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 back to Mr. Villars to tell him that Lady Howard has written to Sir John Belmont in Paris. Evelina writes that the suspense is terrible for her: if Sir John accepts her as his real daughter, she feels that she will lose Mr. Villars as her adoptive father. If he rejects her, however, she will know the painful truth that her real father does not love her. She can hardly focus on anything because of her anxiety about the situation, and she hopes that the matter will be resolved soon.
Evelina feels torn between her desire to be recognized by her real father and her love for Mr. Villars, because Mr. Villars has raised Evelina and been a moral guide for her throughout her life. In the 18th century, young women could not earn their own money and often had little say over where they lived. Instead, they were considered their father (or their husband’s) property. Evelina worries that if Sir John claims his parental rights over her, she will have to leave Mr. Villars for good.
Themes
