Charlotte Temple: A Tale of Truth

Montraville is a lieutenant in the British Army and the youngest son of a wealthy gentleman. As the youngest, he will not receive an inheritance; the only financial assistance he is to receive is his officer commission. Montraville is described as “generous in his disposition, liberal in his opinion, and good-natured almost to a fault, yet eager and impetuous in the pursuit of a favorite object” (71-72).

Although he has several redeeming qualities, Montraville is an antagonist because he does not consider the long-term consequences of his romantic pursuits. He believes that he loves Charlotte, and he does what he must to get her to elope with him. His gullibility also makes him an antagonist: Because he believes Belcour’s lies about Charlotte, he feels justified in leaving her while she is pregnant and in marrying Julia. When he realizes Belcour played a role in Charlotte’s death, Montraville exacts his revenge by killing Belcour, and he suffers from guilt for the rest of his life. His character develops The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal, showing that those who seduce and betray ultimately suffer.

Belcour is a young officer and Montraville’s friend. He is described as wealthy and liberally educated, as well as “dissipated, thoughtless and capricious […] eager in the pursuit of pleasure, he minded not the miseries he inflicted on others, provided his own wishes, however extravagant, were gratified” (71). While Belcour is similar to Montraville in that they are both self-centered officers, he differs from Montraville in his malicious intent. He seduces Charlotte not because he wishes to gain her affections, but because he takes pleasure in her degradation. For this reason, he is a more straightforward antagonist than Montraville. When Montraville discovers Belcour’s role in Charlotte’s death, he kills him. Belcour’s death, like Montraville’s suffering, shows that The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal extend to those who seduce and betray.

Mademoiselle La Rue is a French woman who works as an assistant at Madame Du Pont’s school. A former nun, she is one of the antagonists and is described as “designing, artful and selfish” (117). She deceives the people in her life to get what she wants—she pretends to repent of her immoral behavior to secure a work recommendation; she deceives Charlotte in multiple instances to advance her own agenda, and she deceives her husband into financially supporting her immoral lifestyle, including her affair with Corydon.

Mademoiselle La Rue is a foil to Charlotte. Where Charlotte is virtuous and naïve, Mademoiselle La Rue is corrupt and deceitful. They also demonstrate opposite sides of The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal. As a seducer and a betrayer, Mademoiselle La Rue prospers at first but eventually experiences comeuppance—her separation from Crayton results in her poverty, ill-health, and death. Her character arc suggests that, while unvirtuous behaviors can appear advantageous, they will ultimately destroy a person’s life.

Mr. Temple is Charlotte’s father and Lucy’s husband. He is the youngest son of a proud family and a compassionate, principled man: “He has a heart open to every generous feeling of humanity, and a hand ready to dispense to those who wanted, part of the blessings he enjoyed himself” (12). Although he is a side character, he serves as a protagonist in Chapters 2-5, which detail the backstory of Charlotte’s parents and grandfather. Mr. Temple is a static character who does not undergo significant personality or mindset changes. His siblings’ marriage choices inspire him to choose love, charity, and happiness over money and social status.

His character contributes to the theme of Charity, Mercy, and Forgiveness. He personifies charity by downsizing his lifestyle to help Eldridge, who is wrongfully imprisoned, and he shows mercy to both Montraville and Mademoiselle La Rue after they confess their role in Charlotte’s demise. He also forgives Charlotte for eloping, and his actions toward Mademoiselle La Rue suggest that he has forgiven her as well.

Mr. Temple also acts as a foil to Montraville. The two characters have similar backgrounds—both are the youngest sons of wealthy gentlemen, and both find themselves drawn to attractive but relatively poor women. Where Montraville seduces and betrays Charlotte, worsening her circumstances, Mr. Temple sacrifices his comforts to aid Lucy and her father. Mr. Temple’s character speaks to the importance of choosing virtue and compassion even when it is difficult.

Lucy Temple is Eldridge’s daughter, Mr. Temple’s wife, and Charlotte’s mother. She is a static side character whose primary traits are resilience, virtue, and compassion.

Lucy’s resilience is portrayed through her ability to persevere despite experiencing significant traumas, including her father’s arrest and imprisonment and her mother and brother’s near-simultaneous deaths. Afterward, she supports herself and prioritizes her father by spending as much time with him as possible. She also experiences trauma when Charlotte disappears and later when Charlotte dies. In both instances, Lucy does not succumb to her negative feelings, but focuses on those she can help—first Mr. Temple and Eldridge, and later her granddaughter.

Her resilience stems largely from her sense of duty; even when she’s experiencing tremendous pain, she feels that her energy is best spent tending to others who are suffering, through which she may find reprieve from her own suffering. Her character comes to represent the importance of virtue, as she always manages to find contentment despite the trauma she endures.

Captain Eldridge is Lucy Temple’s father and Charlotte’s grandfather. His wife and son die shortly after he is imprisoned for failing to repay his son’s commission. Eldridge is a side character who helps to characterize Mr. Temple and Lucy. Lucy’s virtue is demonstrated through her selfless devotion to Eldridge, and Mr. Temple’s generosity is shown when he pays off Eldridge’s debts. Eldridge also advances the plot, introducing Mr. Temple and Lucy and then traveling to Chichester to get Charlotte. Like Lucy, Eldridge experiences significant traumas; however, unlike Lucy, he is unable to maintain high spirits in difficult times. His suffering shows that The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal are insidious and far-reaching.

Colonel Crayton is an officer of the British Army and the father of Mrs. Beauchamp. He meets Mademoiselle La Rue on the ship to the United States, and she tells him that she was tricked by Belcour and that she feels guilty for believing him. Crayton falls for the ruse, and he marries Mademoiselle La Rue shortly after arriving in New York. Rowson writes, “He was beloved for his humanity and benevolence […] but he was easy and unsuspicious himself, and became a dupe to the artifice of others” (119). He is unsatisfied in his marriage and gives up trying to control Mademoiselle La Rue’s behavior. He separates from Mademoiselle La Rue three years after she turns Charlotte away.

Colonel Crayton is a minor character who serves to advance the plot. He is the reason that Mademoiselle La Rue turns Charlotte away, as she fears he will leave her if he finds out her role in Charlotte’s circumstances. Crayton’s character speaks to The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal. Like Charlotte, his kind, trusting nature makes him susceptible to manipulation, but unlike Charlotte, he is an independently wealthy man, so when he realizes he has been duped, he has the power to change his circumstances.

Julia Franklin is the love interest of Montraville and the niece of Mr. Franklin. She is an attractive heiress and is described as “a girl of lively disposition, and human, susceptible heart” (137). She quickly develops feelings for Montraville and encourages his affections.

Julia is a static side character who serves as both a foil and a secondary antagonist to Charlotte. Julia and Charlotte become foils through Montraville’s opinions of them; he sees Julia, who is tall, elegant, and wealthy, as the opposite of Charlotte. However, ironically, Charlotte is initially described as a “tall, elegant girl” (7). The main difference he notes is in their wealth. Julia is a secondary antagonist, as she has a negative impact on Charlotte; however, the influence is unintentional and unknown, as Julia does not know about Charlotte. Her character contributes to The Consequences of Seduction and Betrayal, as her presence in Montraville’s life contributes to his betrayal of Charlotte.