In Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson, the theme of girlhood and boyhood is best expressed through the characters of Charlotte and Montraville. The argument that is being made about this theme using these two characters is that there are not the same standards for boys and girls. For girls, the standard was that they cannot sleep with … Continue reading Boyhood and Girlhood in Charlotte Temple →

One of the themes that permeates through The Lowell Offering is Loss. The girls suffer many losses during their time spent in the factories. This is felt through their writings in the magazine.    There is the loss of culture. Most of the Lowell mill girls travel from the countryside to the city to work at … Continue reading Loss In The Lowell Offering →

The Lowell Offering was a magazine publication of articles written by adolescent girls working in textile factories in Massachusetts during the peak of the Industrial Revolution. Many girls wrote about why they were working at the factory, the conditions they faced, and their day-to-day experiences as a “factory girl”. The girls wrote about leaving their … Continue reading Lack of Wealth and Girlhood/Boyhood →

One theme in the novel “Charlotte Temple” by Susanna Rowson is guilt. This theme can be seen through the actions of Montraville and La Rue and how they ultimately affect Charlotte. The novel’s treatment of this theme is unexpected. While adolescents can feel guilty about different things all the time, I don’t think that it … Continue reading Charlotte Temple and Her Guilty Life →

“…so much do the emotions of the soul influence the body” (Rowson 39). This is one of six lines I jotted down that stood out to me while reading Charlotte Temple. Susanna Rowson was describing Mr. Eldridge’s feelings when he was awaiting to see his granddaughter, even though the reader knew she was not there. … Continue reading The Influence of Emotion →

Although we have mainly focused on friendships during adolescence, I wanted to see if the opposite of this relationship, in this case enemies, can be considered to be as important, if not more than friendships during the time of adolescence. When I think of antagonists playing a major role in a novel, I think of … Continue reading Enemies in Adolescence →

To wrap up our exploration of adolescent literature, I want to delve deeper into a recurring theme which examines the unique intersection between gender, race and adolescence, particularly in reference to womanhood and the development of associated gender and racial identities across the vital period of adolescence. With the start of adolescence, girls are faced … Continue reading The Implications of Race on Female Adolescence →

Ryan Seales By now we’ve generally established what adolescence is in this class, although it can be interpreted in a variety of ways. In general, it is a time period of self discovery and learning to become independent. Adolescence represents finding one’s place in society and gaining direction/autonomy in their lives. One thing that is … Continue reading When does adolescence end? →

I do not know many people who fall into a deep hole and come out with a ghost friend. Despite the friendship between a living teenage girl and a deceased teenage girl, Anya's Ghost, by Vera Brosgal, consists of an abundance of relatable experiences seen in adolescence. Adolescence can be bittersweet, we have the freedom … Continue reading Why Do Teenagers Feel Pressure? →

By: Rachel Bunado Defining adolescence has been a topic of conversation throughout the duration of this course. It’s a difficult task, and I don’t think that there is an actual way for any of us to define it. Rather, this course has taught us how to recognize our own adolescence through the lens of reading … Continue reading Order’s Up: Looking at Adolescence Through a Series of Starbucks Orders →