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 evening, Evelina, Mrs. Selwyn, Lord Orville, Louisa, Mrs. Beaumont, Lord Merton, Mr. Lovel, and Mr. Coverley attend a ball together. Lord Orville dances first with Evelina and then with another young woman. Lord Merton asks who the woman is, and Mr. Lovel replies that she is Miss Belmont—Sir John Belmont’s only daughter. Evelina is amazed to hear this because she, herself, is Sir John’s only child. Mrs. Selwyn is also confused—as she knows Evelina’s heritage—and quickly and discretely begins to question Mr. Lovel about Miss Belmont.
Although nobility was often associated with virtue in this period, Sir John has clearly lived a debauched and immoral life. He is estranged from Evelina—since he abandoned her mother—and has seemingly raised another child by a different woman in Evelina’s place. This could seriously jeopardize Evelina’s chance of reuniting with her father and receiving her full inheritance. As upper-class women could not earn their own money in 18th-century Britain, Evelina relies on her inheritance for financial support and to help her attract a husband, so this revelation could severely impact her future.
Themes
Literary Devices
Mrs. Selwyn discovers that Miss Belmont is set to inherit Sir John’s fortune and learns that Sir John is staying in London with his daughter. Mrs. Selwyn proposes that if Mr. Villars agrees, she and Evelina should go to see Sir John immediately to ask about Evelina’s inheritance claim. Lord Orville notices that Evelina is quiet for the rest of the evening but is too polite to pry.
Again, young women like Evelina relied on their inheritance for financial support at this time. Inheriting a large sum also helped women attract a husband as men often married women for their money. As society considered marriage vital for young women, not receiving her inheritance could have a drastic impact on Evelina’s future and could prevent her from claiming her rightful place among the nobility.
Themes
