Templ

Melody Yawn
American Lit
March 18, 2007
Essay One

Temple

Temple by Susanna Haswell Rowson is a short story that has a strong influence on the mind of young women.   The story is an intriguing one that encourages the need for better female education that would prepare young women against the smooth talking mouths of men.  
In the preface of the story Rowson starts of by saying she is flattering herself to be of service
"To some   who are so unfortunate as to have neither friends to advise, or understanding to direct them, through the various and unexpected evils that attend a young and unprotected woman in her first entrance into life…"
This statement lets the reader know that the story is going to be one that helps young women focus on what should really be important to them.  
In the beginning of Temple you are introduced to two men named Montraville and Belcour who are surveying the ladies of Chichester (a sure sign that they are not as innocent as they play up to be later in the story).   The two are about to leave town when they spot Madame Du Pont and the young girls who attend her school.   This is when Montraville sees Charlotte Temple a lovely young lady, who he remembers dancing with at a ball.   When he see her blush as she walks past he is immediately smitten with all kinds of ideas and Montraville being the conceited man that he is, thought that he was the cause of her blushing and he wanted to see her again.
In Montravilles conquest to see Charlotte again he returns to Chichester and waits outside of the school gates.   While he is waiting he thinks to himself "should I succeed in seeing and conversing with her it can be productive of no good'.   This means that even Montraville knew what he was doing was wrong but he insisted on corrupting the poor girl anyway.   While waiting outside the gate he finally saw what he was waiting for: Charlotte and her French teacher Mademoiselle La Rue walking across the field. As the two women came close... [continues]

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