Mr. Smith is the Branghton’s neighbor and one of Evelina’s suitors. He’s pretentious, vain, and arrogant, and he mistakenly believes that many young women are in love with him. Mr. Smith is middle-class—and although he takes great care over his appearance and tries to impress Evelina, Polly, and Miss Branghton with his manners, he looks shabby and silly compared to a real nobleman, like Sir Clement. Mr. Smith is predatory with women and flirts with Miss Branghton—who has a crush on him—and with Evelina, even though he does not intend to marry them. Mr. Smith arrogantly believes that he is too good for marriage and that marriage would interfere with his relationships with other young women. He does not care about women’s reputations, which could be irreparably damaged if he seduced them and then refused to marry then. Mr. Smith is therefore inconsiderate, as he only thinks about himself and his own pleasure. Mr. Smith is also snobbish and ambitious: he’s only interested in Evelina because he suspects that she is refined and possibly has a large inheritance, not because he genuinely cares about her.
Mr. Smith Quotes in Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World
The Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Smith or refer to Mr. Smith. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Volume 2, Letter 11
Quotes
It is true, no man can possibly pay me greater compliments, or make more fine speeches, than Sir Clement Willoughby, yet his language, though too flowery, is always that of a gentleman, and his address and manners are so very superior to those of the inhabitants of this house, that to make any comparison between him and Mr. Smith would be extremely unjust.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Mr. Smith Quotes in Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World
The Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Smith or refer to Mr. Smith. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Volume 2, Letter 11
Quotes
It is true, no man can possibly pay me greater compliments, or make more fine speeches, than Sir Clement Willoughby, yet his language, though too flowery, is always that of a gentleman, and his address and manners are so very superior to those of the inhabitants of this house, that to make any comparison between him and Mr. Smith would be extremely unjust.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
