Concept/Vocab Analysis
Literary Text: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Organizational Patterns: The text is divided into Part One and Part Two. Part One tells
the adventures of "the person I (Charlotte) once was" (p. 1). Part Two picks up
the story after the coming-of-age event that transforms Charlotte to the person that
we know at the end of the text, after she joins the crew of the ship. This text is
also divided into chapters ten to fifteen pages in length. It is also structured
somewhat as a journal, or at least with the understanding that it is based on the
writings from Charlotte's journal. The body of the text is preceded by a foreword
written by the narrator explaining her situation. An appendix, including diagrams
and charts informing the reader on basic nautical terms, follows the body of the
text.
Issues related to the study of Literature:
Theme: This story relates the coming of age of a thirteen-year old girl. It entails
several themes:
1. Gender roles: "So we have in you, Miss Doyle," the captain pressed on,
"an unnatural girl, dressing in unnatural ways, doing unnatural things..."
(p.169)
2. How do we judge people? Money, race, position, gender...
Zachariah--"His clothing, what I could see of it, was even more
decrepit than the previous sailor's which is to say, mostly rags and
tatters...when he smiled-for that is what I assumed he was
attempting--he offered only a scattering of stumps. But his eyes
seemed to glow with curiosity and were all the more menacing
because of it." (p.20)
Cap. Jaggery--"Just to see him made my heart leap joyously with
recognition and relief. From his fine coat, from his tall beaver hat,
from his glossy black boots, from his clean chiseled countenance,
from the dignified way he carried himself, I knew at once....he--I
saw it in a glance--was a gentleman, the kind of man I was used to.
A man to be trusted."(p.27)
3. Tradition and departing from tradition: the benefits and consequences
of each.
"Captain Jaggery. It was to him I owed my allegiance--by custom-by habit--by law."(p.77)
"And right is what we do here. Proper order will be
maintained."(p.93)
"It doesn't matter that you are different, Miss Doyle. Don't flatter
yourself. The difficulty is that your difference encourages them to
question their places. And mine. The order of things."(p.188)
"The young are capable of absorbing many shocks and still
maintaining an ...yes, exactly, Charlotte. [An} orderly [life]. You
give me much hope."
Setting: The story begins in England, and ends in America. However, the bulk
of the action takes place on the Seahawk as it crosses the Atlantic from
Liverpool to Providence, RI. The year is 1832.
Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing takes place throughout the novel.
1. Several porters run away as soon as they hear the name "Captain
Jaggery."(p.9)
2. The family that Charlotte was supposed to travel with does not show
up.(p.13)
3. Charlotte sees a man climb up the rope and disappear onto the
Seahawk.(p.13)
4. The crew on board the Seahawk warns Charlotte to leave the ship.
(p.19)
5. Charlotte overhears a conversation her first night on the ship but does
not know what to make of it.(p.24)
6. Both Zachariah and Captain Jaggery advise Charlotte to keep a knife
on hand during her voyage. (p. 38)
7. Charlotte sees a face as she retrieves her clothes from the top steerage.
(p.55)
Point of View, Narrative Voice: The story is told entirely from Charlotte's
perspective in a first person narrative voice. The reader follows her as her
experiences change her perceptions of various characters in the novel.
Tone: The tone of this novel is affected by the time period. Charlotte seems
much more mature than your average thirteen year old girl, hers is not the
voice of any thirteen year olds that I happen to know. Her vocabulary is
much more extensive than a typical early adolescent and may be difficult
for some readers at the sixth grade level. The flowery description and
voice contributes to the romantic tone of the novel, as does the mystery
and adventure.
Irony: The crowning irony of the novel is that the people that Charlotte initially
considers her greatest allies turn out to be her worst enemies. Those
individuals who she originally holds with contempt end up being her truest
friends.
Affective issues related to the work:
- Students may be able to relate to Charlotte on the basis of being boxed into
gender roles. Have they ever felt they couldn't do something because they were a
boy or a girl? Did they ever ridicule someone because they wanted to do an
activity that is typically thought of as done by the opposite gender?
- Students can compare how Charlotte makes judgments about the characters in
the novel, specifically Captain Jaggery and Zachariah, to how they judge people.
Do they see discrimination in the world around them? What makes them trust
people?
- Why do the students think Charlotte eventually preferred the company of the
crew to that of Captain Jaggery and even her own family? What qualities do the
students seek for in their own friendships? How do you be a good friend?
- Have students ever had an experience where they disagreed with the "order of
things?" What did they do about it? How does it feel to go against the "order of
things"? When is it appropriate to go against the order of things?
Vocabulary issues:
This novel presents several difficult vocabulary issues.
- Foremost, because this takes place on a ship the narrative includes many
technical terms such as "ratlines," "bowsprit," "flying jib," "fore-topgallant sail,"
and so on and so on and so on. Fortunately, the writer addresses this issue on
page 12, and it is for this purpose that she includes an appendix at the end with
drawings labeling the different parts of the ship. My concern is that these terms
are not particularly useful in every day life and therefore, I do not see a great deal
of value in spending precious class time memorizing these words.
- Not only does this novel include unfamiliar nautical terminology, but also it
includes a rather extensive vocabulary that a typical sixth grader may struggle
with. They would need extra instruction and lessons to assist in their
understanding of these. Some examples of the words I refer to include:
fastidiousness(p.145), disheveled(p.138), resentment(p.69),
averted(p.69), deliberate(p.86), curs(p.88), convulsively(p.96),
blithely(p.142).
- Also, the novel contains several excellent examples of vivid language that could
be brought to students' attention to assist them in their own writing development.
Some examples include: eerie irrelevance(p.83) cringing servility(p.68), mongrel
ignorance(p.84).
Major Concepts:
- A major concept of this work includes a recurring theme to question authority.
The traditional authority figures in this novel end up playing the villainous roles.
Charlotte even rebels against her own father and mother, constituting a "happy
ending." I am not sure sixth graders are responsible enough to handle this
concept, and I am not sure that I am ready to deal with parents upset that I am
teaching this concept. This concept is one that I will treat very carefully and not
emphasize greatly unless my students demonstrate the maturity to contemplate
such an idea.
- Another major concept is that of discrimination. The facts that Zachariah is a
black man and Charlotte is female color the entire events of the novel. Do the
students in central Utah have enough exposure to diversity to be able to reflect on
discrimination? Historical references to various forms of discrimination may help
them to understand Zachariah's situation as a black man, as well as Charlotte's
situation as a female.
Background Knowledge:
- It might be helpful to do some background research about ships in that time
period. It would be good to research the kind of people that rode on these ships,
the immigration movements of this time period, the "laws" of the high seas, etc.
- Background knowledge in studying Victorian codes of conduct for females at
this time (1832) would be very insightful into the culture that Charlotte exists in
and understanding when it is appropriate and even necessary to defy authority.
We could as a class do some research and come up with our own "Barrington
School for Better Girls."
Implications for students of diversity:
- Students of diversity may be particularly interested in the issues relating to
discrimination in this novel. The character of Zachariah and the limitations
placed upon him may help them to reflect on their own perceived limitations as
members of a minority race. They may also be able to assist the rest of the class
in understanding how it might feel to be discriminated against.
- Students of diversity can be reinforced by the fact that the hero of the story ends
up being Zachariah, the racial minority. He is the courageous moral anchor on
board the ship.
Gender Issues:
- This book screams out about gender issues. The question of what is acceptable
behavior according to gender is a central theme of the book. Charlotte is
considered “unnatural” and brought under the condemnation of the captain and
her own family by participating in and enjoying a profession that is considered
unfit for women.
The Central Question/Enduring Issue:
- I am planning to utilize this text within the structure of an overarching concept
for a yearlong curriculum. The central questions that I will focus my course
around is: Who am I? Who have I been? Who do I want to be? I feel that these
questions are appropriate to the age group that I am working with through Dr.
Crowe's class: sixth graders at Spanish Fork Middle School. I hope that a
yearlong exploration in their own identity will help prepare them to make
responsible choices as they continue on into the rocky roads of adolescence.
- This text fits into the "Who am I? Who have I been? Who do I want to be?" in
several ways.
1. It is a novel of self-discovery and coming-of-age. It is the story of
Charlotte discovering, "who am I?"
2. The gender issues fundamental to the entire novel invite the exploration
of "how does my gender affect who I am?"
3. Charlotte's choice to return to the Seahawk and live her life at sea
invites the exploration of "who do I want to be?"--an exploration
of future careers
4. The way that Charlotte initially judges the characters, the way that the
Captain treats the crew, and the way that the crew treat each other
invites both the questions, "who am I?" and "who do I want to be?"
relating to how we treat others, how to be a friend.
Research Issues/Project Ideas:
1. Research ships of the early 1800's: their structure, their passengers, their
purposes, what they ate, how they dressed, navigational techniques, tying knots,
etc.
Project: Construct a class ship on the bulletin board, label the parts, have
a Seahawk day in class. Have different groups make presentations
based on their research: bring in hard tack biscuits to eat, dress up
like a sailor, bring in rope and teach how to tie sailor knots, teach
some important navigational constellations, etc.
2. Research the code of conduct for girls in Victorian England. Research what
kinds of things Charlotte would have been taught at her Barrington School for
Better Girls.
Project: Have a Boarding School Day in class, where we transform our
classroom into the Barrington school. I will teach the students the
things that Charlotte would have been taught and require
"appropriate" behavior of them.
3. Research instances of discrimination from the nation's history, personal
history, current events, or someone the student knows personally. This
research could be done through interviews, through personal reflection, or
through traditional means. The research will be presented through a poem
or series of poems and shared with the class.
4. Research cultural expectations today for gender behavior. The class could
compile their own conduct book for boys and girls. What do they feel are
the rules? They could then compile a book for "People rules" to reinforce
the fact that we should not feel limited to certain behaviors based on
gender. Our "Code of Conduct for the Human Race" can address what the
class thinks are important rules of behavior for everyone, and it would
stand in contrast to the conduct books they create specific to gender.
4. Personal reflection paper on how you judge people. Think about your friends.
Why are they your friends? Why do you like them? Would you be friends
with someone who looked very different than you? Would you have
befriended Zachariah if you had been Charlotte? Would you befriend
someone who had a lot more or less money than you? Why or why not? Why
do you think people want to be your friend?
5. Research a career that you are interested in and might want to pursue. Find out
what a typical day would be like in this career. Have a career day in class
where you dress up like the career you have researched and act out in three
minutes, your life in a typical day as a ______.
6. Students will produce their own narrative, The True Confessions of
_________. (their name) This will tell the story of something exciting that
has happened to them. They can add fictional details if they so choose.
Informational/Functional Texts:
1. Research book about ships.
2. Excerpts of Conduct literature from the early 1830's, expressing proper
behavior for girls in this particular era.
3. Magazines that depict young girls and boys. The class could compile their own
book of proper conduct for girls and boys today. What does society tell us we
should be like based on our gender?