Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson is framed as a seduction novel, but by today’s standards the novel’s events would have been deemed purely to her circumstances. Then again, isn’t seduction a circumstance? Madam LaRue succumbs to and even embraces sexual immorality as a lifestyle, intentionally entertaining the temptations of forbidden fruit. Charlotte on the other hand is deceived into believing the same temptations won’t defile her, because she is promised marriage. However, when this promise is broken, who is to blame or responsible for the life of destitution she lives out? Unfortunately, there is no true villain to blame or justice to gain for Charlotte because she is a victim of life’s most effective teachers: Circumstance.
A specific reason that the fall of Charlotte Temple is painful to read is that she comes from a notable family and conservative upbringing. The family fortune was “by no means adequate to antiquity, grandeur,” and overall “pride of the family” (11). Charlotte’s father, Mr. Temple, was a noble and respected …show more content…
He is also remorseful and repentant for the rest of his life after the death of Charlotte Temple. Although, if Montraville is not the villain, then who is? Perhaps it is Madam LaRue. After all, LaRue delivers the first letter from Montraville to Charlotte. The manner in which she convinces Charlotte to open the letter is almost a reflection of the serpent in the Garden of Eden convincing Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge in the book of Genesis. LaRue tempts Charlotte by claiming Montraville is a “genteel young fellow” and “writes a good hand” even though she barely knows him (31). Not to mention, she belittles Charlotte basically calling her a goody-two-shoes and guilt-trips her to believe that she is robbing Montraville of the love of a life time because he is “probably going to America” (32). She doesn’t know if he is, but he probably
A specific reason that the fall of Charlotte Temple is painful to read is that she comes from a notable family and conservative upbringing. The family fortune was “by no means adequate to antiquity, grandeur,” and overall “pride of the family” (11). Charlotte’s father, Mr. Temple, was a noble and respected …show more content…
He is also remorseful and repentant for the rest of his life after the death of Charlotte Temple. Although, if Montraville is not the villain, then who is? Perhaps it is Madam LaRue. After all, LaRue delivers the first letter from Montraville to Charlotte. The manner in which she convinces Charlotte to open the letter is almost a reflection of the serpent in the Garden of Eden convincing Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge in the book of Genesis. LaRue tempts Charlotte by claiming Montraville is a “genteel young fellow” and “writes a good hand” even though she barely knows him (31). Not to mention, she belittles Charlotte basically calling her a goody-two-shoes and guilt-trips her to believe that she is robbing Montraville of the love of a life time because he is “probably going to America” (32). She doesn’t know if he is, but he probably