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
The next day, Evelina, Madame Duval, the Branghtons, and Monsieur Du Bois go for a walk in Kensington Gardens. Evelina is annoyed because Tom will not leave her alone, and Monsieur Du Bois keeps moping near her. A sudden rain shower leads them to hide in a nearby shed and, while they are in there, Evelina notices Lord Orville’s carriage parked outside and sees that one of his coachmen is also in the shed. She does not want to be recognized, so she whispers to Miss Branghton not to say her name. Miss Branghton demands to know why, however, and Evelina is forced to explain that she knows Lord Orville.
Evelina does not want Lord Orville to see her with the Branghtons because she finds their behavior crude and embarrassing. Although Evelina is not educated in upper-class etiquette, she is naturally polite and sensible (an 18th-century term associated with empathy and consideration of others), so she does not like people to see her as uncouth or rude.
Themes
Miss Branghton quickly tells the others, and Madame Duval suggests that they ask Lord Orville’s coachmen to let them borrow the carriage to go home. Evelina is mortified, but the Branghtons think this is a great idea. When Evelina objects, Madame Duval says she is silly and naïve. Madame Duval tells the coachman to take her home and says that Lord Orville will not mind because he is good friends with Evelina, who is horrified to hear her name used like this. One of Lord Orville’s servants runs inside to ask Lord Orville and returns to say that Lord Orville is glad to let Evelina use his carriage.
Because Madame Duval is not noble by birth, she does not understand upper-class etiquette (even though she thinks she does) and believes that Evelina is naïve when, really, Evelina is being truly polite and considerate—she does not want to presumptuously take advantage of her friendship with Lord Orville. Unlike Evelina, Madame Duval and the Branghtons are social climbers and often try to use their connections with nobility to their own advantage.
Themes
Lord Orville’s coachmen drop Madame Duval and Evelina off and then give the Branghtons a lift home. The next day, Tom comes to visit Evelina and proudly says that he now knows Lord Orville as well as Evelina does. Evelina asks him to explain, and Tom replies that after Madame Duval and Evelina got out of Lord Orville’s carriage, a wheel fell off the coach, and Lord Orville had to be fetched.
The Branghtons constantly want to ingratiate themselves with the nobility to improve their own social status. Unlike Lord Orville, who was born into nobility, the Branghtons have earned their money through trade. However, even though middle-class people in this period could become as wealthy as nobles, social mobility was still heavily restricted—they could not join the nobility simply because they had wealth.
Themes
Tom then went to Lord Orville’s house to apologize and, when the servants would not let him in, he said that he had been sent by Evelina. Evelina is furious with him for using her name like this, but Tom says that Lord Orville was extremely polite. Lord Orville even told Tom that he was busy preparing for his sister’s wedding, and Tom suggested that Lord Orville should buy the wedding silver from Mr. Branghton’s shop. Evelina is now convinced that Lord Orville must despise her.
Tom uses Evelina’s name without her permission to get around strict etiquette conventions, ingratiating himself with Lord Orville to improve this social status. Upper-class etiquette in this period meant that people could not freely visit each other but must be formally introduced first. Tom, who is middle-class, disregards this rule and uses Evelina’s name because he is a social climber and wants to make connections with nobles like Lord Orville. Eighteenth-century Britain was strictly divided by class, however. Even though Tom’s family is wealthy, he cannot join the nobility and can only connect with them as a tradesman who can sell them things—not as an equal.
Themes
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Evelina decides to write to Lord Orville and apologize for the Branghton’s behavior. She writes that she did not approve of their borrowing his carriage. As soon as she has sent the note, however, she regrets her decision and tries to run after the servant who took it. But on the stairs, she sees Sir Clement, who has come to visit. Madame Duval has forbidden her from seeing Sir Clement, so Evelina hides upstairs until he is gone. By this time, it is too late to retrieve the note.
Evelina worries that her behavior—writing a note to Lord Orville—does not comply with 18th-century etiquette conventions. Upper-class society considered it improper for a young unmarried woman to write to an unmarried man. Young women also had to carefully guard their reputations, as any accusations of flirtatious behavior could ruin their good name.
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