-Natalia Nino Although Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson can be described as a cautionary tale, the issues of power and autonomy stand out in this reading as an underlying critique of society. In this story, Charlotte is portrayed as a young, foolish girl who makes decisions that eventually lead to her downfall. She is supposed … Continue reading Charlotte Temple: How Power and Autonomy Change the Narrative →

By: Carson A. Zaremski Girlhood and boyhood are the times in people’s lives where the people around them don’t see them as adults, and don’t believe they are fully capable of making all of their own decisions. It is a time adults commonly refer to as “when they were growing up.” Most adolescents begin to … Continue reading Boyhood and Girlhood and Autonomy in Charlotte Temple →

Taylor Faulkner The theme of emotion can be seen throughout the entire story of “Charlotte Temple”. There is not one specific area where it can be seen the most, but I have pulled out a few areas where this theme is represented. At the beginning Montraville wants Charlotte to go to America with him. She … Continue reading Emotions in Charlotte Temple →

Cameryn Jamison There is a time in everyone's life where self discovery is at an all time high, and this idea of “finding themselves” is of major interest. If you look back in time, people never quite knew the distinct age or time in a person’s life in which we as people of modern day … Continue reading Identity and Autonomy In Charlotte Temple →

Sophia Boquist Our recent discussion about the dichotomy between the expectations placed on Charlotte and Montraville in Susanna Rowson’s Charlotte Temple made me consider more deeply the critical role of culture in shaping 18th-century gender standards. I found this novel’s exploration of gendered expectations a fascinating critique of society and found many connections to concepts … Continue reading Girlhood vs. Boyhood in Charlotte Temple →

-Starr Church Autonomy. This term, which seems so simple to us now, was so difficult to gain in Charlotte Temple’s time. Between the societal norms and the roles of women, it was very rare to ever find an adolescent, let alone a female adolescent, with independence in the 1800s. Therefore, this novel gave an expected … Continue reading The Absence of Autonomy in Charlotte Temple →

The Lowell Offering tackles many aspects of adolescence and, more specifically, girlhood. One important feature of The Lowell Offering is the autonomy of mill girls in this publication. Although, a more appropriate term would be “constrained autonomy.” The mills and dormitories gave young girls opportunities that were previously closed off to them. This experience gave … Continue reading Adolescence and Autonomy in “The Lowell Offering” →

The Lowell Offering by New England Mill Women contains articles written by the girls working in the mills, for other girls in the mill to read. Although the mill had male workers, the girls were “segregated from male workers by the division of labor” portraying how boys and girls were separated in their duties and expectations … Continue reading Gendered Roles Within Girlhood: The Lowell Offering →

In the eighteenth century, novels started popping up as a new form of entertainment for young women to indulge in during their leisure time. One particular genre that was popular during this time was the “seduction novel.” Seduction novels are formulaic: a female character of, what we would consider now to be around modern adolescent … Continue reading Guilt as Punishment in Charlotte Temple →

Adolescence is a time of cultivating personal identity. Individuals’ self-perceptions rapidly develop and change in these crucial years, as do their relations to the world around them and how they wish it to perceive them. The theme of identity permeates much of The Lowell Offering, specifically through the intersection between class and gender. Many of … Continue reading A Woman, a Worker, an Individual? Perceptions of Identity in The Lowell Offering →