Q: Critically discuss the novel, “Evelina” by Frances Burney.
“Evelina,
or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World” is a
novel, written by English author Fances Burney, and It was first published
anonymously in 1778. Its authorship was revealed by the poet, George
Huddesford in what Burney called a "vile
poem". In this 3-volume epistolary novel, title character Evelina is the
unacknowledged but legitimate daughter of a dissipated English aristocrat. This
sentimental novel has notions of sensibility and early
romanticism. It satirizes the society in which it is set, and a significant
precursor to the work of Jane
Austen and Maria Edgeworth, whose novels explore many of the same
issues.
Evelina, the
illegitimate daughter of an aristocrat. Her
father refuses to recognize her and sends her to the country, where she is
raised by Reverend Villars. She expresses, "Indeed,
Madam,' cried I, 'I am quite a stranger to London; and, to say the truth, not
over-pleased with my present situation." Where she commits a
series of social faux pas because she's been raised in seclusion. Once there, Evelina befriends
with Maria Mirvan, granddaughter of Lady Howard. On the
way, the Mirvan family plans to
travel to London to meet with Captain
Mirvan, who has been away from England for the last seven years.
Lord
Orville claims he didn't write the insulting letter, and asks Evelina to marry him. As it turns out, Sir Clement
forged the insulting letter from Lord Orville because he disapproved of the match. Sir John takes
pity on her situation and acknowledges Evelina as his
own because she resembles his late wife. As it turns out, Mr. McCartney is Sir John's child.
The book ends with a double wedding, leading to happiness for Mr.
McCartney, Lord Orville, and Evelina.
To conclude, Burney's
epistolary novel "Evelina"
explores social class, gender roles, and the challenges faced by women in
the 18th-century England. The book addresses the consequences of deception and the
complexities of relationships within the context of the time. The
reader might find many similarities between this novel and many of Jane
Austen's works, including the trouble-making character Willoughby—though in Jane Austen's “Sense
and Sensibility”, Willoughby is less a
villain and more a fool. Fanny
Burney and Jane Austen wrote on
similar topics at a similar time, both with wit and the power of observation.
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