Introduction
Charlotte Temple and Lily Bart, two vastly different girls with fates so strangely similar.
Who could blame them for their unfortunate ends?
The works Charlotte Temple and House of Mirth, two of America's most beloved bestsellers,
are both set in different time periods, both with characters that have different upbringings and are overall,
polar opposites of one another. Yet, these two have more in common that one might think.
This chapter will be taking a look at the two texts, examining the portrayal of the main female characters
and ultimately their roles in the society they are placed in, where despite the fact that
both novels have greatly contrasting elements, there are still parallels
and conceptions about women that appear to be instilled in society no matter the period.
The basis of our argument is how the perception of women in society and their "default"
statuses, no matter the time period they lived in, ages, personalities, experiences, and so on, will always
inevitably be of a “doomed” victim's. Ultimately, society’s expectations and narrow views
sets up women to place their fates in the hands of anyone/everyone but themselves.
Part one: Female Relationships - Split into two parts, inspects how Charlotte and Lily's
relationships with other women in their lives could be a factor that lead them to their doom.
Part two: Appearance and Reputation - Discusses how the protagonists of the novels are viewed with
regards to the aspect of their reputation that is affected by society's perception of them.
Part three: Pity for the Doomed Girl - Discusses the idea of pity and how it plays in to the perception of
women in society- and how they only take on value when they are to be pitied.