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 and tells him that, because of a surprising turn of events, they are still in London. The previous evening, Evelina went to the opera with her companions, and as they waited for a coach afterwards, they came across a distraught French woman who said she had lost her friends. Mrs. Mirvan said the woman could join them in their coach, but Captain Mirvan protested because the woman was French.
In 18th-century Britain, women were generally wary of being alone in public as it could put their safety at risk. Women did not have many rights, so men could potentially harass or assault them without consequences. Captain Mirvan is a very unempathetic and insensible person (sensibility was an 18th-century term for empathy and kindness). Because of this, he doesn’t feel that he has a duty to protect women whose safety is at risk. Captain Mirvan is a naval officer and dislikes the French because, during this period, England and France were often at war.
Themes
Eventually, Mrs. Mirvan convinces Captain Mirvan to let the old lady share their coach, and the group sets off for home. Captain Mirvan is extremely rude to the woman, however, and she responds by saying that she would rather go home to France than stay in England, where people have no manners. Desperate to stop their bickering, Maria complains that the coach is driving very slowly and Captain Mirvan says that they will go fast enough on their journey back to Howard Grove the next day.
Although 18th-century Britons prides themselves on etiquette, the Frenchwoman is a reminder to the reader than Britain is only one country; other countries have different social codes. This supports Burney’s argument that proper etiquette is often arbitrary, and it’s not necessarily a marker of moral goodness.
Themes
On hearing the name “Howard Grove,” the French woman suddenly exclaims that she knows Lady Howard. Captain Mirvan rudely states that the French woman is not a refined person and, therefore, cannot know Lady Howard. The French woman angrily retorts that she is just as good as Lady Howard and is as wealthy as her, too. At this, Captain Mirvan grabs the woman’s wrists and threatens to throw her from the coach. The woman cries out that if he dares to do so, she will call the magistrate. She claims that her name—Madame Duval—is well-known in London.
Madame Duval is not born into nobility but has married a French nobleman—therefore, she’s been able to partially transcend her lower-class background. However, although Madame Duval may be accepted among the nobility in France, the class hierarchy in 18th-century Britain was extremely rigid, and people could not claim to be nobility simply because they were wealthy or had entered the nobility through marriage. Captain Mirvan’s violent behavior demonstrates Burney’s point that because women had few rights—and because 18th-century society was misogynistic—violence against women was often considered acceptable. Men tended to view themselves as superior to women and therefore felt that they could treat them as they pleased.
Themes
When Evelina hears that the French woman’s name is Madame Duval, she realizes that the woman is her grandmother. Madame Duval strikes her as extremely vulgar; Evelina is so horrified that she almost faints. She wonders what she would be like if she had been raised by Madame Duval instead of Mr. Villars. Evelina’s reaction means that they cannot hide the truth from Madame Duval, and Mrs. Mirvan reveals that Evelina is Madame Duval’s long lost grandchild. Hearing this, Madame Duval invites Evelina to her house, but Evelina declines. Instead, she agrees to visit Madame Duval the next morning when she has recovered from her shock.
Evelina is emotionally sensitive, which signals her innate sensibility, an 18th-century term associated with empathy and strong emotional reactions to other people’s suffering. Evelina is ashamed to be related to Madame Duval, who seems coarse and rude. This is because in 18th-century society, people were often judged on their family connections and the rank they were born into. If Madame Duval is Evelina’s grandmother, Evelina worries that people will assume that she is also vulgar and rude by association.
Themes
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The next day, Mrs. Mirvan accompanies Evelina to visit Madame Duval. During their tea, Madame Duval explains to Evelina that she is a widow and, because her husband was very controlling, he would never let her come to England to look for Evelina. Now that she has found her, though, Madame Duval says that Evelina must come to France with her—a prospect that Evelina finds very alarming.
Women had relatively few rights in 18th-century Europe and were generally viewed as their husband’s property. Madame Duval, therefore, had to obey her husband while he was alive.
Themes
Madame Duval, Evelina, and Mrs. Mirvan are interrupted by Captain Mirvan, who insults Madame Duval. Embarrassed, Mrs. Mirvan suggests that Evelina and Madame Duval spend the evening together. When Madame Duval is still not appeased, Mrs. Mirvan persuades Captain Mirvan to let them stay a few days more in London, so that Evelina can spend time with her grandmother. Captain Mirvan grudgingly agrees, but Evelina is afraid of Madame Duval and wishes she could return home to Berry Hill.
Evelina does not want to be left with Madame Duval because she senses that Madame Duval will attempt to lead her astray and corrupt her, rather than guide her to behave in a moral way. Positive moral examples are extremely important to young, impressionable people like Evelina, and a bad influence can have destructive effects. Since Evelina has been raised by Mr. Villars, a positive role model, she is already able to sense that Madame Duval is trouble, even though she is innocent and inexperienced.
Themes
