Retrospective
While you might think you're reading Charlotte's journal, do recall that the journal she kept on the Seahawk was burned by her father. Instead, as her "An Important Warning" tells us, the novel is being written retrospectively. Judging by texts she references in this section, the adult Charlotte would probably in her 50s. This gives Charlotte perspective on the events she's narrating. For example, as the second mutiny is about to get underway she writes, "It's odd perhaps, but I was not frightened. I assumed we could succeed with out plan. Oh, what a power of faith in justice I had then!" (20.80). As this section demonstrates, the adult Charlotte clearly has a different attitude than her naïve, younger self.