Little girls play with dolls while little boys play with trucks. Over two hundred years after Charlotte Temple was written, we still hear phrases like this; it is apparent that we still fight some of Charlotte’s battles to this day. These traditional gender roles play a large part in the power dynamic between characters in Charlotte Temple. It is interesting to take a deep drive into how societal norms limited Charlotte’s Power and autonomy throughout the novel. Not only are societal norms playing into this power dynamic, but Charlotte’s own personality also compounds her lack of power and autonomy. Furthermore, it is also worth analyzing how gender and societal norms have changed and developed over time to continue to play a role in power struggles of today.
We begin to see the power struggle between Charlotte and Montraville in chapter twelve while Charlotte is making a tough decision. She has to choose to either follow her parents’ wishes and stay in school, or chase love and follow Montraville. Making one decision or the other is not inherently displaying more power and autonomy than the other. Instead, Charlotte’s lack of power and autonomy arises from how she arrives at her decision. Initially, Charlotte is moved by the letter her parents send her. She decides that she will stay in school and do everything in her power to be the best daughter she can be and make her parents proud. As the text says, “Oh mademoiselle! Said she, I am snatched by a miracle from destruction! This letter has saved me; it has opened my eyes to the folly I was so near committing I will not go, Mademoiselle; I will not wound the hearts of those dear parents who make my happiness the whole study of their lives” (Rowson 38). The strong language used here not only shows Charlotte has made her decision but shows how concrete that decision is. Based on her wording, it appears Charlottes not willing to budge. For instance, she talks about how she is being “spared destruction” and claiming she is now “saved”. Despite what seems like an unshakable stance, we see that Charlotte is quickly won over. She is sweet-talked into reversing her decision and living out her life with Montraville. Montraville’s ability to change the trajectory of Charlotte’s whole life, with just a few words, highlights the power discrepancy. It was incredibly easy for Montraville to manipulate a young girl into following him and leave behind her past life. Traditional gender roles play a huge part in this ability to assert power. Charlotte likely thought a large part of her purpose in life was to be a wife and mother. Despite all of her previous logical reasoning, Charlotte is taken a hold of by these societal norms and makes a decision she knows is not best for her.
Although gender norms play a large role in this power dynamic, it is also important to understand that Charlotte is susceptible to be manipulated due to her personality. For instance, Charlotte meets Montraville because she is easy manipulated. Miss La Rue convinces Charlotte to go by speaking highly of Montraville, causing Charlotte to ignore the potential consequences of her actions.
Despite this novel being written over 200 years ago, many women are still fighting a similar battle as Charlotte. The power struggle between men and women continues on, and we do not have to look too far to see examples. For instance, we still have a wage gap of just over 20 cents. Although some may say this statistic is misleading because it does not adjust for hours worked, job worked and lifestyle choices, it is important to understand what influences these factors. These factors are all influenced by traditional gender roles and the traditional power dynamic between men and women. If a woman does not feel comfortable pursuing a career track dominated by men, how can you expect her to earn as much as a man? If a woman has to overcome a preconceived notion of what she is capable of, how do you expect her to earn as much as a man? If a woman is expected to spend her time being the primary caregiver for her children, how do you expect her to earn as much as a man? If a woman is expected to take time off after having a baby but a man is not how do you expect her to earn as much as a man? All of these questions shed light on all the underlying factors and societal norms that create this wage gap.
On a more positive note, this gap continues to shrink every year, and it appears America is moving in the right direction. Lots of large corporations with male dominated positions have special programs to encourage diversity. For instance, in the business world, all of the big banks have recruiting programs that target getting more women in finance. Although these are steps in the right direction, there is still lots of ground to be covered. Until this wage gap is closed, there will continue to be a power discrepancy between men and women, just as we saw 200 years ago with Charlotte Temple.
By: Matthew Sumner
Representing Adolescence @ Pitt 