True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Personal response: At first, I was thinking, "WHAT THE HECK, CHARLOTTE?" I wanted to jump into that book and slap the girl silly. Charlotte was being very stupid and childlike, snitching on those that never even trusted her in the first place. Of course, she was a bit hesitant at first, and "could only gulp like a fish out of water." (Pg 85). But she thought she was doing the right thing. Obviously, she didn't mean any bad to come out of telling Captain Jaggery. (Which kind of makes me laugh since Zachariah was nearly whipped to death and Cranick was shot).

Okay, so she learned. And soon enough, she had enough of Jaggery's remarks and stands up to him. "'Coward!' I screamed at him. 'Fraud!'" (Pg 135). Yeah, that was a bit stupid itself. She knew how much power the Captain had and yet she stood up to him, even to the point that she "spat upon the deck by his boots." (Pg 136).

In general, Charlotte's a pretty immature, selfish, common-senseless girl. She thinks she owns the ship just because she's a woman. I think that joining the crew was probably the best thing for her. It toughened her up and broke her shell. Charlotte's actions in the first 12 chapters made me wince, but after joining the crew, she impressed me with her bravery and strength.

Evaluate and connect: Well, firstly, Charlotte wants to get along with the Captain because all her life, a man was there to guide and protect her. She was a weak fool and believed that Jaggery was the one that would fulfill that role. She wanted to do anything to please him, whether it was face harsh treatment and harshly treat the crew members. In the beginning, she thought that "Captain Jaggery was a brilliant sun and I, and Juno moon..." (pg 52). This shows how she felt about their position. She felt superior to the crew members since "they were like men recruited from the doormat of Hell." (Pg 29). Later on, she only wanted to please him because she needs his protection. Charlotte isn't quite independent during chapters 9-15. She still needed to have the comfort and guidance of that fatherly figure in her life. Even through all the trials she faces with his harsh treatment, if she "could have found a way to gain his forgiveness - no matter what it took - [she] would have seized the opportunity." (Pg 105). This shows her desperate needs for his acceptance and guidance.

I think it was smart of her to join the crew, although at first it seemed like she only joined it to be part of something and not be lost on the ship. However, the book progresses and it is clear that the once dependent Charlotte has stepped up to her place and really wants to be part of the crew. She denies Captain Jaggery in front of them. "He wants nothing to do with me." (pg 116). While showing that Captain Jaggery has refused to be the figure he once was before, it also shows that Charlotte doesn't really care about whether or not he will take her under his guidance. With or without him, she is determined to join the crew and be a part of the "family."

Art and music connection:
This picture shows how it might feel being in a storm. It is revealed in this picture that you might feel like you'll never get out (alive, at least) and that things look bleak and depressing, but at the end, there's always light. Charlotte and most of her crew made it out alive, even through the horrendous storm.