the one that shows her feelings. From these two passages, found on the same page with only a chapter break in between them, a reader can easily see that this relationship is doomed to fail.
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Acceptance Essays
