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 to say that she will not leave Bristol immediately as she had planned. Mrs. Selwyn has convinced her that they cannot leave until they know whether or not they have Mr. Villars’s permission to go see Sir John Belmont, Evelina’s estranged father, and to ask him about her inheritance.
Upper- and middle-class women could not earn their own money in 18-century Britain—instead, they relied on their inheritance or their husband’s money for financial support. Mrs. Selwyn feels it is important that Evelina receives her rightful inheritance from Sir John, as inheritance also impacted a woman’s ability to attract a husband since men often married women for money rather than for love. Sir John’s recognition that Evelina is her daughter would also help Evelina claim her rightful place in society as a true noble.
Themes
