Charlotte is an "ugly duckling" daughter from a wealthy Boston family, kept in a state of emotional arrested development by her domineering mother.

Originally a 1941 novel by Olive Higgins Prouty, it was famously adapted into a film starring Bette Davis as Charlotte Vale. Core Narrative: A Journey of Self-Actualization

On a South American cruise, she transforms physically and emotionally, falling in love with Jerry Durrance, a married man who also struggles with an unhappy domestic life.

After a nervous breakdown, she receives psychiatric care from Dr. Jaquith, who encourages her to "sail forth" and claim her own life.