Summary of Wieland (by Charles Brockden Brown)

As one of the first American novels, Wieland is a tale of illusions, confusion and irrational human behavior. Told from the perspective of Clara Wieland, this gothic story is set in post-revolutionary Pennsylvania and revolves around the miseries of her family. Even in the first few chapters the narrator presents the reader an unbelievable tale: the mysterious death of Clara’s father, who, after making a short visit to the family’s little hut, never …

…to set an end to the story. To sum up, Brown’s “Wieland” is a novel that consists of many turning points and unclear situations that leave the reader sometimes stunned and clueless. Since in the end, however, Carwin is identified as having influenced the whole Wieland family, a conclusive solution of the mysterious story is achieved. He was the person who most of the story revolved about and therefore the end is definitely logic.