Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Coquette, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Women and Society
Sex and Virtue
Marriage and Social Mobility
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
Julia writes Eliza and expresses her condolences for Mrs. Richman’s baby. She speaks briefly about her time in Boston with Lucy and then tells Eliza about the time Lucy refused to date a reformed rake before she married Mr. Sumner. Lucy knew that a rake can never truly be reformed and doubted his virtue. “I hope neither you, nor I, Eliza, shall ever be tried by a man of debauched principles,” Julia writes. “Such characters I conceive to be totally unfit for the society of women, who have any claim to virtue and delicacy.”
Julia’s hope that they will never “be tried by a man of debauched principles” is completely patronizing. Julia knows full well that Sanford is a rake, and she also knows how Eliza feels about him. Julia’s comment is another underhanded way of telling Eliza that Lucy and Julia are virtuous and moral, whereas Eliza has allowed herself to be corrupted “by a man of debauched principles” and is “totally unfit for society.”
Themes
