In The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle (click here for my full review), Charlotte Doyle, out of fear, out of survival, out of repentence and eventually, by choice, leaves her privileged life behind to live as a sailor, though she is just a child, and a girl at that. During an age (specifically 1832, the same year Louisa May Alcott was born) when educating a girl was, at times, seen as a distasteful act, particularly during the year when it was made illegal for women to vote) allowing one to dress as a man, performing man's work, side-by-side with other men, was deemed unnatural and wrong, dangerous and potentially illegal, resulting in jail, fines, persecution and in some cases, death. A woman's place was in support of her husband, and a girl's place was learning to take on that role and to provide sons to a husband who she would be advantageously married to, for the sake of the family. That is, if she were in the wealthy classes.
Girls and women in the poorer classes worked hard, were often abused, with little to no medical care, and struggled to survive from day to day, particularly if they were not attached to a man. Those that showed independence, such as celebrated authors, may have been celebrated in small circles, but in society, those that loved or supported them, were shunned, often missing out on essential wage earning opportunities and being excluded from important social engagements. Freedom from that pressure, and life, could easily have been the reason for Charlotte's unprecedented decision to leave her home, once arriving safely and being told never to speak of the ocean crossing again, and live as one of the crew on the Seahawk. If her behavior, or the hardships she encountered were leaked to polite society, not only would she be shunned, she would be ruined for marriage, with wild speculations laid at her door to ruin her reputation. As a consequence, she would be of no use to her parents, who valued her only as a pawn and a means to their own ends.
Instead, she moved on, in the way of the American pioneer women. Unafraid (now) of hard work and knowing who she could trust on the ship, she felt accepted for who she was and what she could do, rather that what she looked like and who she could marry. She chose a life of toil and uncertainty over a life of wealth, and aristocracy, for the sake of her soul, her personal freedom, her dignity and her sense of self. She shows every woman, young and old, every girl coming to that adult crossroads, that they are capable of great things, and of great survival, and that the most important thing is to find out who they are deep inside, and just to be that. Don't be afraid to be different, don't be afraid to stand up for who you are and what you believe, and most importantly, don't be afraid to do what is right, for yourself as well as others.
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ReplyDeleteThat was beautifully written Kara. I feel the exact same way, especially about the era that the book takes place in. It was a tough time for girls because they did not have much choice other than to look pretty and stay quiet. Charlotte Doyle's character goes against all of these things. Of course, it is not easy for her at first and she slowly makes the change due to the circumstances she is in. She was even fooled by Captain Jaggery's appearance and demeanor as a gentleman because of her naivete, sheltered life and narrow thinking. When I think of the 1800s, I can't help but think of Victorian era novels like Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth's character goes against the social norms of the time, but the fact is, she still got married favorably. Charlotte Doyle makes the decision to stand up for what is right and live a life that will be full of adventure, hardship and uncertainty. I have to say, that's pretty brave. At least she gets to wear pants! ;)
ReplyDeleteElise
(sorry I posted the exact same comment before but deleted it because I forgot to sign my name at the end. I didn't want my blogger name to confuse you)
I have to say I was entirely shocked by her father's reaction to her journal, but in light of your observations it makes more sense. I still would have hoped for some private acknowledgement of all the hardships Charlotte endured with perhaps an understanding that she was never to speak of the ship again. But his reaction does pave the way for Charlotte to leave her life and run away back to the ship.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Charlotte's character serves as a great model for tweens. I also think Charlotte's restricted upbringing will be fascinating to today's tweens who enjoy great freedoms, but the idea of Charlotte as "unnatural" is a concept that will be difficult for many readers to understand. You've done a nice job explaining why this is the case.
What I really liked about Charlotte Doyle is that it is a book with a strong, girl protagonist that will really appeal to boys as well.
I totally expected her father to burn the journal or to yell at her for the "fabrications." He was so dismissive of her in England and all he cared about was that she was compliant. Girls back then were treated as cargo and chess pieces, not people. Still, there was a brief moment when I thought he might be impressed and come to his senses so I was really angry when he did destroy it. I'm glad she went back to the ship. Who wants to live in a cage when you have tasted the open air?
ReplyDeleteElise, when I was studying up on the time period, I actually learned that the year of Charlotte's crossing, 1832, was not only the start of teh Victorian reign but also the year they made women's voting illegal in the UK! It wasn't illegal at that point but no one would allow a woman to vote anyway. Apparently, when someone voiced an opinion about doing it, they clamped the lid shut, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI definitely see similarities with the Empire period of Pride and Prejudice, as far as how women were treated, but at least Elizabeth had a doting father who was willing to let her spread her wings and use her independent nature and strong mind.