A novel by Avi

The True Confessions of

Charlotte Doyle

It’s an adventure and historical novel that is set in 1832.

Most of the story takes place in on an old two-masted ship, called a brig.

The brig is traveling from England to the United States to transport cargo.

The rest of the story takes place in the wealthy and orderly home of Charlotte Doyle’s parents in Providence (Rhode Island).

Setting

Charlotte’s wealthy father makes most of his money from the manufacturing of cotton goods during this time period.

During the 1830s the manufacture of cotton cloth was an important and profitable industry in both England and the northeastern United States.

This novel also takes place during the Industrial Revolution—a time when machines began replacing skilled workers.

The Industrial Revolution made many nations wealthier, but it was also responsible for widening the gap between the rich and poor.Social classes became much more obvious during this

time (it was NOT widely accepted to be associated with the member from a class different from your own).

Background Knowledge

Because the novel is considered to be historical fiction, this means that realistic details are used to represent the conditions a spirits of a specific time in history.

Avi (author) helps readers to understand what life was like for sailors and passengers aboard a nineteenth-century sailing ship on the open sea.

Slavery?—some African Americans were still enslaved in parts of the US at this timeHowever, there were many that were free, but

they were often treated with discrimination in the workplace as well as the courts.

Life on a Ship

The Seahawk