• Yes, you need your
journals.
The True
Confessions of
Charlotte Doyle
BOOK GUIDLINES
• Grab a book if you need one – it will live
under your desk, on the basket with your
textbook.
• We are NOT checking these out.
• You do NOT take the book with you when
you leave.
• Everyday, when we’re done with the
books, you will put it under your desk.
• If you need a book to read at home, you
can check a book out from the media
center.
Before We Read…
Answer the following in your notebook:
1. Make a prediction: who do you think the
protagonist in the novel is?
2. Make a prediction: what do you think the
novel is about?
3. Infer: Why do you think Avi wrote this
novel?
Prologue
After we read the prologue together, answer the
following questions in your notebooks:
1.
2.
3.
4.
When does the novel take place?
Who is the protagonist and narrator?
Where is the narrator from?
Where are the narrator’s parents? Why aren’t
they with her?
5. Why was the narrator traveling without her
family?
6. Was she traveling completely alone? If no, who
was she traveling with.
7. Why can the narrator retell the story with
accurate detail?
Prologue
•
Make a prediction:
1. What do you think will happen to Charlotte in
the novel?
2. Why do you think we spent time going over
the historical/social context?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 1
1. Who is taking Charlotte to the ship?
2. How does Charlotte embody the 19th century
lady and/or child? (Think of the context lecture.)
3. What is the name of the ship?
4. What does Charlotte witness between Mr.
Grummage and the porter? What might this
foreshadow?
5. What does Charlotte find out at the end of
chapter one in regards to her traveling aboard
the ship?
6. Make a prediction: what do you think will happen
in the next couple chapters?
Reading Options
1. Independently
2. With ONE partner – you are reading in
very quiet voices.
3. Aloud with a larger group
•
No matter what group you read with, you
are responsible for answering the
chapter’s discussion questions.
Notebook Questions
Chapter 2
1. Who is Mr. Keetch?
2. How do you think Charlotte feels about her
accommodations on the ship? Give details
from the story to support your opinion.
3. How does life on the ship contrast to the life
Charlotte knows? (What kinds of things does
she find objectionable?)
4. Who is Zachariah?
5. Why did Zachariah give a knife to Charlotte?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 3
1. What is Charlotte’s plan at the beginning
of the chapter?
2. Who is Mr. Hollybrass?
3. INFER: What happened to Mr. Cranick?
4. Why does Captain Jaggery say he’ll no
longer speak to the crew?
5. How does Captain Jaggery treat
Charlotte?
Chapters 1-3 Review
1.
2.
3.
4.
Answer the following questions in your notebook:
What is Captain Jaggery’s reputation?
Why does Charlotte implicitly (totally) trust
Captain Jaggery?
Do you think Charlotte is prejudiced? Why or
why not?
Make a prediction regarding what will happen
with Charlotte’s relationships with the captain
and crew in the novel.
Notebook Questions
Chapter 4
1. What does Charlotte try to do with the knife in
chapter 4? Why do you think she tried to do
that?
2. What does Zachariah call a ship? (What
literary device is he using?)
3. Do you think Charlotte still embodies the
typical 19th century woman at this point in her
voyage? Why or why not?
4. What happened to Mr. Cranick?
5. Why did the crew sign on for a second
voyage?
6. Make a prediction: what do you think will
happen next?
Chapter 5
1. What is Charlotte’s reaction to
Zachariah’s story?
2. Why do you think she has that reaction?
3. What is Charlotte’s internal conflict?
4. What is in the iron safe?
5. What does Captain Jaggery say about
Charlotte interacting with the crew?
6. What is a round robin?
Ticket out the Door…
Answer the following on a half sheet of
paper:
1. What are your feelings toward Charlotte?
Do you like/dislike her? Why?
2. Define foreshadow.
3. Write a paragraph (with a topic
sentence!) describing examples of Avi
using foreshadowing in the novel.
Turn in on the front table when you’re done.
Chapter 5 Review
• How does Charlotte feel about the captain?
Why?
• How does he treat her? Do you think he’s
being sincere? Why/why not?
• Do you think Captain Jaggery suspects the
crew seeks revenge?
• What does Captain Jaggery basically ask
Charlotte to do for him?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 6
1. At this point in the novel, how does
Charlotte feel about being aboard the
Seahawk? Give details to support your
opinion.
2. Where do Charlotte and Mr. Barlow go?
3. What is Charlotte going for?
4. What does Mr. Barlow tell Charlotte?
5. What is Charlotte’s reaction?
6. What is located down in the hold, where
Charlotte is not to go?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 7
1. What rationalization does Charlotte come
to after the incident in the hold?
2. What are your thoughts on what
happened?
3. What is Charlotte’s internal conflict at
this point in the novel?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 8
1. What are Charlotte’s feelings regarding being on
board at this point in the novel?
2. How does Charlotte’s relationship with the crew
change from the beginning of the book until now?
3. List 2 things we find out about Zachariah in
chapter 8.
4. What does Zachariah give Charlotte in chapter
8? How does Charlotte feel about it?
5. What does Captain Jaggery attempt to point out
to Charlotte about the crew? What is her
response?
6. What do you predict the conflict will be in the next
few chapters? Internal? External?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 9
1. What is the mood at the beginning of chapter 9?
Why?
2. Why did Charlotte volunteer to go to the
forecastle (where the crew slept)?
3. What did Charlotte overhear in the forecastle?
4. What did Charlotte see/find in the forecastle?
What was her reaction?
5. Who was the man that Charlotte saw climbing up
ropes from the dock to the ship?
6. What happened when Charlotte went to
Jaggery’s cabin?
Ticket out the Door…
Answer the following on a half sheet of
paper:
1. Do you think Charlotte made the right
choice telling Captain Jaggery what she
saw?
2. Do you think the relationship between
Charlotte and the captain will change?
Why or why not?
Turn in on the front table when you’re done.
Notebook Questions
Chapter 10
1. Who is the stowaway?
2. What did Cranick demand that Captain
Jaggery do?
3. What was Jaggery’s response?
4. What happens to Mr. Cranick?
5. What did Jaggery want Charlotte to do in
chapter 10?
6. Why, in your opinion, did Captain Jaggery
choose Zachariah to punish?
Chapter 9-10 Review
1. Do you think Charlotte made the right
choice telling Captain Jaggery what she
saw?
2. Do you think the relationship between
Charlotte and the captain will change?
Why or why not?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 11
1. What happened to Zachariah?
2. How does Charlotte feel about what
she’s done?
3. Do you think Captain Jaggery was being
fair to Charlotte making her watch? Think
in terms of today and the 19th century.
4. What did Charlotte unintentionally do to
Captain Jaggery?
5. Make a prediction: what do you think will
happen next?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 12
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What is/are the external conflict(s) of the book at this
point?
What is/are the internal conflict(s) of the book at this
point?
Why did Charlotte go to the captain’s cabin after the
incident on deck?
Why did Captain Jaggery say that he would no longer
protect Charlotte?
Why was Mr. Keetch no longer the second mate?
Captain Jaggery declared an emergency. How did
that affect the crew members?
What did it mean when Charlotte put on the garments
which Zachariah had made?
Ticket out the Door…
Chapters 11-12
Answer the following on a half sheet of
paper. Write 2-3 sentences per question:
1. Describe Charlotte’s reaction to everything
she saw.
2. Do you think her reaction was overly
dramatic or appropriate? Why or why not?
3. Was her reaction because of her 19th
century upbringing, or do you think people
today would have the same reactions?
Turn in on the front table when you’re done.
Notebook Questions
Chapter 13
1. What does it mean when Foley calls
Charlotte a “pretty” girl?
2. How did Charlotte prove to the crew that
she was on their side?
3. What advice did Charlotte receive from
Ewing about her climb?
4. How did Charlotte feel about climbing the
mast? Give specific details.
5. Infer: how do you think the crew felt
watching her climb?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 14
1. Do you think Charlotte’s father would approve
of Charlotte’s joining the crew? Why or why
not?
2. What new name was given to Charlotte by
Captain Jaggery?
3. What were Charlotte’s sleeping arrangements
after she joins the crew?
4. Give 2 instances of foreshadowing in chapter
14.
5. Captain Jaggery sent Charlotte out on the
bowsprit when the jib became entangled. When
she looked back at the ship, what “frightful
vision” caused her to freeze for a moment?
Charlotte as a Dynamic Character
1. Compare/Contrast Charlotte in the novel.
2. Draw a ven diagram
1
Charlotte at Beginning
Upper Class Girl
Passenger
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
3
2
3
4
5
Charlotte Now
Crew Member
Writing Assignment Ch 13-14
• Write a paragraph describing Charlotte as a
dynamic character.
• Requirements:
– You must have a topic and concluding sentence.
– This should be at least ½ of a page.
– Include at least 1 quotation from the text for full
points.
• Turn in on the front table when you’re done.
Notebook Questions
Chapter 15
1. Describe the man vs. nature conflict in
chapter 15.
2. Where was Charlotte when she cut her
hair? What did she use?
3. Describe the mood and diction during the
hurricane scene.
4. Who gave Charlotte a hand and saved
her from falling?
5. What happened to Mr. Hollybrass?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 16
1. What is the mood at the beginning of
chapter 16. Why? How does this
foreshadow what’s to come?
2. Why was Charlotte accused of murder?
3. What is the conflict in the chapter?
Describe it.
4. Why do you think the men think Charlotte
killed Mr. Hollybrass?
5. Who do you think killed Hollybrass? Give
evidence to support your claim.
Assignment
•
•
•
•
Look through chapters 15 and 16.
Find 5 similes.
Write them down.
Pick two, analyze each. Describe what’s
being compared and how it enhances a
reader’s understanding of the text.
• Turn in on the front table when you’re
done.
Notebook Questions
Chapter 17
1. What did the brig look like?
2. Zachariah’s alive! How? Why? What is your
reaction to this?
3. What is Zachariah’s “plan” regarding Captain
Jaggery? What does Charlotte think is
problematic about the plan?
4. What could happen to Charlotte if she’s found
guilty?
5. Who do you think killed Hollybrass? Give
evidence to support your claim.
6. Make a prediction about what will happen during
the trial.
Notebook Questions
Chapter 18
1. List 3 pieces of evidence that is used against
Charlotte.
2. The characters debate whether it is unnatural or
unusual that Charlotte was a crew member.
What do you think?
3. Was this a fair trial for Charlotte? Why or why
not?
4. Captain Jaggery said he’d give Charlotte a trial
because she wants “fairness.” What might be
ironic about this statement?
5. Charlotte has been sentenced to death. Do you
think she will die? If not, how will she get out of
her sentence?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 19
1. Why didn’t anyone on the crew defend
Charlotte?
2. What do Charlotte and Zachariah debate in
chapter 19?
3. Who most likely killed Hollybrass? Why?
4. Why does Captain Jaggery let Zachariah
live?
5. Make a prediction: how will the book turn
out?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 20
1. Where is the key located? What is the key for?
2. Do (did) you trust Keetch? Why or why not?
3. Why is Jaggery so anxious to hang Charlotte
within 24 hours?
4. Before Charlotte went into the captain’s cabin,
she remembered the conversation from Chapter
2, which she had overheard outside her
quarters. Whose voices had she heard?
5. The captain is waiting for Charlotte. How did he
know Charlotte was coming to his cabin?
6. Where was the Captain supposed to be?
Notebook Questions
Chapter 21
1. Identify two pieces of information that Keetch had
shared with the captain.
2. Name two of the three choices that Jaggery gave
to Charlotte when she was discovered in his
cabin?
3. Captain Jaggery says, “Order Miss Doyle, order
is all.” Think deeply – what does this mean?
How does this relate to what Captain Jaggery
did?
4. Why didn’t the crew help Charlotte?
5. When was the figurehead mentioned in the book
one last time?
6. Who became the new captain?
Ticket out the Door…
Chapters 20-21
Answer the following on a half sheet of
paper. Write 2-3 sentences per question:
Captain Jaggery lectures Charlotte on the subject
of order.
1. What is his message/point?
2. How does Charlotte defy order?
3. What is your reaction to this statement?
Do you think Charlotte is breaking order?
Is there anything wrong with that?
Turn in on the front table when you’re done.
1.
1.
Why Charlotte
didn’t choose
that choice
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
Charlotte’s
Choice
Consequence of
Choice
Notebook Questions
Chapter 22
1. Why had Zachariah left his home in Africa?
2. Her family members noticed what changes in
Charlotte?
3. Why was there a blaze in the fireplace, even
though the parlor was “uncommonly warm”?
4. How does Charlotte bribe Bridget?
5. Why do the words “unnatural” and “orderly”,
spoken by Charlotte’s father, cause her to turn
against him?
6. Why do you think Charlotte left home to go back
to the ship?
Applying Historical Contexts to Charlotte Doyle Chapter 22
19th Century Life
1. Proper Dress
2. 19th Century Women
3. 19th Century Men
4. 19th Century Children
5. Charlotte’s House
6. Class System
Examples in Chapter 22
1.
For each aspect
2. of the 19th
century, give at
3. least 1 example of
4. where you see it
being discussed
5. in the novel.
6. Class
1. Upper Class
1.
2. Lower Class
2.
19th Century Life
Examples in Chapter 22
1. Proper Dress
1.
2. 19th Century Women
2.
3. 19th Century Men
4. 19th Century Children
5. Charlotte’s House
6. Class System
1. Upper Class
2. Lower Class
3.
4.
5.
6.
1.
2.
19th Century and Charlotte Doyle
• Using your T-Chart, write a mini essay that
discusses how Charlotte Doyle shows it takes
place in the 19th century.
• You must have organized paragraphs with topic
sentences.
• Include at least 3 topics from your T-Chart.
• This should be at least 1/2 of a page.
• Turn it in on the front table when you’re done.
RUBRIC - 10 POINTS
____/4 Content – you have a developed assignment with specific details.
____/3 Organization – you have a topic sentence, structured assignment
that is easy to follow.
____/3 Grammar/Mechanics – your assignment follows proper grammatical
and mechanical conventions.
The novel The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle takes
place in the 19th century. It is easy for readers to see this because
of how class, women, and children are written about. The first
piece of evidence that the novel takes place in the 19th century is
how class is handled. Charlotte’s family is from the upper class.
Her family has at least three servants who take care of them.
When Charlotte wanted to get butter for herself at dinner, her
father told her to let the servant do it.
The second piece of evidence that the novel takes place in
the 19th century is how women are discussed. Men and women in
the novel have their places. Charlotte is expected to dress in fine
dresses, keep out of the sun and obey. Her mother is shocked
when she gets off the boat in finds that her hair is short and her
skin is tan. Women in the 19th century were supposed to be
properly dressed at all times.
The final piece of evidence that the novel takes place in the
th
19 century is how children are written about. When Charlotte
returned home, readers met her younger brother and sister.
When they were joking with Charlotte, their parents quickly
scolded them, reminding them to act properly. Furthermore, they
were sent from the room when Charlotte and her parents were
about to discuss improper things that children shouldn’t hear. In
conclusion, there is much evidence in the novel that it takes place
during the 19th century.
Life on land in the 19th
Century
Life on sea in the 19th
Century
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
5.
5.
Think about rules, customs, things that were
important etc. to each specific environment,
then fill out the T-Chart
Land vs. Sea Writing Assignment
• Using your T-Chart, write a paragraph comparing
and contrasting life on land vs. sea.
• You must have an organized paragraph(s) with a
topic sentence.
• This should be at least ¾ of a page.
• Turn it in on the front table when you’re done.
RUBRIC - 15 POINTS
____/5 Content – you have a developed assignment
with specific details.
____/5 Organization – you have a topic sentence,
structured assignment that is easy to follow.
____/5 Grammar/Mechanics – your assignment
follows proper grammatical and mechanical
conventions.
Wrapping up the Book
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pick 2 questions. Answer them – each answer should be
about ½ of a page.
YOU MUST INCLUDE A QUOTATION FOR FULL POINTS!!!
Think back to the lecture on historical context. Describe at
least 2 things relating to historical context in the novel. See
your notes!
There is discussion between unnatural and unusual. Describe
how Charlotte is one or both.
How did Charlotte change during her voyage. Remember to
not only use details in the novel, but also think in terms of the
19th century lady.
Compare/contrast Mr. Doyle and the captain.
Zachariah says “When a ship is upon the sea, there’s but one
who rules. As God is to his people, as king to his nations, as
father to his family, so is captain to his crew.” How does this
relate to the Seahawk?