60 pages • 2 hours read
Pam Muñoz RyanA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Charlotte, the novel’s protagonist, is an orphan who manages to escape cruel conditions and become a renowned stagecoach driver in an era when women were not allowed to vote or do “men’s” work. She survives multiple fevers as a baby and a wagon crash that kills both of her parents. She is immediately introduced as a survivor who overcomes the hardships thrown at her. Charlotte is depicted as being unlike other girls through traits that contrast with traditional femininity. She never owns a doll or hosts a tea party, she can’t sew, and she wouldn’t know a petticoat if she saw one. Her wild hair and untied ribbons reflect her tomboyish attitude and appearance. The fact that her “frock was too big and hung like a sack on her small frame” (5) further emphasizes how ill-suited she is to fulfill traditional gender roles.
Charlotte is concerned with justice from an early age. She understands that Mrs. Boyle treats her unfairly simply because she is a girl. She defends Hayward from the bully William. She knows that Mr. Millshark is a hypocrite who exploits the orphans. She is powerfully skilled in horse racing but is denied the opportunity because Mr.
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