As an epistolary novel, Evelina consists of letters written by different characters from a variety of perspectives. As becomes clear over the course of the novel, these different narrators aren’t necessarily reliable or objective. While Evelina’s emotional acuity is certainly a strength of hers—her attunement and sensitivity to others means she is a supportive and caring family member and friend—it can also lead to exaggerated and overly emotional narration.
Evelina’s tendency to transcribe pages and pages of dialogue hours or even days after a conversation also suggests her stories may not always be accurate. Further, her prejudices against certain characters (such as the Branghtons) and love for other characters (such as Lord Orville) likely affect her ability to narrate objectively. Similarly, her naivety at the start of the novel seems to lead her to see (and describe) the world through rose-colored glasses.
Letters on the whole—Burney is subtly arguing—are inherently unreliable sources of information. Unlike diaries or journals, they are written with a specific audience in mind. While in some cases—such as in Evelina’s chapters-long diary-like entries she sends to Mr. Villars—letters are a way for characters to let out their true feelings and thoughts, in other cases they act as a way for characters to conceal the truth.
For example, Sir Clement writes Evelina an overly flirtatious letter, signing it from Lord Orville in the hopes that she will reject the nobleman. In another unreliable letter, Sir John Belmont denies the possibility that Evelina could be his daughter. In both of these cases, it is only after in-person discussions that the truth comes out.
