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Chapter 19
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Gender Roles, Acceptance, and Freedom
Class, Social Hierarchies, and Respectability
Obedience vs. Rebellion
Racism and Solidarity
Summary
Analysis
Charlotte tells Zachariah about seeing Jaggery take a key from behind his daughter’s portrait for the gun safe before the failed mutiny. Zachariah urges her to go take it; after all, she’s scheduled to die anyway, and if she fails, Zachariah will have another chance after her. Charlotte agrees, but only if Zachariah tells the crew that she wasn’t the one who killed Hollybrass, as this will make it easier for her to sneak up unhindered. Zachariah agrees and goes up to find someone. While he’s gone, Charlotte sits in the dark and thinks of her family. She dreams of getting home and wowing them with tales of her adventures.
Although Charlotte has matured to the point that she’s willing to undertake a dangerous plan, her daydreams about telling her family about her adventures suggests a certain lingering naivety. An astute reader can deduce that, since Charlotte’s family is the one who taught her to obey and conform, they likely would not enjoy hearing about what she’s experience on the ship.
Active
Themes
Zachariah returns with Keetch, which does not reassure Charlotte due to her dislike of him. They bring him up to date on their theory. Although Keetch admits that he is not fond of Charlotte, he tells her that he’s willing to believe in her. Zachariah asks Keetch to get Jaggery out of his cabin for just a few minutes, as well as tell the rest of the crew members that Charlotte is innocent. He also tells Keetch that Charlotte will pass the key onto him. Keetch agrees to this, and the three part ways. Charlotte feels confident that their plan will succeed.
As Keetch is roped into the plan, he and Charlotte appear to declare a grudging respect to each other despite their rocky start. While this appears to be another instance of individuals uniting against Jaggery, it is also worth noting that Charlotte’s instincts have been correct in the past, and thus her unease around Keetch may not be entirely unwarranted.
Active
Themes
That night, at one o’clock, Zachariah comes to get Charlotte. She is frightened and wishes to go in the daytime, but he reminds her that she’s scheduled to hang at dawn. He then tells her that Keetch has distracted Jaggery by drawing him out to the helm. As Charlotte sneaks to the steerage, she hears the banging and creaking of her old cabin door, which reminds her of the conversation she overheard her first night in the cabin. She realizes she never discovered who was talking and is suddenly nervous she’s missed something important. She reaches Jaggery’s cabin. As soon as she enters, she sees him sitting at his table. He greets her.
