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
Mr. Villars writes back to Evelina and tells her that she may go to London with Mrs. Mirvan. Although Mr. Villars is afraid to let Evelina go, he knows that if he refuses, she will only want to go more, and he does not want to restrict her unnecessarily. Mr. Villars prays that Evelina will be safe in London, and that God will guide her as she makes her way out into the world.
Although Mr. Villars fears that Evelina will be corrupted by city life, he also knows that if he forbids her from going, she will only want to go more and may resent him and stray from his advice in future. Mr. Villars wisely understands that in order to grow up into a sensible, moral person, Evelina must be allowed to gain experience for herself and to make mistakes, so that she learns how to make her way in the world without him.
Themes
Literary Devices
