The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Study Guide

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Edward Irving Wortis

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a children's novel that follows the adventures of thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle as she immigrates from Liverpool, England to Providence, Rhode Island. As the only passenger on board the ship, Charlotte's voyage is disrupted when tensions among the crew result in her serving as a sailor. Though at times her new life is dangerous, Charlotte's experiences show her an inner strength she never knew she had, and a kind of life she never knew was possible.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle Characters

Table of Contents
  • Charlotte Doyle – Charlotte is the thirteen-year-old upper-class girl with a proper education and proper manners. As such, she has grown accustomed to a refined style of living. Sheltered from the harsher sides of life, she has a narrow-minded view of things and places great value in propriety. She is returning to her family from a private girls' school in England. In the end, she decides to run away from home and become a true sailor, even though she is inexperienced.
  • Captain Jaggery – Captain Jaggery at first appears to Charlotte, the narrator, as a true gentleman, stylishly dressed and possessing elegant manners. He seems to be a man who she can trust and depend upon, even though he warns her that he will, at times, be compelled to treat the crew harshly. He later reveals himself as cruel and petty. He loses his temper easily and flies into violent rages. It turns out that he was charming to Charlotte only to make use of her, and is willing to kill anyone, such as Hollybrass, who threatens his position as captain.
  • Zachariah – Zachariah is the ship's cook who is cast in the role of the noble character. Early on, he offers Charlotte his friendship as well as a small knife for her protection. He cares for Charlotte during her first days of seasickness, and seems to be respected by the crew, although he is at times the butt of their jokes because he is the only black person on board. He tells Charlotte that he left his home in Africa as a teenager, and had been a sailor ever since. He has never lived in America and has never been a slave. At the end of the book, it becomes clear that he does not realize what his social status would be, even as a free man in Providence, Rhode Island.

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