Jane Talbot

"Jane Talbot" by Charles Brockden Brown is an early 19th-century novel told through a series of intimate letters, mainly from Jane Talbot to her confidant, Henry Colden, where she goes over affection, family connections, and the feelings she has while struggling with her own flaws and the weaknesses of others. Jane starts by showing the conflict she has with her strong love for Henry while battling against what she thinks about love, worrying that it may lead to mistakes because of an infatuation. Her letters also suggest family stress, with her brother Frank's excessive lifestyle worrying her because his overspending could lead to bad decisions. She also tells of the problems she has had in her past, like her mother's death and her up-and-down relationship with her father, which all lead to problems in her life as she figures out her family's responsibility and her emotional life.