In her novel Charlotte: A Tale of Truth, probably better known by the title Charlotte Temple, Susanna Rowson chronicles the unfortunate life of a young girl for a specific purpose period which she presents in the first lines of her work, through the following words: “and may, I flatter myself, be of service to some who are so unfortunate as to have neither friends to advise, nor understanding to direct them, through the various and unexpected evils which assail the young and defenseless woman in her first entry into life” (Rowson 3). The author of this masterpiece was probably unaware at the time of the success that her work would experience in the following centuries. Indeed, first published in 1791 in England, Charlotte Temple has gone through two hundred editions to date and is still described as “entertaining and readable” (Parker 59). The fact that a conduct manual originally written to educate girls in the late 18th century remains popular to this day is likely the result of countless factors. The purpose of this essay is to discuss three of the many aspects of the story that contributed to Charlotte Temple's popularity. It will be suggested that the success of this novel derives, principally, from the form that Rowson chose to compose his work; secondly, by the author's intrusions into the story and, finally, by the verisimilitude of the plot. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay First, this essay will therefore focus on what is partly responsible for the success of Charlotte Temple, namely the form that Rowson has chosen to relate Charlotte's story. history. The peculiarity of this story is that it includes a certain number of letters, without however being classified as an epistolary novel. This framework allowed Rowson to exclusively select the benefits of the epistolary structure and, as will be discussed later, to simultaneously avoid the negative effects that this form could cause. First, let's focus on the four strengths of the epistolary form present in the Charlotte Temple. Professor Donna Campbell mentions three, which are: “[to allow] feelings and reactions to be presented without intrusion from the author, [to give] a sense of immediacy because the letters are written in the heat of the action, and [to allow ] the writer to present multiple points of view” (Campbell). Fourth, I would like to suggest that the epistolary form overall leads the reader to be more involved in the story. So, the combination of both, the benefits listed by Campbell and the implication aspect, is a first approach to explaining the success of Susanna Rowson's novel. In accordance with the advantages cited by Campell, it is true that Rowson takes the opportunity to let his characters express their state of mind themselves through their letters. Mrs. Temple, for example, uses one of her letters to demonstrate her maternal affection towards Charlotte when she writes that “As tomorrow is the anniversary of the happy day that committed my beloved girl to the anxious desires of a motherly heart” ( Rowson 72). Charlotte also expresses her feelings towards her mother, later in the story, when she mentions her remorse, stating that "my heart bleeds to think of what you would have suffered" (132). In the same letter he also shares his pain by writing “Oh! never, never! as long as I exist, the agony of that moment will be erased from my memory” (132). Finally, he mentions his helplessness when he asks, "But how should I proceed?" (133). By directly accessing the characters' feelings, readers have the opportunityto know each of the authors of the letters better and as a result they will be more involved in the story. In addition to the free expression given to her characters, Rowson also utilizes the “sense of immediacy” that Campbell praises in epistolary novels. Indeed, the Charlotte Temple author applies the idea of ​​the character composing her letter in the heat of the moment. This can be seen when Charlotte inserts the following detail into a letter to her mother: "(I feel the burning blush of shame dying on my cheeks as I write this)" (133) the same effect can also be seen in Montraville's letter to Charlotte when she adds “Tomorrow – but no, I can't tell you what tomorrow will produce” (158). These types of comments give the audience the impression that the characters actually wrote the letters, which gives verisimilitude to the story plot seems plausible or even entirely real to readers, the latter will, once again, feel more involved in it. Finally, Rowson has exploited the last advantageous characteristic that Campbell highlights regarding the epistolary form, namely its ability to allow multiple points of view in the same story (Campbell). It gives Lucy Temple, Montraville and Charlotte the opportunity to express themselves and share their innermost thoughts through their letters. The multiplicity of points of view shows the reader that Rowson does not simply add characters to build a story around the protagonist, but that he creates them integrally, giving them the ability to write, think and feel, which, once again, , increases the plausibility of the plot and the reader's involvement in the story. Whether it is through the character's genuine expression of feelings, the “sense of immediacy,” or the multiplicity of points of view, readers are given every opportunity to become involved in the story. According to Janet Gurkin Altman, “the epistolary form is unique in making the reader (narrator) almost as important an agent in the narrative as the writer (narrator)” (Altman 88). It is true that, more generally, this form creates a feeling of involvement in the story which is explained by Altman as "the result of a union between writer and reader". (88) and by Blythe Forcey as a “correspondence between the writers within the novel but also a correspondence between the writer of the novel and his readers” (Forcey 229). The main idea behind these two explanations is that by adding letters into a story, the writer creates a connection between himself and the readers. Therefore, thanks to this connection, as well as Campell's list of advantages of the epistolary form, Rowson's readers feel more involved in the plot, which leads them to better appreciate the story in general and this may explain the extent of the success in the first place found. by Charlotte Temple. It is now legitimate to ask why Rowson did not choose to construct his novel entirely in epistolary form since it has several positive aspects. Blythe Forcey proposes a main question related to this structure that can justify Rowson's choice. When thinking of the exchange of letters as a mutual experience between reader and writer, as mentioned above, the audience must correctly interpret what the author wants to convey. However, the time period in which Rowson wrote Charlotte Temple, as well as her purpose to write for young, innocent girls, were incompatible with that form, “[k]knowing that [she was] writing at a time of rapid transition and for many possible audiences (rural/urban, British/American, naive/worldly, male/female, moral/amoral)” (Forcey 229). In this context, Rowson's audience was too diverse to be sure that everyone interpreted the message correctlythe author wanted to communicate. Following this idea, Forcey also points out that "all characters, even the villains, can 'speak for themselves' through the inclusion of their letters, each of them having the opportunity to attract the reader's sympathy and identification" (233-34). Given that Rowson's aim is to offer a manual of conduct for girls, it would have been, once again, too dangerous to leave them to interpret the story on their own. Therefore, "[w]ithout the protective boundaries established by a controlling narrative presence, the epistolary novel leaves the female protagonist exposed, vulnerable, and even invisible" (230) and thus what prevented Rowson from writing her entire narrative in form epistolary is the lack of indications that the narrator must give to the reader to avoid misinterpretations, misunderstandings and the risk of being seduced to the same level as Charlotte. The second aspect that contributed to the success of Charlotte Temple as a manual of conduct is Rowson's participation in the novel as a “guardian” narrator. This specific appellation used by Forcey to describe the author's voice is, according to him, a "warm and maternal presence, [through which] this narrator acts as editor, moralizer, translator, and guide to his young reader" (Forcey 230 ). . In addition to Forcey's explanation, I would suggest that Rowson's voice as “gatekeeper narrator” possesses three functions that all contribute to the novel's popularity. It acts first and foremost as a counter-effect to the negative aspects of the epistolary form. His intrusion into the story secondly serves to guide the audience by insisting on important aspects of the tale and, finally, Rowson's voice, using direct address, aims to capture his readers' attention and give them a feeling of individualization. Even though Charlotte Temple is not considered an epistolary novel, there remains the risk that naive young girls will be seduced by some of the letters written by the “villains,” as Forcey calls them (229). To counter this danger, Rowson simply chose not to include some letters, the contents of which might appeal to young, innocent souls. For example, he replaces Montraville's letter with the following explanation: Any reader who has the slightest knowledge of the world, will easily imagine that the letter was composed of praises of her beauty and vows of eternal love and constancy; nor will she be surprised that a heart open to every kind and generous feeling should feel warmed by gratitude for a man who professed to feel so much for her; nor is it unlikely that his mind will return to the pleasant person and martial aspect of Montraville. (Rowson, 39) Thus, Rowson managed to write her tale of truth and retain all its verisimilitude, but without damaging her idea of ​​making her novel a manual of conduct suitable for girls. Another function of Rowson's voice as a “gatekeeper” narrator is to insist on certain passages to ensure that readers understand the message he conveys. This phenomenon occurs several times in the Charlotte Temple. This is the case, for example, when he recounts the early years of Mr. Temple's life and when, at a certain point, he explains that "Temple learned the news with emotion: he had lost his father's favor by confessing his passion for Luca, and now he saw that there was no hope of winning him back” (34). At first glance, this summary of the situation provided by Rowson may seem useless to any attentive reader. However, it is not impossible that young readers may have misunderstood the earlier dialogue between Mr. Temple and his father. Extrapolating the idea that she writes for innocent souls, it is true that the author's comment is justified. This insistence on specific aspects of the story can be easily noticedeven with the introduction of new characters into the plot. For example, when mentioning Miss Weatherby for the first time, in addition to a preliminary description and the inclusion of an illustrative poem, Rowson comments that "[m]uch was Miss Weatherby: her form was as lovely as nature could make it, but the his is the uncultivated mind, the insensitive heart, the impetuous passions and the brain almost turned by flattery, dissipation and pleasure” (32). Probably the most striking examples of Rowson's insistence are the following: “ The reader, no doubt, had already developed the character of La Rue; planning, clever, selfish, . (92) and “The reader does not imagine that Belcour's designs were honorable” (95). Thus, even if she is aware that the audience, at this stage of the story, knows Charlotte Temple's characters well, the author continues to highlight certain aspects that readers are expected to focus on so that it cannot be confused later with any of the characters or with any of their intentions Finally, the third function of the gatekeeper narrator is Rowson's ability to capture the. audience's attention thanks to direct speech, Charlotte continues to speak directly to them with interpellations such as "Oh my dear girl" (41), "thoughtless daughters of madness" (51), "Oh my friends" (85). ), “my dear young readers” (86) and so on. Many times he goes beyond simply naming them and actually interrupts the story. It occurs when he dedicates an entire chapter to the reader's hypothetical reaction to his story , Rowson anticipates that readers are growing tired of Charlotte's misfortune and writes “my lively and innocent girl, I must ask you for patience. . . . Please do not cast it aside until you have pursued the whole; perhaps you could find something in it that will repay you for your trouble” (169). In the same chapter she also imagines the questions that readers ask her and answers them (170). This break in the story calls readers to order and brings their attention back. The idea of ​​Rowson capturing the interest of his audience can also be seen in shorter passages. The following passage is a common example of Rowson's brief intrusion into Charlotte's narrative: Oh my dear girl - for to her alone am I writing - listen not to the voice of love, unless sanctioned by paternal approval: be sure , the days of romance are past: no woman can escape contrary to her inclinations: so kneel down every morning and ask the kind heaven to keep you free from temptation, or, if it pleases you to suffer yourself to be tested, pray for strength of mind to resist the impulse of inclination when it goes against the precepts of religion and virtue. (41)In addition to attracting their attention, this excerpt also gives the reader a feeling of individualization. This feeling comes from two main aspects. On the one hand, Rowson addresses his reader directly when he begins with “Oh my dear girl.” On the other hand, it dictates certain behavior through imperatives such as “don't listen,” “be certain,” “kneel,” and so on. These instructions sound a lot like guidance from an older sister or caring mother. And how could a lost and confused little girl ignore the advice of a caring older relative? Another typical example of this maternal role occurs when Rowson acts like an older sister on behalf of her mothers to highlight the pain suffered by Mrs. Temple over Charlotte's disappearance (85-86). Thus, Rowson's voice seems to be a way to capture readers' attention and even give them a sense of individualization which could explain Charlotte Temple's success.The third and final factor suggested to explain the success of Rowson's novel is the verisimilitude of the image. history. This phenomenon is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as "[the] appearance of being true or real" and author Charlotte Temple makes sure her plot conforms to this idea. First, and from the very beginning of her novel, she draws readers' attention to the fact that they should "regard [Charlotte Temple] not merely as the outpouring of Fancy, but as a reality" (3) and confirms the real existence of the protagonist when she states that “an old lady. had known Charlotte personally” (3) This is what critics, such as Elias Nason, praise in Charlotte Temple stating that it is “a faithful transcription of real life, in 1774, and therefore it is a living book, and as much as we can criticize it , people will after all read it, cry over it, and enjoy it” (Nason 47). Several factors contribute to the verisimilitude of the plot. As mentioned earlier in this essay, the letters enhance the plausibility of Charlotte's story due to the way they are composed, the multiplicity of their authors, and their content. What also gives the story an aspect of reality is the recurring shift in points of view. It is a way to remind the reader that life continues after the protagonist's departure to the New World and that although Charlotte is the center of the story, other characters continue to exist. This can be seen when Rowson dedicates an entire chapter to Charlotte's parents remaining in England (Rowson 151-54). The same effect applies to Montraville when he argues with his father (61-64). The plausibility of the plot plays an important role for a conduct manual. In fact, if the author wants to convince girls by making them learn something from Charlotte's experiences, the plot must be real or at least seem so, so that it can have an impact on them. Charlotte Temple has found success that has remained unmatched for a long time and the reasons that could explain such popularity are probably countless. The purpose of this essay was to discuss three of these reasons. It is said that the first way to explain this success lies in the structure of the novel itself. The fact that Rowson chose to include a number of letters without relying entirely on the epistolary form allowed her to create the perfect structure for a conduct manual. It has in fact been shown that this structure allows the reader to deal with the character's feelings, to benefit from a sense of immediacy, to discover the story from multiple points of view and, in general, to feel more involved in the plot. There was also some discussion as to why Rowson did not rely solely on the epistolary form despite all its strengths. The second part of the essay was dedicated to Rowson's voice, which plays a crucial role in achieving the purpose of her work, whether in counteracting the negative effect of epistolary novels, guiding the reader on important aspects of the story or providing the audience a feeling of individualization. Last but not least, the third part of this essay suggested that the verisimilitude of the plot was also necessary for the success of the novel. Other elements probably also contributed to Charlotte Temple's popularity, such as the presence of morals throughout the story, the universality of the themes, the social context of the late 18th century, and so on. But what can then be assumed at the end of this article is that the three aspects presented above can be considered as central pillars of Charlotte Temple's popularity. Works Cited Please note: This is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a,.