While reading The Lowell Offering, I realized that people have been fighting for a better standard of living and equal rights for a very long time. The establishment of mill factories in England during the 1840s created a new opportunity for women. Middle-class women could depart from their domestic environment and establish an independent life … Continue reading The Truth of Being a Mill Women →

When you hear “factory girl,” what might you think of? If I had to answer a month ago, I probably would not be able to say much. My mind would probably start with the Industrial era, and it might wander to thoughts like dust… machines… labor… simple… boring… The average 19th century individual may think … Continue reading Who is a Lowell Mill Girl? →

We have learned about loss from a young age, even when it is hard to conceptualize that we did. When we were young, we lost toys, or maybe we lost time at recess when we were not following rules. Loss is a diverse term in means of what is being taken from us. When we … Continue reading The Loss of Charlotte Temple →

Susanna Rowson’s novel, Charlotte Temple, is one of the most successful novels of all time. When it first came out in the 1790s, it was so popular that it outsold the Bible. But what was it about this Charlotte Temple that made it such a success? It is possible that the success is credited to … Continue reading Emotional Connections →

Through the novel Charlotte Temple, Susanna Rowan examines the role of young women in 18th century society, exploring topics such as autonomy, adolescence and identity particularly in relation to their male counterparts, topics which are still highly pertinent today. The novel follows fifteen year old Charlotte as she navigates the many woes of female adolescence … Continue reading Lack of Autonomy in Charlotte Temple: Result of Adolescence or Society? →

Autonomy and independence are interesting concepts we have been exploring, especially when speaking in the context of adolescence. I often think about the development of the brain and how it affects people during different stages of growing up. Particularly during Adolescence, it’s interesting because it is a time period in life where you begin to … Continue reading Autonomy and Charlotte Temple →

In Susanna Rowson’s novel “Charlotte Temple,” the main character Charlotte struggles to find her identity. Given that the novel takes place in the late 1700s, identity is an issue for women as they are considered property of men. Identity is a concept that’s carried throughout adolescence. As a reader, this theme seems to present the … Continue reading Limited Agency: Blessing or Curse →

Katie Senko Representing Adolescence 16 September 2020 Are Emotions Bad Emotions control our everyday actions, and Charlotte Temple is no stranger to that. Charlotte is only an adolescent, but she is making life changing decisions more often than modern girls at her age. In turn, Charlotte chooses to turn her life around for the love … Continue reading Emotions in Charlotte Temple →

During The Lowell Offering, there was no distinction of adolescence as the youth seemed to pass from childhood straight to adulthood. However, the young writers in The Lowell Offering demanded a distinction between childhood and adulthood since they demanded education to find their identity. These young girls demanded adolescence before the world knew of adolescence.  … Continue reading The Lowell Offering: Demand for Education in Pursuit of an Identity →

Power is the ability to control or influence others in situations resulting in one’s desired effects. It can be given or taken away by those who fall under its influence depending on their levels of autonomy. In the book Charlotte Temple, Sussana Rowson tells a story of a young girl before society claimed adolescence as … Continue reading Positions of Power →