As a cautionary tale, Charlotte Temple serves as a novel that teaches a moral lesson. As a seduction novel, Charlotte separates herself from the security of her family and ends up in desolation. In her novel, Susanna Rowson demonstrates that Charlotte plays an active role in her downfall because she is not able to make decisions for herself. Rowson’s goal was to prevent girls from making the same mistakes as Charlotte. Her purpose was to teach young girls to be cautious and think for themselves so that they do not face the same fate.
Rowson takes time to describe the character traits of Charlotte’s parents to demonstrate the environment that Charlotte was raised in. Mr. Temple decided to marry Lucy Eldridge rather than marrying Miss Weatherby.
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During this time period, marriages usually occurred in order to raise social status. Out of love, Charlotte’s parents chose to live a simpler life so that they could be together. Mr. and Mrs. Temple were charitable, caring people, and because Charlotte was raised in a loving environment, she took after her mother and was very gentle-hearted. She is described as the “sweetest girl in the world” (Rowson 1). Charlotte was young – she was at the impressionable age of fifteen. However, at this age, she should be able to determine what is right and wrong, and make decisions accordingly. It is unfortunate that she went to school away from her parents and was surrounded by people of lesser virtue than her parents. The narrator states that “the mind of youth eagerly catches at promised pleasure: pure and innocent by nature, it thinks not of the dangers lurking beneath those pleasures, till too late to avoid them” (19). Rowson foreshadows that Charlotte eventually will fall, and also warns the reader that naivety is dangerous. Even though Charlotte was raised in a good environment, her parents were naïve in the way they idolized their child. Mademoiselle La Rue was a good friend of Charlotte’s despite their opposite personalities.
In contrast to Lucy Temple, Charlotte’s mother, La Rue was cunning, selfish, and manipulative. As Charlotte spent time with La Rue going to meet Montraville and Belcour, she constantly questions whether she should be accompanying her friend or not. Initially, she will conclude that it is a bad idea, but eventually comes along anyway. Sometimes, La Rue played a hand in persuading Charlotte to come, but others Charlotte would plan that the visit would be her last, but continue anyway. A turning point in the beginning of the novel occurs when La Rue convinces Charlotte to read Montraville’s letter. At first, Charlotte is hesitant, stating that her mother told her to let her read through letters from men before reading it herself. La Rue quickly dismisses this by exaggerating the absurdity of Charlotte’s notion. Once she read the letter, “Charlotte had taken one step in the ways of imprudence; and when that is once done, there are always innumerable obstacles to prevent the erring person returning to the path of rectitude” (Rowson 29). In making this decision, Charlotte already knew that she should not read the letter. This event serves as the beginning to Charlotte’s
downfall. Charlotte demonstrates glimpses of repentance for her actions, but in the end it was not enough to save her from her fatality. Before she leaves, she exclaims, “Yet let me reflect:-the irrevocable step is not yet taken: it is not too late to recede from the brink of a precipice, from which I can only behold the dark abyss of ruin, shame, and remorse... How shall I rejoice… in this triumph of reason over inclination, and, when in the arms of my affectionate parents, lift up my soul in gratitude to heaven as I look back on the dangers I have escaped” (Rowson 38). Charlotte’s dialogue reveals that she is aware that the actions she was about to take would cause her pain. She was thankful that she did not leave yet, which indicates that she knew eloping was a bad decision. Charlotte had the opportunity to escape her fate, and initially made the decision not to leave. However, her fickle personality caused her to make the wrong decision. While it can be argued that the people in Charlotte’s life played a large role in her downfall, in the end it was Charlotte who made the decisions, so it must be her who faces the consequences. Karen Weyler explains that “she made bad decisions, and these decisions are costly, but the novel avoids a dominant trope in much female-authored fiction – the slippery slope of sexual virtue, whereby one misstep… starts women on the path to destruction (Weyler 236). Early on, it is evident that Charlotte is not able to make the right decisions for herself. This is apparent in the way her love for her parents and Montraville wavers as well as the way she plans to say goodbye to Montraville but continues to see him. La Rue criticized Charlotte she “never [knew her] own mind two minutes at a time” (Rowson 36). At this moment, Charlotte is explicitly told that she is unable to make a definite decision on her behalf. Ironically, Mademoiselle La Rue tells Charlotte how easily swayed she is, but Charlotte does not realize. Charlotte does not pick up on La Rue’s warning, and her indecisiveness continued. Marion Rust explained that “with every moment of indecision, La Rue steps in to direct Charlotte’s path” (Rust 102). Even so, it is not La Rue’s fault for turning Charlotte astray. Charlotte was well-aware of her wrong-doings, she was merely not strong enough to make the right decisions for herself.
... the liberation of women everywhere. One can easily recognize, however, that times were not always so generous as now, and different women found their own ways of dealing with their individual situations. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s character created a twisted image of the world in her mind, and eventually became mentally insane. While most cases were not so extreme, this character was imperative in creating a realization of such a serious situation.
William Faulkner and Charlotte Gilman are two well known writers for intriguing novels of the 1800’s. Their two eccentric pieces, "A Rose for Emily" and "The Yellow Wallpaper" are equally alluring. These authors and their works have been well recognized, but also critized. The criticism focuses on the society that is portrayed in these novels. The modern readers of today’s society are resentful to this dramatic society. These two novels are full of tradition, rebellion and the oppression over women’s rights. Both of these novels share the misery of the culture, but there is some distinction between the two. "A Rose for Emily" is a social commentary while "The Yellow Wallpaper" is an informative novel about the writer herself. The authors outlook focus on the gloomy structure in society during that time frame and therefore, create down hearted, reckless characters that offer stimulation for women of all generations.
In Chapter 2, Charlotte thinks that happiness can happen only by chance since you do not have an opinion of who you are to be married to. Marriage in this society is a means of financial stability and that is more important than love or happiness. Elizabeth, however, believes that love is very important. In Chapter 22, Charlotte marries Mr. Collins because she believes this is her last chance to be married and have a home of her own. Under the difficult circumstances, she feels she has made a right choice because she is a burden to her family and marrying someone like Mr. Collins, who has money shows that she is most likely to move up in a social class. Charlotte, who is in her late twenties, points out that she is not as pretty as many of her friends; in addition, she has not received any other marriage offers. If she stays with her parents, she will be both an emotional burden and a financial strain. She recognizes Mr. Collins as a man who, who has a comical personality, will provide her with a safe home and security. Charlotte considers the proposal to be the best deal she can get and she knows that marriage is her only option to watch a hard
Charlotte Gilman s manipulation of language and syntax in her prose is crucial to the overall effect of the story. What the reader is presented is a story that uses language and syntax to portray a woman s changing mental state. The reader experiences the narrator s deteriorating mental state as she succumbs to her condition and eventually loses her sanity.
The book then flows into the section of seduction. This chapter looks at how women were mistreated by their employers as well as other men. One example it examined would be the difficult times women had in trying to get guys to face up to their actions after pregnancy.
As a complete foil to Elizabeth, Charlotte proves to be a strong character who chooses an unattractive but safe option for her future. Austen uses Charlotte to show how fortunate Elizabeth is to have the power of choice when she is looking for a husband. She shows that Elizabeth also has the privilege to seek out love and not just security in marriage. The language that Austen used to describe Charlotte and her situation reinforces the perspective that marriage is a business transaction rather than a romantic pursuit. Austen uses Charlotte to hold a mirror up to society and show the dark reality for
Catherine is very pleased to meet Isabella after being disappointed in not seeing Mr Tilney again. The narrator informs the reader that Catherine is fortunate in finding a friend as ‘Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.’ (p.18 NA). Isabella being the elder of the two has much more knowledge of fashionable society than Catherine and is, therefore, able to teach her a great deal about the expectations of society at that time.
The two common threads that connect Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the narrator in her story are depression/postpartum depression, and entrapment within their roles as of women. Specifically, Gilman and the narrator are trying to escape the function society has placed on them. First, after fulfilling their expected duties as wife and mother, both Gilman and the narrator become depressed after the birth of their child. It is this depression that leads them to the infamous rest cure...
Many women who were part of the middle classes were often not sent to school and so didn’t usually learn a skill that they could use to make a living. Consequently, as they were women and so were often not left much, if any, inheritance when their parents died, women found that they must. marry in order to have money and to keep their place in society. Charlotte takes advantage of her situation to marry purely for money. and not for love, this is what many women do and what society.
Persuasion, by Jane Austen is a story of a maturing heroine and her second chance at love. Eight years before Persuasion picked up the story, Anne Elliot let herself be persuaded to refuse the man she loved because her family and friends told her she was above him. He left, his heart broken, and resented her for the next eight years. She never loved anyone else, and at the start of this romance novel, she was twenty seven years old, and unmarried. In Persuasion, Austen provides a character study of Anne Elliot who transforms from an easily persuaded young girl to a strong, independent woman; and in doing so changes the lense through which her family, friends and the man she loves view her.
...and Miss Temple had a relationship that can be compared to a mother and a daughter. Each of them cares deeply about their futures and thinking of Miss Temple not being in Jane’s makes are felt lost. Mothers instill a sense of morals to their daughters and set the standard for the rest of their lives. "I had imbibed from her something of her nature and much of her habits" (353).
In the well-praised novel Jane Eyre, the balance of passion (early 19th Century romanticism) and reason (Victorian realism) is represented as a major theme throughout. Bronte successfully displays the balance of passion and reason between Jane's relationship with Mr. Rochester and St. John Rivers as an obligatory aspect of marriage as well as a necessary ideology of life. Jane struggles with the balance of passion and reason initially with her relationship with Mr. Rochester at Thornfield. Her internal conflict soon continues when she meets St. John Rivers at Marsh End. Although Jane does not properly balance the novel's theme of passion and reason instantly, she achieves the balance at the end of the novel with Mr. Rochester.
Charlotte Lucas, the rational, plain often overlooked character in Austen’s novel is one of these nontraditional women. She is older than many of the central characters in the novel, and right away this poses a problem, for women past the age of twenty-five are seen as too old for courtship. Austen takes this idea and develops a character that is overly pragmatic and sensible in comparison to the other female leads in the novel. Charlotte’s acceptance of her marriage to Mr. Collins is described as “pure and disinterested” (105) regarding the establishment of shared property and wealth-this is expressed as purely sarcastic. After the engagement takes place, Lucas describes her motives “I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home” (108), she states with a certain degree of steely acceptance not seen in other more idealistic characters. She conveys a begrudgingly accepting tone in this instance, and through this lackluster tone, Austen’s view of sensible women comes to light. When the narrator describes Charlotte as “...
Clarissa's relationships with other females in Mrs. Dalloway offer great insight into her personality. Additionally, Woolf's decision to focus at length on Sally Seton, Millicent Bruton, Ellie Henderson, and Doris Kilman allows the reader to see how women relate to one another in extremely different ways: sometimes drawing upon one another for things they cannot get from men; other times, turning on one another out of jealousy and insecurity. Although Mrs. Dalloway is far from the most healthy or positive literary portrayal of women, Woolf presents an excellent exploration of female relationships.
The short story Girl written by Jamaica Kincaid is a mother’s compilation of advice, skills, and life experience to her daughter. The mother believes that her offer of practical and helpful guidance will assist her daughter in becoming a proper woman, and gaining a fulfilling life and respectable status in the community. Posed against the mother’s sincere concern for her daughter’s future is Sir Walter’s superficial affection to his daughters in the novel Persuasion written by Jane Austen. Due to his detailed attention for appearance and social rank, Sir Walter has been negligent to his daughters’ interests and fails to fulfill his responsibility as a father. Throughout both literary works, the use of language and tone towards persuasive endeavors reveals the difference in family dynamics and the success of persuasion on the character’s transformation.