Evelina; or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World Essay | Critical Essay #5

Evelina; or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World Critical Essay #5

When Evelina, in the sentimentalized words of her creator, made 'her first appearance upon the great and busy stage of life', she had 'a virtuous mind, a cultivated understanding, and a feeling heart'. At the same time, she revealed an 'ignorance of the forms, and inexperience in the manners, of the world'. Fanny Burney thus allowed her beautiful heroine (aged seventeen) about seven months in which to discover herself; to relate herself to the external demands of society and confirm the incorruptibility of disciplined innocence. Towards the achievement of this victory, as much social as moral, Evelina can draw upon dual resources: her own nature and the guidance of such high-minded teachers as the Reverend Arthur Vil-lars and Lord Orville. Throughout the novel, indeed, there is little doubt that she will succeed. The suspense—from incident to incident—inheres in the means, since the successful resolution of the conflict is assumed from...
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