Written By:

Pam Munoz
Riding Freedom Ryan
Drawings By:
Brian Selznick
 Critical Response Role
Draws on the ideology of gender vs. sex, and the power men held during
storys time period
If the equation of sex and gender were true, children would not need
to be taught and trained to preform gender in ways that are judged to be
socially acceptable or normative. (p.390, textbook)
Storys plot revolves around Charlotte disguising herself as a man and
running away in order to break away from being stuck doing domestic
chores like cooking and cleaning, and can finally pursue her male-
dominated passion of stagecoach driving.
Author note mentions reference to real life Charlotte registering to vote
in Santa Cruz County, fifty-two years before any woman would be
allowed to vote in federal elections in the United States
 Critical Response role,
Continued
Allows for identity markers to build a stronger relationship between the
reader and novel
I was able to identify with Charlotte facing prejudice as a female
This was something she could do for that woman who stood up in front
of all those laughing men and passed out handbills on the saloon steps.
Something for those women out front who were pretending they didnt
mind that they couldnt vote. For Vern, who hadnt been allowed to
speak up and should have been able to. And for that little girl outside
who was already standing up for herself. She smiled. And for me, she
thought. Because Im just as qualified as the next man. (129)
Charlottes persistence and bravery is a theme readers will be able to
relate to and identify with
Textual/Artistic Response
Role
Occasional Black and white pencil
sketch drawings allow for the
reader to better envision scenes
in the novel
Extremely descriptive diction and
imagery allow for a deeper
emotional connection to the story
Example: Charlottes love of
horses can be visualized through
vivid descriptions throughout the
story
The smell of the sweet, dank hay
and the horses comforted her like
an old quilt on a cold day.
 Historical Fiction
Setting according to textbook, not just an incedental backdrop,
it is defining and integral (p.236)
Much of this story takes place in California, and accuretely depicts
the women sufferage movement going on during storys time
period
Wyoming Territory is already talking about giving women the
right to voteIf Wyoming can recognize a womans rightful voice,
then California should, too!(p.87)
Trauma theory also arises in the beginning of the story when
Charlotte survives an accident that kills both her parents and
lands her in an orphanage, where she discovers her adoration of
horses
Trauma theory according to textbook, the practice of repetition
transform[s] something painful into something pleasurable by
restaging the trauma under more controlled circumstances...
enabling a sense of mastery or familiarity (239)
Adventure vs. Domesticity
Story begins as domestic fiction, when Charlotte feels the most safe in
her horse stables and surrounded by her close friends Vern and
Hayworth
Circumstances arise where Charlotte needs to run away, turning the
tables of her home as a haven and now embarking on an adventure
Common elements of adventure portrayed throughout the novel: events
depicting escape, survival, discovery
Charlotte escapes from the orphanage and encounters different
circumstances like finding work and hiding in lofts to sleep in all in order
to survive
Goes against the traditional stereotype of a male protagonist
 Authenticity/Author
Credibility
Extensive research done by author to create this fictional novel,
depicting the true story of Charlotte Darkey Pankhurst
Story ends with an authors note, providing multiple true
accounts of the real Charlottes life and how she correlated it
with character Charlotte
She explains how she kept the story line close to her real life but
also notes in certain instances why she had to take a creative
license(137)
Provides accurate dates and names, even including text written
on Charlottes grave monument that solidifies events mentioned
in the novel