Society’s Role in Charlotte Temple and The Lowell Offering (Andre Bizier)

From the moment we are born, human beings are subject to societal conditioning. How we communicate with and understand the world as we know it are majorly influenced by societal expectations regarding behavior. Gender is a prominent example of a characteristic that is often ascribed to an individual by society and carries certain implications for … Continue reading Society’s Role in Charlotte Temple and The Lowell Offering (Andre Bizier) →

The Pressure of Poverty in The Lowell Offering

  In Western society I feel that adolescence is perceived as a time in a person’s life when they are devoid of responsibility and have a surplus of leisure time. However, I would wager that this view of adolescence is one from a privileged perspective and takes a very narrow look at adolescence that is … Continue reading The Pressure of Poverty in The Lowell Offering →

American Dreams Made Harder By Poverty, Adolescence, and Gender. JY

  The theme of poverty is explored at length in the essays of The Lowell Offering. Most of the young girls who are both the authors and characters come from difficult socio-economic standings. They’re required to go work in the mills in order to either support their families entirely as the sole breadwinner, or to … Continue reading American Dreams Made Harder By Poverty, Adolescence, and Gender. JY →

Teenagers – They’re Just Blindly in Love

While we all step into daylight, some of us, however, become distracted by the sun. Those who are distracted try to look: they are fascinated by the heat radiating down on their skin, or maybe the sheer brightness of the glowing mass. They begin to look for just a second too long, eventually shielding their … Continue reading Teenagers – They’re Just Blindly in Love →

Power, or lack of, in Charlotte Temple

I believe that Charlotte Temple, as well as many female characters in past and present novels alike, struggle with power. As far as the definition goes, power is “possession of control, authority, or influence over others (Merriam Webster).” I believe Charlotte struggles with power throughout Charlotte Temple. She can very well choose her actions, but … Continue reading Power, or lack of, in Charlotte Temple →

Autonomy and Power in The House On Mango Street

I believe that Esperanza and the Mango Street neighborhood has a particularly warped sense of autonomy and power for their females. In its textbook definition, autonomy is “self-directing freedom and especially moral independence,” and power is, “possession of control, authority, or influence over others (Merriam-Webster). Essentially it means that an individual chooses their actions and … Continue reading Autonomy and Power in The House On Mango Street →

Control and Identity in Charlotte Temple And The House on Mango Street

Adolescence is a turbulent time in every person's life.  It's a time of self discovery when one has very little control over their own life.  The novel’s Charlotte Temple and The House on Mango Street exemplify these traits in unique ways.  In the novel Charlotte Temple, the main character Charlotte Temple, is trying to discover … Continue reading Control and Identity in Charlotte Temple And The House on Mango Street →

Power and Vulnerabilty in Charlotte Temple

Adolescence is this strange phase in your life when you aren’t a child, but you aren’t totally an adult either. To me, this period in one’s life is a time when you’re most vulnerable because you have absolutely no idea what you are doing. It’s this time of figuring out. Figuring who you are, figuring … Continue reading Power and Vulnerabilty in Charlotte Temple →

Charlotte’s Lack of Autonomy in Charlotte Temple

  As we grow older, we are faced with more and more responsibilities and decisions. We become increasingly independent of our parents and mentors. However, this is a process that takes years, and today, it takes even longer than it did before. Unlike the slow pace at which the current generation has taken to adulthood, … Continue reading Charlotte’s Lack of Autonomy in Charlotte Temple →