6th Graders: here are your DOK level 3 Charlotte Doyle Questions
Novel Study Guide
Set in 1832, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a
high seas adventure centered on a young female protagonist who has to travel
across the ocean by herself in order to reunite with her family already in
North America. Her crossing is anything but normal. In no time whatsoever,
Charlotte is front and center in a whirlwind of events that will change her in
ways that she could not have imagined!
The following is a novel guide with questions and vocabulary
for every chapter. It can be used in a literature circle, or it can be given to
students as an independent novel study. Questions are mixed between literal,
inferential and evaluative types. Typical student answers are given at that
back of this novel guide to assist with assessment of student’s understanding
and knowledge. Since the vocabulary is pretty difficult, words from each of the
chapters have also been included for students to study and use in their own
sentences.
Chapter 1
1. When Charlotte goes to the dock for the first time, she
witnesses a great deal of activity. In a very descriptive way, she calls all of
this activity a “delicious chaos”. These two words can be considered an
oxymoron: two words that mean very different things but when put together mean
something completely different. What are the dictionary definitions of these two
words? What do they mean when put together? In other words, what is Charlotte
getting at with this strange observation?
2. A lot of thought goes into a name, especially the name of
a ship. It was no coincidence that the Titanic was a very large ship. When you
think of the word Seahawk, what images does it bring to your mind? What should
a ship by the name of Seahawk be like?
3. The captain’s name, Jaggery, is also a very interesting
name. What kind of person do you think he is with a name like that?
4. “Moored to the dock, she rode the swell easily”. There
will be many new words, ideas, and phrases introduced in this novel. The
language is of an older style, and many terms are ship related. What do you
think this first sentence means?
Chapter 2
1. Mr. Grummage could not wait to be rid of his
responsibility of taking care of Charlotte. Why do you think he was in such a
rush to get rid of her, even when you consider the possible threat to her
safety in travelling by alone?
2. Charlotte is shown to her cabin. Describe the cabin that
she was given. When describing the accommodations herself, Charlotte says, “It
was unnatural, and, as I stooped there, impossible.” What does she mean by
impossible?
3. Zachariah is an important character that we meet in this
chapter. Who is he exactly, and why does he think that he has so much in common
with Charlotte?
4. What do you think is meant by the last sentence in chapter
2?
Chapter 3
1. At the beginning of the chapter, Charlotte states that she
is a proper young lady in a place where a proper young lady should not be.
Consider life from her point of view for a moment. According to Charlotte, what
is a proper young lady, and what should she be doing as a proper young lady?
2. Charlotte’s first observation of the crew is quite
descriptive: “They were like men recruited from the doormat of hell”. What does
she mean by this statement?
3. Why does Charlotte consider Captain Jaggery a gentleman?
Chapter 4
1. Zachariah tries to warn Charlotte about the type of voyage
she is on. He tells her the following: A ship Miss Doyle… is a nation of its
own.” What exactly does Zachariah mean by this?
2. There certainly seems to be no love lost between Captain
Jaggery and Zachariah. What is it about the Captain that Zachariah does not
like?
3. Why is it so important that Captain Jaggery have Charlotte
aboard the Seahawk?
Chapter 5
1. Charlotte finally gets a chance to see what the Captain’s
quarters are like. How does the Captain’s cabin compare with Charlotte’s? Do
they have any similarities at all, or are they as different as night and day?
2. What’s a round robin? What’s its purpose? How would you
characterize the type of person who would decide to write their name on one?
3. Do you think Charlotte should trust Captain Jaggery? Why
or why not?
Chapter 6
1. It was no accident that the Captain decided to kiss
Charlotte’s hand in front of the entire crew. What is the symbolic significance
of the gesture?
2. How does Charlotte describe the cargo hold and its contents?
Chapter 7
1. What does Charlotte mean when she says that both Captain
Jaggery and Zachariah are courting her? What reasons would each of them have
for courting Charlotte?
2. Describe Charlotte’s character. Do you think she is a
strong person? What about her level of intelligence? If she were alive today
would you consider her a friend? Why or why not?
Chapter 8
1. As a young woman from the upper class, Charlotte was
taught to act and behave in a certain way. At the beginning of the chapter she
talks about this in reference to her morning routine. Has her morning routine
as a “young gentlewoman” changed now that she is on ship? How?
2. How has the crew responded to Charlotte now that she has
been on the ship for a long period of time? Has it changed from when she first
boarded? How?
3. “In particular, it was the story of Jonah that had a hold
on them.” This is an observation that Charlotte makes as she reads the Bible to
the crew. Why does this story have such a strong hold on the crew of the
Seahawk?
4. How are the first mates, Mr. Keetch and Mr. Hollybrass,
different when dealing with the Captain?
Chapter 9
1. How does Charlotte describe the crew’s quarters?
2. What did Charlotte find in Ewing’s trunk, and why was she
so surprised to see it?
3. As Charlotte reflects on her time in the crew’s quarters,
she comes up with a startling discovery. What is it?
Chapter 10
1. Charlotte’s opinion of the crew has now changed. How does
she describe them now, and how does this compare with when she first arrived on
the Seahawk?
2. Who is the stowaway that Charlotte discovered in the
previous chapter, and what is his relationship with Captain Jaggery?
3. How did Captain Jaggery respond to the rebellion on the
ship? Do you think that he responded in the correct way?
4. Why do you think Captain Jaggery chose Zachariah as the
person best suited to take the punishment for the crew?
Chapter 11
1. Did Zachariah show courage or cowardice when standing up
to Captain Jaggery? Explain your answer.
2. What did Charlotte try to do to stop Zachariah from being
whipped? Were attempts at stopping this punishment successful?
Chapter 12
1. In the previous chapter, Charlotte did something out of
character for a “gentle woman”. What has she now decided to do (near the
beginning of the chapter) as a young educated woman?
2. How did Captain Jaggery respond to Charlotte’s attempt to
apologize? What were some of the things that he said? Did he accept her attempt
to make amends?
3. What did Captain Jaggery do to make sure that the crew
would suffer for trying to rise up against him?
Chapter 13
1. Why did Charlotte want to become a member of the crew?
2. What test did the crew give Charlotte to see if she could
become one of them? Why did they give her this test?
3. Describe what it was like for Charlotte at the top of the
mainmast. Can it compare with anything that a person your age can do today? Would
you try to make the attempt yourself?
Chapter 14
1. What was the Captain’s reaction to Charlotte’s desire to
be a crew member?
2. How well did Charlotte perform her duties as a crew
person?
3. Why is the Captain watching Charlotte very closely?
Chapter 15
1. Why is the Captain so obsessed with sailing in the
hurricane even though it is extremely dangerous to do so?
2. “Every upward inch was a struggle, as though I were
forcing myself between the fingers of God’s angry fist.” What does Charlotte
mean exactly by the phrase “God’s angry fist”?
3. Why was it so important for Charlotte to cut the lines
from the foreyard sail?
4. Who all of a sudden saved Charlotte from certain death?
How do you think he got there?
5. What do you now think will happen to Charlotte because of
the accident involving Hollybrass?
Chapter 16
1. What was Charlotte accused of? Why do you think the crew
finds it so hard to believe her?
2. Now that they have been at sea for a long time, people are
starting to look a little different. How does Charlotte now describe Captain
Jaggery?
Chapter 17
1. Why was it so important for the crew to hide Zachariah
from Captain Jaggery?
2. Why does Charlotte think that, as a person of colour,
Zachariah will have a hard time convincing the authorities about how bad a
captain, and person, Jaggery is?
3. Why does Charlotte believe that Zachariah is the murderer
of Mr. Hollybrass?
Chapter 18
1. Does Captain Jaggery enjoy being Charlotte’s judge? Why or
why not?
2. “I wish,” he said, “to state how unnatural it is for a
girl to carry a knife.” What does Jaggery mean by unnatural?
3. “Is it not our duty, our obligation, to protect the
natural order of the world?” What does Captain Jaggery mean by the “natural
order”?
Chapter 19
1. Together, Charlotte and Zachariah come up with a new
suspect for the murder of Hollybrass. Who do they think killed Hollybrass, and
what was his motive for committing the crime?
Chapter 20
1. What did Charlotte and Zachariah now plan to do in order
to save themselves? Describe some of the reasoning behind their plan.
2. When Charlotte first came aboard, Mr. Keetch did not care
for her. What is his opinion of her now?
3. What shocking event caught Charlotte off guard at the end
of the chapter? Why?
Chapter 21
1. How was Jaggery able to know everything that was going on?
What information did he know?
2. Briefly describe the condition of the Captain’s quarters
now.
3. What eventually happened to the Captain? In your opinion,
do you think he got what he deserved?
Chapter 22
1. Do you think Charlotte was the correct choice for Captain?
Why or why not?
2. Why were lies written in the log concerning the deaths of
Jaggery and Hollybrass?
3. Why was Charlotte so interested in becoming friends with
her family’s maid?
4. Did Charlotte make the right decision at the end of the
book? What are some of the good points about her decision? What are some of the
bad points about her decision?
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