INTRODUCTION + READING ASSIGNMENT + WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Assignment 15:
SUSANNA ROWSON (Part 2)

There are two major traditions in early American fiction: the gothic (typified by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe) and the sentimental (to which Charlotte: A Tale of Truth belongs). Gothic fiction usually focuses on the psychological, creating elaborate metaphors for the mind, drawing attention to the mental states of characters, and pondering multiple meanings of symbols. Sentimental fiction emphasizes the emotional, focusing on emotional bonds (between mother and child, for example), on intimate expression (using letters as a storytelling device, for example), and on a personal relationship between the author and the reader. One of the major themes of the sentimental tradition is that of innocence seduced, manipulated, betrayed, and/or martyred. Often characters will fit clearly into a moral scale with some representing ideal behavior (Charlotte's parents, Mrs. Beauchamp), others being completely corrupt (LaRue, Belcour), and some struggling in the space between (Charlotte, Montraville).

The backdrop of the American Revolution suggests a parallel between Charlotte and the new country in which she finds herself. Perhaps one reason why the novel proved such a success with American readers was that America itself was young, naive, and having difficulty living up to its ideals. When Europeans began to colonize North America, one of the myths that drew them here was that of a new Eden--an earthly paradise uncorrupted and unfallen, a second chance for humanity, a renewal of innocence. America's promise inspired Winthrop to imagine "a city on a hill," Jefferson to envision a land of equality, and Charlotte to elope with Montraville.

Reading Assignment
  1. Susanna Rowson, Charlotte: A Tale of Truth, Ch. 18-35 (pp. 884-916).
Writing Assignment
  1. Like Charlotte, Mary Rowlandson's captivity narrative was "a tale of truth" intended to teach the reader moral lessons. Compare the styles and content of the two books. What did you learn from these instructors?

  2. At the end of Ch. 18, Rowson calls for a change in society's attitude toward women like Charlotte. How does such think "those unhappy women" should be treated? To what values does Rowson appeal in making her argument?

  3. Rowson describes Julia as "the very reverse of Charlotte Temple" (887). Discuss the differences. Why do you think Rowson wants us to compare Julia and Charlotte?

  4. In her letter to her mother, Charlotte writes that "heaven forbid" her unborn child be a girl (894). Why do you think she feels that way? Consider how the circumstances of Charlotte and Montraville differ even though their sins are the same. If a critic were to say to you, "Charlotte is punished as much for being female as anything else," how would you respond?

  5. In Ch. 28, Rowson anticipates the objections her reader may have about the novel so far. What objections are these? How does Rowson respond to them, at this point and in the remainder of the novel? Do you have any objections?

  6. What are the final fates of Charlotte, Montraville, Belcour, and LaRue? Did they get what they deserved?

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