True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Discussion Questions:
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Discussion Questions:
True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Discussion Questions:
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• When <strong>Charlotte</strong> meets Captain Jaggery in Chapter Four, she feels<br />
reassured that her world has been regained. What does she mean by her<br />
world?<br />
• Just before he leaves <strong>Charlotte</strong> on the ship, Mr. Grummage says "in my<br />
world, judgments as to rights and wrongs are left to my Creator." Who<br />
decides right and wrong in <strong>Charlotte</strong>'s world? How does this change as<br />
the story continues?<br />
• When Zachariah <strong>of</strong>fers <strong>Charlotte</strong> tea and friendship, he says that he and<br />
she have much in common. What do you think they have in common?<br />
What does <strong>Charlotte</strong> have in common with Captain Jaggery?<br />
• After giving her the knife and sharing information about the Seahawk's<br />
previous voyage, Zachariah asks <strong>Charlotte</strong> if she believes in justice for all.<br />
<strong>Charlotte</strong> answers that she believes in justice "for those who deserve it."<br />
How does her sense <strong>of</strong> justice change as the story continues?<br />
• When <strong>Charlotte</strong> tells Captain Jaggery about the knife, why does she lie<br />
and say Grummage gave it to her? Why does the captain insist that<br />
<strong>Charlotte</strong> keep the knife? Mr. Barlow tells <strong>Charlotte</strong> that the captain put<br />
the sailors on display for her benefit. Why would the captain do that?<br />
• Does it seem realistic for a 13-year-old girl to do the physical work <strong>of</strong><br />
sailoring-in good weather and in hurricane-as <strong>Charlotte</strong> does? Since the<br />
total voyage lasts only a month or two, would she have time to learn the<br />
skills required <strong>of</strong> a crew member? If she managed to overcome these<br />
difficulties, might Captain Jaggery be justified in thinking <strong>of</strong> her as<br />
"unnatural"-that is, outside the normal order <strong>of</strong> things?<br />
• Early on, Zachariah told <strong>Charlotte</strong> that a ship captain is like a king or even<br />
a god to his people. If that's true and the sailors were attempting a mutiny,<br />
was the captain doing his duty in shooting the stowaway and punishing the<br />
would-be mutineers? <strong>Charlotte</strong> tells the captain that singling Zachariah out<br />
for punishment isn't fair. Is fairness the same thing as justice? Why does<br />
the captain ask <strong>Charlotte</strong> to choose the man to be punished for the<br />
attempted mutiny?<br />
• Zachariah says "To kill a hand during such a storm, when everyone is<br />
desperately needed, takes a kind <strong>of</strong> . . . madness." Do you think the<br />
captain is insane? Why does he hate <strong>Charlotte</strong> so intensely?<br />
• After Keetch betrays <strong>Charlotte</strong> and Zachariah's plan, the captain <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
<strong>Charlotte</strong> three choices: to carry out the mutiny, to sail safely home as a<br />
normal young lady passenger or to be hanged for murder. Why doesn't<br />
<strong>Charlotte</strong> consider the first two options?<br />
• Major events in the story depend on <strong>Charlotte</strong>'s misjudging the people<br />
around her-Zachariah, the captain, Keetch and her own father. Does the<br />
book suggest how a person might make wiser judgments about people<br />
and situations?<br />
• Why does Captain Jaggery's defeat depend on an accident?<br />
• <strong>Charlotte</strong> says she had been taught to believe that "greater freedom held<br />
sway" in America than in Britain. Is this another misjudgment, according to<br />
the book?
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