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.
Themes
The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal
Since Charlotte Temple is a cautionary tale about the social dangers faced by young women, The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal is a major theme. As a result of her own seduction and betrayal, Charlotte experiences social isolation, poor health, low self-esteem, and finally death. However, nearly every major character in the novel is affected by seduction and betrayal. Mr. Lewis attempts to seduce Charlotte’s mother, Lucy, when she is a girl, and when she tells her family, Mr. Lewis retaliates, which results in her father’s imprisonment and her mother and brother’s deaths. Colonel Crayton is another character who faces the consequences of seduction when he is duped into marrying Mademoiselle La Rue, who betrays him through her immoral behavior and infidelity. Although he does not suffer nearly as much as Lucy or Charlotte, his story demonstrates that the effects of seduction and betrayal are far-reaching.
Other characters suffer indirectly. Lucy, Mr. Temple, and Eldridge are plunged into grief when their beloved Charlotte is taken to the United States and again when she dies. Mrs. Beauchamp, too, suffers from her friend’s death, and she deals with frustration and disappointment when her father becomes distant after marrying Mademoiselle La Rue.
The villains also face the consequences of seduction and betrayal. Mademoiselle La Rue, Montraville, and Belcour initially seem to escape the consequences of betraying Charlotte; Montraville and Mademoiselle La Rue even make advantageous marriages. However, at the end of the novel, each antagonist suffers because of their role in Charlotte’s death. Montraville kills Belcour in revenge, then experiences “fits of melancholy” and guilt for the rest of his life (256); Mademoiselle La Rue, meanwhile, is abandoned by her husband and left to die on the streets of London, impoverished and alone.
The novel demonstrates that the consequences of seduction and betrayal are insidious and far-reaching. Not only do the victims of seduction and betrayal suffer, but also so do their relatives and friends, and so do the seducers and betrayers themselves. Thus, while the novel’s intended audience is young women, the text illustrates that seduction and betrayal can pose a danger to anyone.
Women’s Virtue and Morality
The novel presents virtue as the most desirable characteristic a woman can possess. This message appears through the characterizations of Charlotte, Mademoiselle La Rue, Lucy, and Mrs. Beauchamp, as well as through literary devices, including authorial intrusions and imagery. For example, in Chapter 8, the author diverges from the narrative to discuss the idea that virtue leads to contentment. She suggests that virtue and domestic happiness are universal desires for women:
Look, my dear friends, at yonder lovely virgin, arrayed in a white robe, devoid of ornament; behold the meekness of her countenance, the modesty of her gait; her handmaids are humility, filial piety, conjugal affection, industry and benevolence; her name is Content; she holds in her hand the cup of true felicity, and when once you have formed an intimate acquaintance with these her attendants […] then, whatever may be your situation in life, the meek-eyed virgin will immediately take up her abode with you (63-64).
This passage serves to illustrate what Rowson means by women’s virtue: meekness, humility, and subservience to one’s parents and husband. Lucy Temple and Emily Beauchamp are thus presented as ideal women for their time and social circumstances. Lucy demonstrates her virtue through her meekness and through prioritizing her filial and conjugal obligations. With her active social life and ample financial resources, Mrs. Beauchamp exhibits her virtue through her benevolence and generosity, which is well known in New York.
Conversely, Mademoiselle La Rue is characterized as unvirtuous. As an antagonist, Mademoiselle La Rue is intentionally unsympathetic and is portrayed as at fault for Charlotte’s unfortunate circumstances. She also demonstrates the consequences of living an immoral life, which conversely stresses the importance of Women’s Virtue and Morality.
However, the novel complicates this theme by suggesting that virtue is not without its dangers. Charlotte’s virtue is demonstrated through her internal turmoil and her self-isolation. She is conflicted between doing what she knows is right—telling Madame Du Pont about Montraville and not eloping—and pleasing those around her. Her virtuous traits, namely her meekness and humility, prime her to be manipulated. Mademoiselle La Rue is an authority figure, and Charlotte is expected to obey her, and Charlotte’s benevolent nature prevents her from speaking with Madame Du Pont, which would inevitably lead to Mademoiselle La Rue’s termination of employment. Charlotte also values her good reputation, which is why she readily succumbs to Mademoiselle La Rue’s warning that Montraville will destroy her reputation. Her attempts to preserve her reputation also result in her self-isolation; she refuses to socialize with women she views as immoral, and she assumes virtuous women will not want to interact with her.
Charity, Mercy, and Forgiveness
Although Charlotte Temple is a cautionary tale, its moralizing is counterbalanced by a message about the importance of charity, mercy, and forgiveness. In Chapter 28, for example, Rowson extends forgiveness toward Charlotte, arguing that everyone makes mistakes and that those who are repentant, like Charlotte, deserve forgiveness: “Believe me, many an unfortunate female, who has once strayed into the thorny paths of vice, would gladly return to virtue were any generous friend to endeavor to raise and reassure her” (136). Rowson’s authorial interjections allow her to directly say what she wants the reader to take away from the story, and charity, mercy, and forgiveness are a frequent subject of her interjections.
The novel also develops this theme through the use of personification. Namely, Mrs. Beauchamp and Mr. Temple personify charity, mercy, and forgiveness. Mrs. Beauchamp is known for her charitable nature, and her attitude toward Charlotte shows that she is also forgiving. Upon first seeing Charlotte, Mrs. Beauchamp does not judge her but pities her. Her nonjudgmental attitude persists once she moves next to Charlotte; although she initially hesitates to act on her impulses, it is only because she feels a duty to protect her husband’s reputation. Major Beauchamp, who also exemplifies Charity, Mercy, and Forgiveness, encourages her to befriend Charlotte, saying that if anyone judges her “I will exultingly tell them that the truly virtuous heart is ever inclined to pity and forgive the errors of its fellow-creatures” (153). Through Mrs. Beauchamp, the novel suggests that forgiveness, mercy, and charity are all elements of feminine virtue, demonstrating that this theme is deeply intertwined with Women’s Virtue and Morality.
Mr. Temple is the most significant proponent of this theme. He shows both charity and mercy toward Eldridge when he sells his home and changes his lifestyle to free Eldridge from his imprisonment. Likewise, Mr. Temple’s generosity, not his attraction, is the driving force behind his decision to marry Lucy. The novel suggests that Mr. Temple is able to be so generous because he lacks a sense of entitlement: “And what have I done to deserve ease and plenty, while a brave officer starves in prison?” (34). This implies that humility is necessary for charity. Long before receiving Charlotte’s letter, Mr. Temple agrees to forgive her, and upon receiving it, sets out for the United States to bring her home. Mr. Temple’s tolerance and generosity extend beyond supporting those he loves, and he shows both Mademoiselle La Rue and Montraville mercy after hearing their confessions. His willingness to show Charity, Mercy, and Forgiveness supports that these factors are integral to morality.
