Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Sensibility, Etiquette, and Appearances
Gender, Reputation, and Marriage
Inheritance, Class, and Nobility
Innocence, Guidance, and Experience
Summary
Analysis
Evelina writes to Mr. Villars the morning after the ball to tell him about it. She writes that when she arrived, she was shocked to find it so busy and crowded. The men, she says, swanned around and looked the ladies up and down arrogantly as they passed. Evelina found them quite rude and was dismayed when a young man approached and addressed her. He asked her to dance in an extravagantly affected manner, and Evelina turned him down and had to stifle her laughter at the way he spoke.
Eighteenth-century Britain was patriarchal, meaning that men had more power than women, who were mainly viewed as commodities owned by their fathers or husbands. Upper-class men were particularly powerful and socially influential, and this explains their arrogant attitude toward the women at the ball. Evelina does not understand etiquette, or manners—which, in fashionable, 18th-century society, were extremely showy and extravagant. Instead of being impressed or flattered by the man’s speech, Evelina finds it funny because she does not understand that this is how fashionable, upper-class people are expected to behave.
Themes
Evelina hurries away from the man, but soon, another man named Lord Orville asks her to dance. Evelina agrees—although she is afraid to make a fool of herself—because, she says, Lord Orville has a handsome and expressive face and is extremely polite. Evelina stumbles through one dance with him, but panics when she hears that the next dance is extremely hard and, when he is not looking, she sneaks away with Maria.
Lord Orville’s expressive face and genuine manner are signs of his innate sensibility, a fashionable 18th-century concept which was associated with genuine kindness, empathy, and strong emotional responses. Evelina responds positively to Lord Orville’s sensible manner because she, herself, is innately sensible.
Themes
Evelina thinks she has escaped without Lord Orville noticing until Mrs. Mirvan points out that he is looking for her. Evelina tries to hide, but Lord Orville sees her and hurries over to ask her if she is alright. Evelina is mortified, but when Lord Orville politely asks her to dance again, she agrees because she feels she cannot run away a second time.
Lord Orville’s genuine concern for Evelina’s wellbeing demonstrates his sensibility, a characteristic that he and Evelina have in common. Evelina is inexperienced in fashionable society and does not know basic etiquette, such as the rules around dancing. Therefore, she acts on her own natural inclination rather than following social norms.
Themes
Evelina finds the dance difficult and worries that Lord Orville must be terribly embarrassed by her. However, Lord Orville seems cheerful and helps Evelina learn the steps. Although he wants to dance again, Lord Orville perceives that Evelina is tired and, knowing that she will be too polite to say anything, suggests that they sit down together.
Evelina is inexperienced in fashionable pursuits like dancing, and Lord Orville’s willingness to help and guide her, rather than judge her, reflects his sensibility—his empathy, kindness, and consideration toward others.
Themes
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When Evelina and Lord Orville find seats, Lord Orville asks Evelina questions on various subjects. Evelina is embarrassed because she doesn’t know about anything about these topics. While they talk, the man who previously asked Evelina to dance reappears and interrupts them. Evelina cannot help laughing at his stuffy manner, but she stops when she sees that the man is deeply offended, and that Lord Orville appears shocked by her behavior.
Lord Orville shows his natural sensibility when he tries to accommodate Evelina and find a topic that she is happy to discuss. Evelina is inexperienced in fashionable conversation and does not know the strict etiquette rules which govern 18th-century British society. She therefore inadvertently appears rude and even immoral, as etiquette was strongly associated with virtue at this time.
Themes
The man, Mr. Lovel, angrily tells Lord Orville that Evelina refused to dance with him before dancing with Lord Orville, which goes against polite etiquette rules. Mr. Lovel storms off, and Lord Orville complains that Mr. Lovel is extremely rude. Embarrassed, Evelina asks Lord Orville if he will find Mrs. Mirvan for her, and Lord Orville obliges.
Although the inexperienced Evelina has inadvertently broken etiquette rules, Lord Orville feels that it is Mr. Lovel who is rude, not Evelina. This supports the idea that Lord Orville is naturally sensible (empathetic and emotionally intelligent) as he instinctively dislikes Mr. Lovel’s bullying attitude—even though, according to etiquette, Mr. Lovel is right. This further suggests that etiquette is not synonymous with virtue or sensibility, even though people in 18th-century Britain tended to believe it was.
Themes
Evelina discreetly tells Mrs. Mirvan about her mistake, and Mrs. Mirvan is surprised that Evelina did not know dancing etiquette—she blames herself, however, as she feels that she should have instructed Evelina before the ball. Evelina is ashamed of her faux pas and feels out of place in fashionable society. Lord Orville is extremely polite, however, and stays with her for the rest of the evening.
Mrs. Mirvan does not blame Evelina for her mistake. Rather, she accepts that as Evelina’s guide, it is her responsibility to help Evelina navigate polite society, which Evelina has never experienced before. Lord Orville is genuinely polite, rather than simply following arbitrary etiquette rules, because he genuinely cares about how Evelina feels and wants to make her comfortable.
Themes
