Editor's Choice
How would you describe Charlotte's character traits in Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan?
Quick answer:
Charlotte in Riding Freedom is depicted as tough, resilient, and ambitious. Growing up in a boys' orphanage, she challenges traditional gender roles, preferring activities like fighting and horse riding over playing with dolls. Her determination is evident as she adopts the identity "Charley" to work as a stable hand and later becomes a skilled stagecoach driver. Despite challenges, including a serious injury, Charlotte achieves her dream of land ownership and becomes the first woman to vote in a presidential election.
Charlotte can reasonably be described as tough. She has to be: growing up as an orphan, she needs to learn how to take care of herself from a pretty young age, especially as she's the only girl in the orphanage.
Charlotte's a bit of a tomboy. She hates doing the things that other girls her age do, such as playing with dolls. She'd much rather spend time fighting with the boys or hanging out at the stables. This shows us that Charlotte is something of a free spirit. She won't be told what to do, by boys, by society's conventions, or by anyone. She'll do her own thing, and if anyone objects, then that's their problem.
More than anything else, though, Charlotte is fiercely ambitious. She doesn't just love spending time with the horses in the stable; she wants to train them and ride them on a ranch of her...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
own one day. This would've been a rare thing for a woman to do in those days, and it's a testament to Charlotte's self-belief and individuality that she even contemplates such an unusual career move.
Pam Muñoz Ryan’s young adult novel Riding Freedom, illustrated by Brian Selznick, tells the story of Charlotte Parkhurst, growing up in a New Hampshire boys’ orphanage in the mid-1800s. Charlotte rebels against her society’s traditional gender roles. When she is told she can’t ride horses because she is a girl, she runs away to Worcester, Massachusetts where she takes a job as a stable hand under the pseudonym Charley.
Charlotte’s character development begins with her infancy. She proves herself to be resilient, recovering from illness and surviving the wagon accident that claimed her parents’ lives. Even Charlotte’s doctor comments that she is as "determined as a mule and tough as a rawhide bone." This strength and rugged individuality persist as Charlotte gets older, exemplified by her bold choice to run away from the security of the orphanage and on her own face a world she has learned limits choices for women. Charlotte lives as “Charley” in order to fulfill her dreams. She becomes a skilled stagecoach driver. Charlotte shows perseverance, continuing to pursue her goals by taking an opportunity to work in the California gold fields and not giving up even after a serious injury leaves her blind in one eye. When Charlotte grows up, she fulfills her dream of becoming a land owner and becomes the first woman to cast a vote in a presidential election, 52 years prior to women gaining the legal right to vote.
The characterization of Charlotte contributes to this book’s themes of determination and independence. Ryan’s novel encourages young readers to pursue their dreams, regardless of their gender or others’ expectations.