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 again to Mr. Villars and says that everything is resolved with Lord Orville. He is still as kind and polite as always, and she assumes that he was drunk when he wrote her the insulting letter—in which he tried to seduce her—and does not remember sending it. She met him again when she and Mrs. Selwyn walked to Clifton Hill to visit Mrs. Beaumont. While they were there, Lord Merton and Lady Louisa Larpent also arrived, and Lord Merton seemed surprised to see Evelina.
Here, Evelina once again displays her natural sensibility, an 18th-century term associated with empathy and kindness. She gives Lord Orville the benefit of the doubt, assuming that he made a mistake rather than holding his indiscretion against him. This suggests that Evelina has grown into a mature person who is prepared to forgive others for their mistakes.
Themes
Louisa does not greet Evelina as she enters but flings herself down onto the couch and exclaims that the sun and wind have exhausted her and are too much for her fragile nerves. She and Lord Merton have been out for a drive, and she complains that he goes too fast. They also ran into Mr. Lovel in his coach, and Lord Merton rammed their carriage against his and frightened Louisa. Mrs. Beaumont suggests that they take a walk in the garden, and Evelina and Mrs. Selwyn agree.
Sensibility was extremely fashionable in 18th-century Britain. Louisa pretends to be sensible, but really, she shows little empathy for others. She rudely ignores Evelina to complain about her nerves, which suggests that she is more concerned with the appearance of sensibility than with genuine kindness toward others. And given that Louisa is Lord Orville’s sister—meaning that she, like him, is noble by birth—this further proves that virtue is something learned and cultivated rather than something that nobles inherently possess.
Themes
In the garden, they bump into Lord Orville. He seems delighted to see Evelina and, although she is pleased to see him too, she makes a haughty show of indifference toward him to punish him for insulting her. Lord Orville seems confused, and Mrs. Selwyn says that Evelina is still weak from her illness and must be taken home. Lord Orville offers them a lift, and Mrs. Beaumont assures them he is a careful driver. Mrs. Selwyn accepts, and Lord Orville escorts them home. Evelina hopes that Mr. Villars does not mind, but she feels she cannot be angry with Lord Orville anymore, as he is kind and courteous to her.
Lord Orville proves that he, like Evelina, is genuinely sensible, as he deliberately drives slowly to make the ladies comfortable. This is a stark contrast to Lord Merton, who drives recklessly on purpose to scare Louisa. Although Lord Orville insulted Evelina in the past, she is willing to forgive him and move on from his mistake, which proves that Evelina has matured into a wise and tolerant person.
Themes
