This novel makes me feel like I don't know how to feel??
While I feel nothing for this novel, I feel everything at the same time. Like I said in class, at some points I wanted to slap Montraville, and at others, I wanted to slap Charlotte. Even though many things are different between the century that this was written in and now, I think that is probably what was most appealing to readers at the time. You couldn't blame Charlotte for being naïve and innocently falling for Montraville, but at the same time you couldn't completely defend her somewhat foolish actions either. For example, on page 37, the page I believe the true deduction really began. Charlotte tells Montraville "I shall ever wish you well, Montraville," she said she; "but we must meet no more." (Rowson 37). Charlotte knows what she should do, yet still chooses to indulge in Montraville's stupid little games. I believe that the author knew how her audience would interpret the story and see where it was going and at the same time did not want to let Charlotte lead an easy life after her decisions to go against her parents- that would just be too risqué. Despite all that though, I did not feel a connection to this story in a way that it's original audience must have.
While this novel definitely emphasizes the importance of being obedient to your parents, I think it has strong undertones of the value of women helping other women out (or in Mademoiselle La Rue's sake, not helping other women, which eventually kills her in the end). After all, Rowson was trying to brainwash/scare tactic her young female readers into behaving like ladies to prevent their lives from becoming seduction tragedies, such as Charlotte Temple's. I also agree with the theme of karma that many other people have commented on in their posts.
Overall, this novel was a very easy read and I can't say that I was bored while reading it. I think that the storyline, characters, and values emphasized are very much outdated and that's why no one in our class got too emotionally involved. Perhaps as our class readings become more contemporary, our feelings and opinions will develop as well.
Caitlin, It looks like this post got lost in the shuffle and posted late? I really appreciate your insight about Rowson's views on women's relationships with each other, that the novel "has strong undertones of the value of women helping other women out (or in Mademoiselle La Rue's sake, not helping other women, which eventually kills her in the end)." We talked a lot about the dangers of bad influence, but what groundwork is Rownson laying for helping her readers think about how to find good fiends but also how to be a good friend? In fact, Ann Douglass makes some great points about this in her introduction, namely that throughout the novel Charlotte is of abiding interest mainly to women who are concerned for her virtue, her redemption, and her fate. But what are the barriers to women providing support and counsel to Charlotte, according to Rowson? Douglass argues that it has to do with the prior claims of men. Clearly there are a lot of layers to this novel! Maybe I can convince one of you guys to do a final project on seduction novels…?
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