52 pages • 1 hour read
Susanna RowsonCharlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1791A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 16-22Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 16 Summary: “Necessary Digression”
Recognizing that Belcour has no intentions of marrying her, Mademoiselle La Rue pursues Colonel Crayton, a widowed officer on the ship who has a married daughter, Mrs. Beauchamp. She tells him that she was tricked by Belcour and that she feels guilty for believing him. Crayton, who is benevolent and unsuspecting, falls for Mademoiselle La Rue’s farce. He proposes to marry her when they arrive in the United States.
While on the ship, Charlotte experiences severe motion sickness and is mostly confined to bed. Montraville visits her and takes care of her. Belcour, having been slighted by Mademoiselle La Rue, develops an interest in Charlotte and decides he will pursue her when Montraville gets bored with her.
Chapter 17 Summary: “A Wedding”
The day before the ship arrives at the port in New York, Crayton announces that Mademoiselle La Rue is under his protection and is to be treated with respect. Belcour, happy to shirk responsibility for Mademoiselle La Rue, wishes the couple well and assures them that he will not interfere. Charlotte, however, is shocked, as she believed Mademoiselle La Rue loved Belcour. When she takes her concerns to Montraville, he laughs, calls her an “idiot,” and suggests that Belcour changed his mind. Charlotte fully realizes her circumstances and cries, and Montraville kisses her cheek and leaves the room.
On the following day, the ship docks, and Crayton takes Charlotte and Mademoiselle La Rue to a public house. Mrs. Beauchamp meets him and approves of his planned marriage to Mademoiselle La Rue. Taking Mrs. Beauchamp aside, Crayton tells her that Charlotte is Montraville’s mistress. Charlotte overhears Mrs. Beauchamp pitying her, and she is disheartened. Mademoiselle La Rue marries Crayton the following day, and she judges Charlotte for not being married to Montraville.
Chapter 18 Summary: “Reflections”
Montraville rents a small house outside New York City for Charlotte, and he hires one female servant. While he gives her money, he does not often find time to visit her. Charlotte is cheerful during his visits but forlorn while alone.
The author compares Charlotte with a neglected wife, arguing that the neglected wife at least has pride and security and is accepted by society. She urges the reader not to judge Charlotte, as everyone has made mistakes and deserves pity, help, and forgiveness.
Chapter 19 Summary: “A Mistake Discovered”
Julia Franklin is an independent, wealthy young woman who lives in New York City with her uncle, Mr. Franklin. Montraville is on guard the night of a fire near Mr. Franklin’s house, and Mr. Franklin hands Montraville a small box of valuables to hold on to for him. Although Mr. Franklin does not return for the box, Montraville keeps it safe.
Several weeks later, Montraville opens the box and finds money and jewelry, including a set of photos with a picture that look familiar. He sees Julia at a social gathering a few days later and notes the similarities between her and the woman in the photo, so he approaches and discovers that the box is hers. He spends the night dancing and talking with Julia. Afterward, he thinks of his duties to Charlotte and decides to return the box and henceforth avoid Julia. In the morning, he returns the box, but when Julia opens it she notices the photo is missing. Montraville says he does not want to part with the picture, and Julia explains it is a picture of her recently deceased mother.
Julia is very different from Charlotte, and Montraville realizes that he did not really love Charlotte but that he loves Julia. He feels guilty for ruining Charlotte’s life, and he visits her cottage. He looks unwell, and Charlotte sends him to bed and watches over him for a while, then goes to bed herself.
Chapter 20 Summary
Montraville is gone when Charlotte wakes up; he has left her a note saying he will likely not return for a long time. He uses the term “friendship” in his parting salutation, and Charlotte understands that he no longer loves her. She searches for hope in the letter and feels that Montraville cannot be so evil as to desert her entirely. Belcour pays her a short and unexpected visit, hoping that she will eventually sleep with him if she knows that Montraville is pursuing another woman.
Crayton and Mademoiselle La Rue have been married for three months, and Crayton has realized that his new wife is imprudent and temperamental. While he still cares for her, his acquaintances pity or mock him, and his daughter is upset that her father has been manipulated.
Mrs. Beauchamp and her husband move into a house outside the city, and she recognizes Charlotte, who is living nearby. She can see Charlotte is miserable but feels it would be inappropriate to approach her. While walking outside one day, she hears Charlotte playing her harp and singing a melancholy song. Major Beauchamp asks his wife why she is crying, and she explains the situation. He encourages Mrs. Beauchamp to befriend Charlotte.
Chapter 21 Summary: “A Benevolent Visit”
Mrs. Beauchamp picks some cucumbers to deliver to Charlotte as a reason for the visit. Although Charlotte is embarrassed and does not feel like she is a fit companion, Mrs. Beauchamp offers to listen to Charlotte’s problems and try to help her. She tells Charlotte to take a while to compose herself and to come over for dinner when she is ready.
Charlotte goes to Mrs. Beauchamp’s for dinner and tells her story. Upon being asked, Charlotte says she has written to her family but has received no response, and Mrs. Beauchamp thinks that Charlotte’s letters have not been sent. She offers to mail a letter herself so Charlotte can be sure it is sent. Charlotte would do anything to return to the safety of her family.
Chapter 22 Summary: “Sorrows of the Heart
Charlotte returns to her cottage and writes a letter to her mother. She expresses her guilt and remorse, and she begs to be forgiven, although she understands if her family refuses. She explains that she was fooled not only by Montraville, but also by Mademoiselle La Rue, and she describes her current miserable circumstances and the painful dreams she has about her family.
Charlotte reveals that she is pregnant with Montraville’s child, and she asks her parents to protect the child. She also says that she has written multiple times and gotten no response. Concluding her letter, she asks for forgiveness and pity before she dies.
Chapters 16-22 Analysis
Three new characters appear in this section, Colonel Crayton, Mrs. Beauchamp, and Julia Franklin. The introduction of Crayton and Julia develops the theme of The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal. Crayton, who prefers French women to English women, is drawn to Mademoiselle La Rue, and she encourages him, seeing him as a more desirable (that is, wealthier) potential husband than Belcour. Julia’s appearance proves detrimental for Charlotte, as Montraville is immediately attracted to her. He notes that Julia is the opposite of Charlotte: “Julia Franklin was the very reverse of Charlotte Temple; she was tall, elegantly shaped, and possessed much the air and manner of a woman of fashion” (142); however, in Chapter 1, Charlotte is described as “[a] tall, elegant girl” (6). The same words are used to describe both women, making Montraville’s assessment of their differences largely ironic and implying that the important differences are in their social and financial statuses..
Mrs. Beauchamp personifies Charity, Mercy, and Forgiveness, offering Charlotte companionship and the hope for a better future. Upon first seeing Charlotte, Mrs. Beauchamp pities rather than judges her, which alters Charlotte’s self-perception. At this time, Charlotte becomes more and more isolated. Her mental state is rapidly declining due to Montraville’s sparse visits and not receiving responses to the letters she has written her family. When Mrs. Beauchamp moves in next door, she is disheartened by Charlotte’s state. Her reluctance to visit Charlotte until given approval from Major Beauchamp reflects the historical context of the novel, as Mrs. Beauchamp, a virtuous woman, is expected to prioritize and obey her husband. She assumes that he would not want her interacting with Charlotte; however, Major Beauchamp values Mrs. Beauchamp’s generous spirit and does not view Charlotte as a social liability. This supports the idea that, in some ways, Charlotte’s isolation is self-inflicted and stems from her diminished sense of self-worth—she does not feel worthy of respectable acquaintances. Mrs. Beauchamp demonstrates Charity, Mercy, and Forgiveness through her propositions of friendship and help, and particularly in her offer to mail the letter Charlotte writes to her family. The letter advances the rising action of the plot, revealing Charlotte’s pregnancy and acting as the catalyst for Mr. Temple’s journey to the United States.
The concepts of charity and mercy are further advanced through Rowson’s authorial intrusions. Rowson argues that Charlotte should not be judged because everyone is fallible:
I mean not to extenuate the faults of those unhappy women who fall victims of guilt and folly; but surely, when we reflect how many errors we ourselves are subject to, how many secret faults lie hidden in the recesses of our hearts, which we would blush to have brought into open day, and yet those faults require the lenity and pity of a benevolent judge, or awful would be our prospect of futurity (136).
This remark directly asks the reader to self-reflect and to consider their own mistakes. In doing so, Rowson encourages the reader to empathize with Charlotte. Rowson also appeals to Christian values to support her argument: “How shall we erring mortals dare to look up to thy mercy in the great day of retribution, if we now uncharitably refuse to overlook the errors, or alleviate the miseries of our fellow creatures” (137). The use of Christian concepts reflects both the domestic fiction genre, which often emphasizes religious ideals, and the historical context, as the intended readers were devout Christians.
