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
Lady Howard writes again to Mr. Villars with some unexpected news: Mrs. Mirvan’s husband, Captain Mirvan, a naval officer, has returned from sea, and Mrs. Mirvan and Maria plan to go to London to meet him. Lady Howard writes to ask if Evelina can go with them, as Lady Howard thinks that Evelina will imagine all the fun that Maria is having without her and feel left out if she stays behind.
While Lady Howard knows that Mr. Villars values Evelina’s innocence, she feels that it’s also important for Evelina to be allowed to gain experience for herself. If Mr. Villars does not allow Evelina to do this, Lady Howard worries that Evelina will be tempted to try forbidden things and will be more easily led astray. She will not have been given the chance to learn for herself in a supportive environment, with Mr. Villars guiding her from afar.
Themes
Lady Howard writes that Mr. Villars should not be worried that Evelina will accidentally bump into her grandmother, Madame Duval, in London, as Madame Duval lives abroad. Even if Madame Duval is in London, she will not know who Evelina is, because Mr. Villars has given her a fake surname (Anville) to use. Lady Howard also says that Evelina is writing to Mr. Villars herself to ask his permission.
Mr. Villars worries that Madame Duval will try to use Evelina’s innocence against her to lead her astray. He gives Evelina a fake name because her father, Sir John, denies his marriage to her mother, Caroline. Therefore, Evelina is considered illegitimate because her parents were supposedly never married. Illegitimate children were considered inherently corrupt or unworthy because premarital sex was unacceptable in this period. Mr. Villars worries that if people know Evelina’s real identity, they will treat her differently because of her apparently illegitimate status.
Themes
