Although it seems that the rebellion present in the story destroyed some characters for a lifetime, it also revitalized other characters and those around them. At first, Rowson wants us to believe that the story entails a head versus heart motif; however, it is apparent that rebellion against society and following your heart go hand in hand. Through this, Rowson demonstrates the harshness and evils of society and tries to show characters that rebel against society's tough barriers. At a first glance it is seen that Rowson demonstrates rebellion on a destructive level only. This is shown through Charlotte's deceit of her parents, Montraville's betrayal of his father, and La Rue's actions against her boss. After looking further, it should be noticed that rebellion in the novel can also be good. By looking at the characters of Mrs. Beauchamp, Mr. Temple, and John, Rowson demonstrates the importance of rebelling against society and the value of following your heart.
[...] Later on in the novel it can be shown that Charlotte really does benefit from the friendship and from the warmth that Mrs. Beauchamp shows her. This piece of evidence from the book demonstrates that Charlotte, without her friendship with Mrs. Beauchamp, is miserable and sad. “Charlotte had now been left almost three months a prey to her own melancholy reflections—sad companions indeed, nor did any one break in upon her solitude . but only once, was her mind cheared by the receipt of the affectionate letter from Mrs. [...]
[...] The last example of rebellion can be shown through John, the servant who so willingly took Charlotte in at her time of need, despite Mrs. Crayton's cruel orders to leave her on the street. “Just so it happened with Mrs. Crayton: her servants made no scruple of mentioning the cruel conduct of their lady to a poor distressed lunatic who claimed her protection; every one joined in reprobating her inhumanity” (110-111). It can be seen that no other servants had the courage to go against Mrs. [...]
[...] John's rebellion against a member of society's upper class and against the public's general view of women in Charlotte's position, allowed Charlotte and her father to forgive and share their final moments together. By the end of the novel, Rowson makes it clear that rebellion is not always a determinant of failure, but also of great success. Had Mrs. Beauchamp not rebelled against society and befriended Charlotte, the poor girl might have never seen her father or known that she was forgiven by her parents. [...]
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