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Chapter 7
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Charlotte Temple, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Temptation and Vice
Regret, Guilt, and Shame
Deceit and Manipulation
Kindness, Compassion, and Forgiveness
Honor, Reputation, and Social Status
Wealth, Poverty, and Happiness
Summary
Analysis
Charlotte’s mother, Lucy, decides to throw a party for Charlotte’s birthday, which is coming up very soon. She proposes the idea to Mr. Temple, who agrees that it would be nice for them to assemble Charlotte’s friends in the garden, decorate the surroundings, and surprise their daughter with a big celebration. The two happy parents then talk about how wonderful Charlotte is, saying that she would certainly never “lose sight of the duty she owes her parents.” The author then pauses the story to muse on the nature of temptation, insisting that pleasure is often little more than a “vain illusion” that leads to disappointment and vice. Instead of focusing on pleasure, she says, people ought to practice kindness and empathy, since real happiness comes from selflessly caring about others.
The conversation that Charlotte’s parents have about her in this passage only calls attention to how much she has already strayed from her otherwise innocent and virtuous nature. While her parents speak adoringly about how she would never do anything that would dishonor their family name, she’s off chasing temptation in the form of Montraville’s enticing words. The implication, then, is that even the most virtuous people are subject to the dangerous allure of pleasure and passion if they’re not careful.
Active
Themes
Literary Devices
