W100 Journal Week 6

Self-Insertion in Literature (Or Any Media Which Is Not Literature, But Follows a Similar Pattern Nonetheless)

While reading the first few chapters of Charlotte Temple I tried to keep in mind exactly what it was that made this book such a roaring success in the time when it was published. So far, my best guess lies with the preface written my Mrs. Rowson herself. She writes, “The circumstances on which I have founded this novel were related to me some little time since by and old lady who had personally known Charlotte, though she concealed the read names of the characters…” I believe that this preface, whether it was true or not, probably contributed very much to the book’s popularity. It seems to be the case even now that anything with the label “based on a true story” is automatically raised up a notch in the public’s opinion. Consider The Da Vinci Code, which was a huge best-seller just a few years ago, and probably still resides near the top of the lists. Would the book have been so popular had it not began with the very forthright first page stating, Fact Number 1… Fact Number 2…, ect? How many books followed explaining the mysteries of the Knights Templar, The Priori of Sion, or the hidden meanings in da Vinici’s paintings? Personally, I found that to be the most compelling part of the story, the idea that it could be proved historically.

As a prediction for my further reading of the book, I think that the author will probably use a least some refrences to places, people, or customs that readers will relate to, making the story and the characters seem that much more similar to their own experiences, and therefore much more compelling.

Another reason why Charlotte Temple may have held interest for so many readers is the author’s attempts to have the reader immerse themselves in the lives of the characters, and really, to try and become those characters while they are reading. Rowson encourages this mindset in the prolouge saying, “I may have children of my own, said I, to whom this recital may be of use…” By placing herself in the position of the reader, and then further into the position of an empathetic reader, she urges her audience to do the same. This tactic seems very well-executed, and also very effective. The ability of a story to lend itself to self-insertion, or the ability of the reader to imagine themselves in the characters places, is a key component of success.