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Henrietta by Charlotte Lennox

Overview
Henrietta, a woman who desires to make her own path in life, with determination and steadfastness can achieve whatever it is she wants, even if she doesn’t know exactly what that is in the beginning.

Plot Summary
Set in 1700’s England, our protagonist Henrietta Courteney, is running from the start. With what seems like a string of bad luck Henrietta is constantly moving from one place of residence to the next. We are informed of Henrietta’s adventures from her own story telling; recounting her past to strangers in the first volume of the story. As more and more characters are introduced to the novel confusion and chaos ensues in the form of rumors spread, unwanted love, and familial pressures. Pressure from family is arguably what sets this story in motion, and it ends very much the same way. Henrietta runs from her aunts pressuring to conform to their lifestyles, and is almost prevented from loving the man she actually wants by her brother. It is, this man that she loves, Melvil, who in the end, helps set everything right in order for them to be wed.

Characters

 * The protagonist, Henrietta has much in common with other characters from the time. She is ignorant to the world around her, yet is not afraid to explore. While making mistakes she has a mind of her own, and stands resolute when her morals are challenged.
 * In a similar fashion, Lord B plays along with his trope of handsome gentleman player. While he may look the part to be a perfect suitor for any young woman, ultimately he is not what he appears to be. He is a gold-digger, willing to leave one woman for another if it means he will become a wealthier man.
 * Mrs. Willis, who was perhaps, the only person Henrietta found lodging with that cared for what Henrietta wanted in life, and it showed seeing as she was the only character whose end was not met with death or misfortune.

Novel Structure
The structure of the novel is much different than other novels of the time. While many have been read by a narrator who occasionally inputs their own opinion, Henrietta is the narrator of her own story. Not only that, but much of the story is a retelling, a recounting of events that have happened previously. With this, many other characters are involved in Henrietta’s story. There are people within her stories, and the people who are listening to the story being told.

Narrator's Voice
Since the narrator is Henrietta, much of the story is in her voice. Given this information, it is safe to argue that her story could be one of bias. We are not getting more than one side of the story she is telling, so it is harder as an audience to gain a different perspective. Although Lenox does periodically step in to hint at her opinion regarding certain decisions being made, the majority of this novel is seen very much through Henrietta’s eyes.

Important Themes
One of the most important themes in this novel is choice. From the beginning to the end Henrietta, as well as almost every other character is faced with many choices; whether it is who to place their trust in, where to go, who to marry, or how to spend their down time, there is an abundant amount of choices to be made. While it is obvious many of the characters do not end up making particularly wise or right decisions, the consequences unfold before them forcing them to deal with what they’ve chosen.