Charlotte's Web Of Power Struggles Essay

Charlotte Temple is a seduction novel written by Susanna Rowson that tells a story about a British soldier, Montraville, who seduces a British schoolgirl, Charlotte, into falsely loving him and following him away to America, where Charlottes tragic life will unfold. Montraville takes advantage of Charlottes love for him and promises her that he will marry her one day and he also tells Charlotte that her parents would be proud and happy to hear that their daughter ran off with a man of honor. This manipulative and strategic doing of Montraville will continue up until the day Montraville leaves Charlotte due to the mistrustful actions of Belcour and Charlotte. The treatment and equality that the women have, or do not have, in the 18th century is evident in the novel by Rowson which is displayed by many factors such as Charlottes inability to live a happy life simply because the expectations of women during this time were standardized by men. Most jobs in the 18th century needed quite an amount of physical strength so jobs were mostly occupied by men, married women mostly did not work and many single women were private servants. The expectations of women in the 18th century that were set by men, halted the progress women were taking to try and step by step, alter the time ahead of women’s rights and equality so that the tales of Charlotte Temple would be one short told by women in the future.

Charlotte Temple is introduced in the novel as a moral girl with a good foundation of genuine love from her family. This moral foundation is evident in her countenance. Even after Charlotte has compromised her morals to run away with her seducer, Montraville, she maintains this look of innocence. Montraville’s companion, Belcour, turns his romantic

Charlotte continually disregards her dream of love and to belong to someone and surrenders to that which she believes will make society approve of her. Charlotte is the only character that appears to be level-headed when acting what seems to be ridiculous. She does not marry for love, but she still seems to be reasonable and she has thought through this decision. Charlotte arrives at approval from society, but only after she surrenders her dream to that of her superego and

that his perception was wrong. Though Charlotte had no fortune, her previous commitment to virtue is rich. Womanhood was miserable for this young woman. She faces tough decisions, and she does not make the best choices when forced to do so on her own.

For the first fifty years after its publication, Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson endured as the bestselling novel in America. Its popularity in part came from concerned parents who wanted their daughters to learn the lessons that the novel had to offer. The character of Mademoiselle La Rue from this story helps to convey one of these lessons. Susanna Rowson uses the morally corrupt, yet socially successful, character of La Rue in Charlotte Temple to show that human beings should not confuse moral virtues with societal virtues.

Anne Bronte makes a bold statement of rebellion against the typically accepted yet deplorable behavior of Victorian males in her book “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.” In her novel, Helen Huntingdon breaks the rules of Victorian society with punishable offenses; such as, scandalously escaping from her abusive and philandering husband, refusing his demands for custody and fleeing with their only child, and absconding with much of her personal property. Helen’s imprudent decision to marry Arthur Huntingdon is uncharacteristic of Bronte’s heroine; however, rectitude and integrity eventually lead her to happiness. The domestic and social criticism of Helen’s husband, Arthur Huntingdon and his perfidious ways, is pitted against the ideals of loyalty and integrity found in Helen’s honorable neighbor, Gilbert Markham, when she flees to Wildfell Hall. Bronte, utilizes these characters to incite the need for social reformation with fresh inclusion of the redeeming values of biblical virtues.

Her battle finishes in an overdramatic death, portraying a symbol of moving past the adversity. She is completely impacted by the inequality present in their civilization, yet the pressure does not terminate at simple influence but the inequality of the male individuals and the presence of a judgmental community strongly shift the plot. By examining the shame burdened on Charlotte and its impact on the hastening of her destruction, the pure nature of females in the eyes of Rowson and the result to Charlotte’s calamity shows a greater representation of sexism’s role in Charlotte Temple. It was not a lack of caution that brought calamity to the women, but it was rather the inequality of their community, society and friends that left the antagonist free to embarrass and

Charlotte tries to maintain certain "airs" in order to appear to be something she is not. As a wife, a mother, and a member of the community, she always acts as she believes she is expected to act. Her values are heavily influenced by this attitude, and therefore, they are hypocritical and ambiguous; yet Charlotte seems inanely unaware of the hypocrisy and contradiction in her life.

What causes people to contemplate marriage? Many would like to believe the answer is love, but that is not always the case. People who think of an ideal marriage would think of two people loving each other and sharing a personal bond or goals together. Marriage is usually defined as the legally or formally recognized union of two lovers as partners in a personal relationship. This suggests there is an actual connection between two people in marriage, but do people actually consider this when committing to “love” and “support” their partners forever? As research and studies have shown, people ultimately get married for the incorrect reasons, in which love is not included or even a part of. This philosophy can be easily applied to the short poem, “Marriage” by Gregory Corso. In this emotional poem, the author argues marriage is more effectively understood or known for culture and convenience rather than through the abstract considerations of love. Corso finds himself confused multiple times, wondering if he should marry to not be lonely, for tradition and for his physical and mental health. He disregards love, a relationship or a connection with his future wife. The author ponders the decision weighing the options. He highlights which ones are the right and which ones are the incorrect reasons, according to his opinion. General ways of convenience like coping with loneliness, health and economic status, and navigating cultural stereotypes and religion are often the true

Throughout the novel, Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte, Jane struggles to find her position in society due to her desire to defy the social norms. In the time period in which the book was written, women were expected to stay in the domestic sphere, educate the next generation and marry into the same social class. Charlotte Bronte addresses and voices her opinion on these social issues that were occurring at the time through the portrayal of the characters in the novel. Terry Eagleton, the author of “Jane Eyre’s Power Struggle,” describes Jane’s power struggle in three ways: her desire for independence as seen through her lack of kinship, her alternating roles between male and female in her relationship with Rochester, and the spiritual

Charlotte’s marriage was not a happy marriage, and was rather an arrangement of convenience. It is, however, one of the most accurate portrayals of what marriage was like for

There are many ways in which one can describe and define marriage. There are legal, biblical and personal definitions, each with its own distinct basis for its definition, but which is the right one? The decision of which definition is the right one depends on where one lives and what one believes. Marriage has evolved throughout history. In today’s society there are many different types of unions that can be viewed as marriage. Today, when one thinks of marriage, they usually think of two people, deeply in love, who decide to bind their lives together through a legal process. Such is not always the case, with “common-law marriages” (as it is not a legal process). There are many reasons other than love that can constitute the bond

Marriage or a relationship similar to, is a tremendous component of the human experience. Its function is practiced in every culture worldwide; but in very different forms

“ Why people need to marry with someone? Why do we need a piece of paper to prove that I love you ? Marriage does not mean anything. We are living together now. Is not it good enough for us” my friend’ boyfriend said to her when she mentioned she want a marriage. After he had said that, she broke up with him soon. I began to wonder what is the meaning of marriage ? Even though I understand why people think marriage means nothing, I disagree. A marriage license is a piece of paper but it is not just a piece of paper; marriage means a lot to yourself, your family, and society. Marriage has many social and economic value that could help the development of any country.

Marriage can be defined as the formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife (Webster’s Dictionary). Although this definition of marriage is common in many different parts of the world, the way people decide who to marry varies greatly. The selection process used to decipher who to spend the rest of their life with is a daunting task and most people go about it differently. In the United States, love is what most people think is the major factor in determining whether or not to marry someone. Americans have a choice when it comes to marriage today, and although their parents are usually asked permission to wed, individuals decide for themselves if they would like to spend the