Charlotte Temple: The Quintessential Ending

Our story begins with Charlotte Temple in Warrensville Heights, Ohio. Charlotte attends Warrensville Heights High School, where she meet an upper classman named Naomi who tries to persuade her to skip school to go to a bar a couple of blocks down the street. “Hey Charlotte, me and a couple of guys are going to go to Beethoven’s Fifth during 7th period. You should come with, cus Markus is gonna be there.” Markus had a big crush on Charlotte, and she knew it, but she never acknowledged it. “No, I don’t think so Naomi. My mom would kill me if I did. And what would all the teachers think of me?” “Your mom will never know cus we’re gonna come right back. The teacher will just think you’re sick or something,” said Naomi. Charlotte agreed only because she knew Markus was going.

As they were walking to the bar, Naomi, Markus and the others walked ahead while Charlotte lagged behind. Markus noticed her and left the group to join her. “He Charlotte, what’s wrong?” said Markus. Charlotte was so happy that he’d noticed her. “Aww, I didn’t even wanna come. I keep thinking about my mom and if she ever finds out…everyone will think of me differently. I’ve spent so much building up my trustworthiness in everyone’s eyes since last year when I got expelled.” Markus answered “well if it makes you feel any better, I only came cus John forced me, I mean… I don’t normally do this. What if we get in trouble? I mean… came too because I knew you were coming.” Charlotte looked at him with affection after that. “Why don’t we just go back,” said Markus. When they got back to the school, they both went back to class. At the end of the school day, Charlotte was approaching the door, ready to head home on her bike, when Markus spotted her. He ran toward her, and before she could open the door, he pulled the handle and opened it for it. “Why don’t we go get some ice cream or something,” he said. “I’d like that,” she replied.

"Thank You" Response to Charlotte Temple

As I read the reminder of this tragic story, I imagined that its ending would prove to be much happier for Charlotte Temple than it actually was. I thought Charlotte would pull through her struggle after leaving the house she and Montraville lived in, and that she would be received by Mrs. Clayton, and that Mrs. Beauchamp would take her in, and everything would be well with Charlotte. However, I was utterly appalled at Clayton’s actions.

It was very tragic Charlotte’s death, and when she did go, her death made me recall all that she went though. Her death, and the reason for it, also reminded me of all the young women today who encounter similar situations just as Charlotte did. Many are infatuated with young men whom they probably hardly even know, who they think “look good.” But I’m reminded that beauty will pass away. Then what are you left with? Someone whose character and personality are anything but honorable, someone who can’t support you or your child physically or mentally because he’s “too young” and “not ready to be a father” and frankly doesn’t know anything himself. Although I haven’t experienced what Charlotte went through, I can sympathize. I saw myself in her. I saw righteousness, goodness, honesty, genuine concern; I also saw flaws in her that I had myself when I was her age: naivety, not sticking up for oneself, and I thank the Lord that I was not led astray because of the latter.

Ideas About the Essay

Upon reading Charlotte Temple, I noticed an all around vibe of deception among some of the characters. Primarily from Montriville and his best mate Belcour towards the women Charlotte and La Rue. Whenever, Charlotte had determined within herself not to develop a "clandestine" "correspondence,” Montriville always seemed to bombard her with his fancy speech and sweet talk her into changing her mind. Belcour seemed to be much the same as Montriville only more blatant.

This type of thing continues to happen among adolecence even today, when the young girl is over taken by a young man's handsome features, that she doesn't even take the time to look beyond that mask and see just what kind of person he really is. It seems that young men have a knack of taking advantage of girls and young girls have a knack for being very gullible and naive. I do not know what issue this could categorize under, but from the list posted on Angel, I suppose that this could relate to the topic of The Good Bad Boy.

Hine Part Two

Something that struck me as interesting in this chapter was the rate at which young people were marrying. Hine explained that after World War II, the U.S. was very prosperous, and high paying jobs were becoming available to young men as never before. In the past there was always the idea that the young could work, but with the exception that they be paid lower wages, so as not to make jobs unavailable to adults. But at this time in American history, high paying jobs were easy to find for young men, making it idealistic for them be able to support a family, resulting in people marrying at younger ages.

The age at which they would marry dropped steadily in the years between 1947 and 1956. In 1959, Hine says “teenage pregnancy reached its modern-day peak,” but there was no controversy over this because these teens were married. This struck me as a phenomenon, because most teens having children today have them out of wedlock. In my opinion, this is happening because it seems popular media, T.V., in music, in movies; in almost all forms of entertainment, promiscuity is being promoted and the idea of postponing marriage is being promoted. When I was 18, I joked to my parents about getting married at 20, and they said emphatically “no, you should live your life. Go see other people, go to school, and live on your own for a couple of years. Think about getting married latter.” I've always wondered why they felt this way.