52 pages • 1 hour read
Susanna RowsonCharlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1791A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Letters
Letters are a motif that tracks Charlotte’s unfortunate circumstances of seduction, isolation, and repentance. The first letter Montraville gives to Charlotte represents seduction. The letter is filled with compliments and declarations of love, and the more Charlotte peruses the sentiments, the deeper her feelings for Montraville become.
Both Montraville and Belcour interfere with Charlotte’s letters to her family. Although Montraville encourages Charlotte to write to her family to tell them she is safe, he destroys the letter without sending it: “Montraville knew too well the consequences that must unavoidably ensue should this letter reach Mr. Temple; he, therefore, craftily resolved to walk on the deck, tear it to pieces, and commit the fragments to the care of Neptune” (112). This keeps Charlotte isolated from her family and prevents them from saving her. In a conversation with Mrs. Beauchamp, Charlotte reveals she has written multiple letters to her family and has never heard back from them, meaning Montraville has continued to destroy Charlotte’s letters. Belcour, after Montraville leaves, intervenes in Charlotte’s incoming and outgoing mail. The obstruction of Charlotte’s letters develops The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal by demonstrating isolation as a major consequence of her circumstances.
The letter that Charlotte writes and her parents receive is a symbol of her repentance. In the letter, she not only acknowledges her guilt, but also speaks of the letters she has sent her family since leaving: “For my own part, I have written so often, so frequently have pleaded for forgiveness, and entreated to be received once more beneath the paternal roof, that, having received no answer, nor even one live, I much fear you have caste me from you forever” (166). From this information, her family infers that Charlotte has been betrayed and has not forgotten her family but is repentant and feels rejected by them. The constant isolation and perceived rejection weighs heavily on Charlotte and contributes to her poor health and eventual death.
Charlotte’s House
Montraville rents a small house for Charlotte when they arrive in New York. She spends all of her time in the house or yard. She is limited to one female servant as a companion, and, for a brief time, she develops a friendship with Mrs. Beauchamp before she leaves with her husband. After Belcour deserts Charlotte and ceases to pay rent on the house, Charlotte is evicted.
The house represents Charlotte’s isolation. Upon moving into the cottage, Charlotte immediately feels secluded, reflecting:
Ah! My dear parents, could you now see the child of your affections, the daughter whom you so dearly loved, a poor, solitary being, without society, here wearing out her heavy hours in deep regret and anguish of heart—no kind friend of her own sex to whom she can unbosom her griefs, no beloved mother, no woman of character to appear in her company; and low as your Charlotte is fallen, she cannot associate with infamy (130).
Charlotte’s isolation impacts the story in numerous ways, contributing to both The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal and to Women’s Virtue and Morality. Charlotte is unable to socialize with so-called respectable women, and her isolation is, in part, self-inflicted because she refuses to interact with women who openly live outside social norms. Her seclusion is mostly forced on her first by Montraville, who takes her outside the city then rarely visits her, then by Belcour who tries to use Charlotte’s isolation to convince her to sleep with him.
During the short amount of time that Charlotte befriends Mrs. Beauchamp, her circumstances improve—her mental health improves, and she has hopes of returning home. When she is forced to leave the house, Charlotte finds assistance from John, his family, and the hired doctor who seeks additional help for Charlotte. However, it is too late at this point; the isolation Charlotte experienced in the cabin causes irreparable damage, and while the socialization benefits Charlotte’s mental and emotional states, it cannot reverse the physical damage that accrued over the extended period of stressful loneliness.
Julia’s Jewelry Box
Julia’s jewelry box is a symbol of her wealth and independence, and it contributes to The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal by introducing Julia as Charlotte’s competitor for Montraville’s affection. The box contains “jewels to a large amount, about two hundred pounds in money, and a miniature picture set for a bracelet” (139). The contents of the box reflect Julia’s wealth, and the image of her deceased mother alludes to her independence. Once Montraville opens the box, he introduces Julia into his life, and his feelings grow, resulting in their eventual marriage.
