The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. How is Charlotte’s warning, “If strong ideas and action offend you, read no more,” in the Narrator’s Note an example of foreshadowing?

A) It foreshadows the fact that she will offend the ship’s captain.

B) It foreshadows her father’s outrage after reading her journal.

C) It foreshadows the adventure and heartbreak she experiences on her journey.

D) It foreshadows her rise to leadership within the women’s movement.

2. How does Charlotte’s statement that “[i]t would be wrong” for her to sail alone contrast with her actions at the end of the novel?

A) At the end of the novel, she willingly departs to sail alone.

B) At the end of the novel, she finds a husband to travel with.

C) At the end of the novel, she travels alone through the United States.

D) At the end of the novel, she wishes that she had stood her ground and taken another ship.

3. What does Charlotte’s immediate trust in Captain Jaggery reveal about 19th-century societal norms?

A) He is the ship’s leader, demonstrating that society’s heroes were those in positions of power.

B) He is dressed like a gentleman, suggesting that 19th-century Americans were more trusting than in other ages.

C) He is the leader of the ship, illustrating the importance of being able to speak to a crowd.

D) He is dressed like a gentleman, illustrating that displays of wealth were often associated with good character.

4. What prompts Charlotte to don the crew clothing that Zachariah makes for her?

A) She feels guilty for what happened to Zachariah and the rest of the crew after revealing the mutiny to Jaggery.

B) She realizes it’s more practical than the clothes she has been wearing.

C) She is tired of wearing dirty clothing, and they are the only clean clothes she has several weeks into her journey.

D) She recognizes that she will never return to America, so she must dress like a sailor.

5. How does Charlotte take advantage of being alone on the Seahawk?

A) She takes time to report to Captain Jaggery and build a reputation.

B) She gets to know a whole group of people, particularly men.

C) She quickly figures out how to sew and makes a profit selling new clothes to the sailors.

D) She learns about the ship and sailing, a subject that would not be appropriate for young women her age.

6. Why does Charlotte believe she is doing the right thing when she reveals the coup to Jaggery?

A) She has been raised to respect those in high positions, like Jaggery, not realizing what trouble she has stumbled into.

B) She dislikes most of the crew and doesn’t trust them.

C) She believes the captain will make her first mate if she reports the crew to him.

D) She isn’t sure who to trust, and the confrontation between Jaggery and the crew makes it clear.

7. Why does Charlotte agree to climb the main mast even though it is dangerous?

A) She has little to lose, fearing the captain will soon seek retribution against her for injuring him.

B) She hopes that it will show the captain that he can trust her.

C) She wants to belong to a group, which is a way of proving herself to the sailors around her.

D) She believes it is the only way to prove to herself that she is brave.

8. How does the crew disprove Jaggery’s insistence that they are brutes?

A) They ask Charlotte to teach them how to read and write.

B) They explain to Charlotte that, like her, they came from upper-class backgrounds, having left behind their families to sail.

C) They plan carefully for their mutiny.

D) They are patient and thoughtful in their training of Charlotte and attentiveness to the ship.

9. Which of the following best sums up Captain Jaggery’s character?

A) He is an exemplary sailor and cruel leader.

B) He is a poor sailor but an exemplary leader.

C) He is a poor captain and cruel taskmaster.

D) He is a kind captain and skilled sailor.

10. Why is Jaggery concerned that Charlotte disrupts the order of the ship?

A) He believes her desire to be a part of the crew threatens his position.

B) He believes that her willingness to disregard social norms gives the crew ideas.

C) He believes that her behavior is a symptom of a societal shift.

D) He believes her risky behavior could get him in trouble with her father.

11. Why does Charlotte say that she’s “been skeptical of accounts of deceased heroes ever since” sailing on the Seahawk? (206)

A) The logbook tells of her exploits with the ship’s crew.

B) The logbook ignores the betrayal she felt when no one supported her.

C) The logbook lists Jaggery and Hollybrass as dying heroically.

D) A man writes the logbook.

12. What is implied when Charlotte suggests that her father is looking for the word “orderly” to describe her?

A) That he is similar to Captain Jaggery, wanting Charlotte to fit in with society, even if she isn’t happy

B) That she cannot escape what society expects of her and that order will always win out over the chaos

C) That he only wants an unadventurous life for her so that she is safe and not in danger, as she was at sea

D) That she knows that he respects her more now, knowing that she can have wild adventures and retain the lessons of her good schooling

13. Which of the following best symbolizes Charlotte’s growth throughout the novel?

A) That she calls climbing down the trestle “child’s play,” showing how such a challenge frightened her at the beginning

B) That she rejoins her family at dinner, illustrating that though she enjoyed her adventures, she did miss them

C) That she runs back to the Seahawk, calling it her “home”

D) That she can foil Captain Jaggery’s plans to have her killed

14. Why might Charlotte ask the two maids assigned to help her dress to call her by her first name alone?

A) She has recognized that they were once schoolmates, and she knows that nothing should change between them.

B) She has seen how arbitrary class differences are and knows she is not superior to them just because of her family’s wealth and social status.

C) She is tired of people calling her “Miss Charlotte” and wants a break from the appearance of order.

D) She is hopeful they can be friends, especially since she believes she left all of hers on the ship.

15. Why does Charlotte behave so well after her father grounds her for a week?

A) She wishes to escape to the Seahawk and can’t let her family suspect anything.

B) She is repentant, especially after seeing her father disappointed in her.

C) She wants to be a good example to her siblings.

D) She hopes to show them that she can push the norms and stay within them.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. The sea can be chaotic, and Captain Jaggery discusses how often he wishes to restore order. How does he try to do so?

2. Why do you think Charlotte included an appendix to the novel? What does it suggest about her?