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 encloses the letter that Evelina’s mother, Caroline, wrote to Sir John Belmont. Caroline writes that, even though she knows that she will die soon, she hopes that Sir John will still take responsibility for his child, Evelina. Caroline further writes that she has tried everything to convince Sir John to admit to their marriage, but her pleas are ignored, and he shows her no compassion. She hopes that he will, one day, recognize Evelina as his daughter and that he will not let his love affair with Caroline destroy Evelina’s life as well as her own.
Sir John destroyed Caroline’s reputation by seducing, impregnating, and then abandoned her. Although Caroline and Sir John had been secretly married, Sir John denied this after Caroline became pregnant with Evelina. People in 18th-century Britain tended to distrust women, so they believed Sir John over Caroline and ruined her good name. Caroline’s ruined reputation also affects Evelina’s reputation, because people believe that Evelina is illegitimate and therefore inferior.
Themes
In fact, Caroline even feels pity for Sir John because he may, one day, feel remorse for the wrong he has done to her—and, by extension, to Evelina. Caroline hopes that Sir John will leave Evelina his fortune, though she hopes Evelina will not grow up to look like her, as this may make Sir John despise Evelina. Caroline concludes that, although she will die soon, she passionately loves baby Evelina and will pray for Sir John, whom she hopes will realize the error of his ways.
If people believe that Evelina is illegitimate, she could be socially ostracized and lose out on her inheritance. Much like Evelina, Caroline demonstrates innate sensibility (an 18th-century term associated with empathy and kindness), as she forgives Sir John even though he has wronged her.
Themes
