
Charlotte Temple
'Charlotte Temple ' Summary
Charlotte Temple is a novel by British-American author Susanna Rowson, originally published in England in 1791 under the title Charlotte, A Tale of Truth. It tells the story of a schoolgirl, Charlotte Temple, who is seduced by a British officer and brought to America, where she is abandoned, pregnant, sick and in poverty. The first American edition was published in 1794 and the novel became a bestseller. It has gone through over 200 American editions. Late in life, the author wrote a sequel that was published posthumously.
The book relates the tale of Charlotte Temple, who is enticed by a dashing soldier, John Montraville, to run away with him, but after they cross to America, he abandons her. It belongs to the seduction novel genre popular in early American literature.
The novel opens upon an unexpected encounter between the British Lieutenant Montraville and Charlotte Temple, a tall, elegant girl of 15. Montraville sets his mind on seducing Charlotte and succeeds with the help of his libertine friend Belcour and Mademoiselle La Rue, a teacher at the boarding school Charlotte attends. Mademoiselle La Rue had herself eloped from a convent with a young officer and "possessed too much of the spirit of intrigue to remain long without adventures."Montraville soon loses interest in the young girl and, being led by Belcour to believe in Charlotte's infidelity towards him, trusts Belcour to take care of Charlotte and the child she expects.
Book Details
Authors

Susanna Rowson
United States
Susanna Rowson Haswell was a British-American novelist, poet, playwright, religious writer, stage actress, and educator, considered the first woman geographer and supporter of female education. She al...
Books by Susanna RowsonDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

First Love by Ivan Turgenev
First Love is a novella by Ivan Turgenev, first published in 1860. It is one of his most popular pieces of short fiction. It tells the love story betw...

Claverings by Anthony Trollope
The Claverings is a novel set in Victorian England that explores themes of social class, love, and morality. The story revolves around the Clavering f...

Dombey en Zoon by Charles Dickens
Dombey and Son is a sprawling tale set in Victorian London, exploring the complex themes of wealth, ambition, and the search for meaning in life. Thr...

The Mystery of the Sycamore by Carolyn Wells
"A mysterious death in the shadow of a sycamore tree sets the stage for a classic whodunit." In this mystery novel, Carolyn Wells tells the story of...

Sanctuary by Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton's early novella focuses on Kate Orme, who begins the story happily in love with her fiance, only to discover that he hides a terrible se...

Pauline by Pansy (Isabella Macdonald Alden)
It explores the lives of young women in the late 19th century. The book follows the story of its titular character, Pauline, as she navigates the chal...

Uli der Pächter by Jeremias Gotthelf
In Jeremias Gotthelf's 'Uli der Pächter', we follow the life of Uli, a young man now married and managing a leased farm. His aspirations for a secure...

Romance of a Christmas Card by Kate Douglas Wiggin
The story centers around two Christmas cards, sent by a minister's wife, that reach two individuals who have strayed from their community. The cards,...

Good Soldier by Ford Madox Ford
The Good Soldier (1915) "... is set just before World War I and chronicles the tragedies of the lives of two seemingly perfect couples. The novel is t...

Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad
Almayer's Folly is Joseph Conrad's first novel, published in 1895 by T. Fisher Unwin. Set in the late 19th century, it centres on the life of the Dutc...
Reviews for Charlotte Temple
No reviews posted or approved, yet...