Evelina: The Rewards to Reading Others Well

Transcription

1 Evelina: The Rewards to Reading Others Well Hayley Samela Dr. K. Turner Literature of the Enlightenment May 2, 2010

2 Samela 1 Evelina: The Rewards to Reading Well In Frances Burney s Evelina, the character and life of Evelina is heavily documented through letters between several characters. Through these correspondences, it is established early in the novel that Evelina is an outsider to the behaviors, mannerisms, and people of London society. Brought up in the English countryside by Mr. Villars and unable to claim her rightful title and fortune, Evelina is left to depend on the hospitality of friends as she accompanies them to London. Evelina s trips to London, however, put her in situations with all different kinds of people who are of low birth or high rank and are either well bred or ill bred. With Evelina s letters that describe her encounters with various men, such as Sir Clement Willoughby, Lord Merton, Mr. Smith, and Lord Orville, it is apparent that Evelina, is an accurate reader of other people s characters. Also in the novel, Evelina tries to become worthy of Lord Orville, yet she ends up proving herself to be a better reader of people s characters than he is. Although Evelina has received a country girl's education and knows nothing of the world in which she enters, she is the one person in Burney's novel who can accurately read the behavior and characters of others; thereby making her Lord Orville's equal in more than just one way. Characters who are low bred behave ill bred in Evelina, yet the idea that one s class matches a person s behavior does not always apply to people throughout the novel. For example, both Sir Clement Willoughby and Lord Merton are fashionable gentlemen, however, the qualities they possess and actions they take are characteristic of people born into a low-class. In contrast to Sir Clement Willoughby and Lord Merton are Burney s characters whose behavior is representative of their born station in life. These characters include Mr. Smith, Lord Orville, and even Evelina. Mr. Smith was born into low class society and he behaves ill bred. The character that is of the highest birth rank and displays the most virtue is Lord Orville. Unlike the other gentlemen suitors in Evelina, Lord Orville is perfect in his mannerisms and behavior. Another well-bred character who appears to be just as virtuous is Evelina. Her birth rank is perceived by others to be low, yet her behavior and qualities align with her true identity. Since the ill-bred characters

3 Samela 2 found in Evelina are not limited to those that make up the low-class society of London, it is a wonder that Evelina is able to distinguish people s appearances from their realities, so as to successfully read their characters. Sir Clement Willoughby is one of the fashionable men in Burney s novel who is able to charm and manipulate others with his appearance and birth rank, but Evelina is not fooled. Sir Clement Willoughby s behavior towards other characters is artful, and it is this characteristic that Evelina instantly picks up on that leads her to conclude that he is a threat. No matter how many times Evelina insists on telling Sir Clement that she does not want to dance with him or asks for him to leave her in their first encounter at the Ridotto, Sir Clement cleverly works the situation to his advantage. Sir Clement manipulates and befriends Mrs. Mirvan and the Captain in this scene to dance with Evelina, and he continues to pursue a friendship with the Mirvan s so as to be in the same social circle as Evelina. If Sir Clement was not born of high rank and assumed to have qualities that go a long with those born of that social class, the Mirvans would not be so open to accepting his company. Others who accept Sir Clement and are easily deceived of his true nature by his appearance and title are the Branghtons. In recalling the man who accompanied Evelina and them in the same carriage the night before when leaving Vauxhall, the Branghton women believe that Sir Clement Willoughby is a true gentleman because of his genteel appearance. To further Miss Branghton s belief about Sir Clement Willoughby, she sees that he drives a beautiful chariot and holds the title of baronet: his sister has sung his praises ever since, protesting she thought, all along, he was a man of quality by his look (Burney 177). Unlike Evelina s cousins who are under the impression that Sir Clement is a true gentleman, she can look past his appearance and see that he is not. Sir Clement s conduct in Evelina is not vulgar or outright offensive, but it is not gentlemanly either. Upon first meeting him, Evelina says: You have tormented me to death; you have forced me from my friends, and intruded yourself upon me, against my will, for a partner (Burney 36). Within the confinements of politeness and manners, Evelina s response to Sir Clement Willoughby is her rejection towards his character. Throughout the novel, Sir Clement Willoughby is forward and deceptive in his behavior, seeks to embarrass her, and makes various attempts to separate Evelina from people so

4 Samela 3 that he may have the opportunity to be alone with her. According to Waldo S. Glock in Appearance and Reality: The Education of Evelina, In spite of his charming manners and gay spirits, in spite even of his protestations of good will, Evelina has no difficulty in perceiving by his actions the discrepancy between word and deed (Glock 36). Evelina does not believe Sir Clement Willoughby to be a virtuous and honorable man, but instead finds him to be a rather bold, insensitive, and sly character. Evelina is accurate in her first reading of Sir Clement Willoughby s character since it is at the end of Burney s novel that he is revealed as a despicable gentleman who has tried to deceive Evelina and never once intended on making her an honorable offer of marriage. Another equally despicable gentleman in Burney s novel that Evelina accurately reads is the character of Lord Merton. Similar to Sir Clement Willoughby, Lord Merton is also of high rank and yet he displays inappropriate behavior that is characteristic of lowbred people. Lord Merton is actually a nobleman, making him of higher rank than Sir Clement Willoughby, but his behavior towards Evelina is no different than how Sir Clement Willoughby conducts himself around her. In Evelina s first encounter of Lord Merton at the Pantheon, he demonstrates a lack of manners by staring at her through the whole duration of tea-time. Following that, he asks Sir Clement who she is in such a way that others around them could easily hear; thereby embarrassing Evelina. Evelina s first impression of Lord Merton is that he is bold, offensive, and uneducated; all characteristics that an ill-bred person would possess: Lordship! How extraordinary! That a nobleman, accustomed, in all probability, to the first rank of company in the kingdom, from his earliest infancy, can possibly be deficient in good manners, however faulty in morals and principles! (Burney 89). Evelina cannot believe that Lord Merton is a gentleman born of one of the highest ranks in the kingdom, yet she does not let that dissuade her from reading Lord Merton s character as possessing ill-bred qualities. His manners at tea-time are viewed by Evelina as appalling, and certainly not what one would expect from a nobleman. Based on first impressions and first encounters, Evelina is able to accurately read Lord Merton s character as being forward and shameless, similarly to her accurate interpretation of Sir Clement Willoughby. Proof of Evelina s accurate reading of Lord Merton can be seen after he has just defeated Mr. Coverley in their race at the

5 Samela 4 Beaumont s estate. While walking in the garden with the rest of the company, Lord Merton chooses to attach himself to Evelina s side, pays her compliments, and even takes her hand several times in front of everybody, including Lady Louisa, his betrothed. Mortified and angry by Lord Merton s forwardness and lack of shame, Evelina attempts to walk faster. In keeping up with Evelina s change in pace, Lord Merton catches her hand, and despite her pleas, refuses to let it go. According to Lynette Eckersley in The Role of Evlina s Worthiest Object in Frances Burney s Resistance to Eighteenth- Century Gender Ideology, following the race with Evelina s tale of Merton s assault on her womanhood, Burney conflates distinctions between good and bad behavior (Eckersley 208). The bad behavior that Burney points out in this part of the novel is Lord Merton s. He has no shame in publicly aligning himself with a woman who is not his betrothed, nor does he have any regard for how other characters, such as Evelina or Lady Louisa, feel. Lord Merton s impropriety displayed here validates that Evelina has indeed read his character correctly. Although Mr. Smith is greatly admired and praised by the Branghtons, Evelina is able to read him as someone who is of low birth and has ill-bred manners. The Branghtons are eager for Evelina to meet Mr. Smith due to their belief that he possesses a genteel nature: I assure you he s quite like one of the quality, and dresses as fine, and goes to balls and dances, and every thing quite in taste; - and besides, Miss, he keeps a foot-boy of his own too (Burney 144). Even after hearing the Branghton women talk about Mr. Smith s gentleman-like nature, Evelina does not feel the desire to meet and interact with him. Evelina s disinterest in Mr. Smith becomes more evident after their first encounter in his room. She observes that Mr. Smith s character is irksome and has no propriety. In describing her impression of Mr. Smith, Evelina writes to Mr. Villars saying, This latter seems very desirous of appearing a man of gaiety and spirit; but his vivacity is so low-bred, and his whole behaviour so forward and disagreeable, that I should prefer the company of dullness itself (Burney 147). Unlike the Branghtons, and even Madame Duval, Evelina sees through Mr. Smith s pretentiousness. Evelina reads Mr. Smith as a man of low quality with poor taste. Her refusal to accompany him or to dance with him at balls is due to the fact that he lacks quality and class. Mr. Smith s

6 Samela 5 attempts at appearing the part of a fine gentleman does not fool Evelina, but instead provide further support in her accurate reading of his character. Lord Orville possesses similar traits to Evelina, one of them being the ability to accurately read others, yet ironically, both Lord Orville and Evelina either misread or have doubts concerning each other. Prior to Lord Orville s offer to dance at her first ball, Evelina makes the mistake of refusing one man s offer and shortly after choosing to accept another s. Her error may have been in her own self conduct, but she did not mistake the characters of each suitor. Evelina reads the first man who asks her to dance as conceited, foppish, and ridiculous. As for the second man who approaches her, Evelina describes him as a gentleman who is gaily, but not foppishly, dressed, and indeed extremely handsome, with an air of mixed politeness and gallantry, (Burney 23). The man who Evelina praises and has chosen to dance with is a nobleman by the name of Lord Orville. With little introduction and time spent together, Lord Orville becomes the model for polite mannerism, virtue, and appearance; making him to be the perfect gentleman in Evelina. Evelina has a moment of doubt in regards to Lord Orville s character mid-way through Burney s book that raises the question of how accurate is her reading skills. After receiving a letter at Berry Hill from Lord Orville saying that he loves her and wishes to start a correspondence with her, Evelina s view and first-impression of Lord Orville as the perfect gentleman is broken. She is insulted by his letter, and believes she has misread his character. In Evelina s questioning of her own reading abilities she says, I cannot but lament to find myself in a world so deceitful, where we must suspect what we see, distrust what we hear, and doubt even what we feel! (Burney 216). Upon seeing Lord Orville for the first time since having received the letter, Evelina s despair and disappointment in his character is dissolved for his politeness and attentiveness reaffirms her feelings for him. Later in the novel, it is discovered that Lord Orville did not send Evelina the insulting letter, but rather that it was the ill-bred Sir Clement Willoughby. With the truth exposed, Evelina realizes that she had not erred in her judgments concerning Lord Orville s character. Evelina does not have reason to suspect, distrust, or doubt in Burney s novel because she has never made an inaccurate reading of a single character. Evelina is a very good reader whose single moment of doubt only confirms

7 Samela 6 that Lord Orville is too much of a perfect gentleman to have ever been suspected of ill manners. Lord Orville is also a good reader, but when it comes to Evelina he makes the mistake of misjudging her to be a silent, poor, weak girl. Going back again to the first time Lord Orville and Evelina meet, Lord Orville misreads Evelina due to her newness to the world, specifically London society: How will he be provoked, thought I, when he finds what a simple, rustic he has honoured with his choice! One whose ignorance of the world makes her perpetually fear doing something wrong! (Burney 24). Evelina has never danced with a partner of the opposite gender and she is alarmed in discovering that Lord Orville is a nobleman. Instead of seeing that Evelina is confused, ashamed, and embarrassed in the moment, Lord Orville makes an error in his reading ability by not only judging her as a silent, poor, weak girl but also as an either ignorant or mischievous country parson s daughter. Clearly, Lord Orville has misread Evelina. She is not a weak character of low birth, but rather a strong and smart young lady whose father is the wellknown Sir Belmont. Evelina starts off in Burney s novel as a young woman who aspires to become worthy of Lord Orville, yet towards the end of the novel it is apparent that both characters are perfect for each other. In addition to being the only characters possessing the ability to read others in the way that Burney wants us to see them, Evelina and Lord Orville are born of high rank and possess inherently good qualities and mannerisms. According to Julie Choi in Engendering the Modern Individual; Empire, Class and Nation in Evelina, Both Evelina and Orville are aristocrats of delicate feeling that remains forever out of the reach of such diversely ill-bred people such as Captain Mirvan, Mr. Lovel, or Madam Duval (Choi 19). Compared to ill-bred characters in Burney s novel, Evelina and Lord Orville express genuine feelings and kindness towards others. For example, Lord Orville is not looking to seduce the beautiful nobody (Choi 19) as Sir Clement Willoughby attempts to, but rather to befriend, and eventually marry, Evelina, who is originally perceived as having no title or fortune. As for Evelina, she expresses a genuine care and concern for Mr. Macartney, the poor Scotch poet. When the Branghtons ignore and treat him poorly, Evelina chooses to seek him out and assist him in any way possible. Together, Evelina and Lord Orville set themselves apart from the

8 Samela 7 other characters in Burney s novel that are ill bred by displaying displeasure and distaste in the race held at the Beaumont estate. Also, Evelina and Lord Orville care more about human relationships then material wealth. In every relationship that Evelina pursues, she is not looking for the material gain. This is evident through her relationships with Madame Duval and Lord Orville. Lord Orville does not care about material wealth either, as is apparent by his decision to court and marry Evelina prior to her claiming the Belmont title and fortune. While reading Burney s novel it is important to keep in mind that we are not the only ones reading. Other characters that read include Sir Clement Willoughby, Mr. Villars, Lord Orville, and Evelina. Evelina is the most accurate reader though, and the only other character that comes close to her exceptional abilities in reading people s characters is Lord Orville. Lord Orville s initial mistake of reading Evelina as a low-bred young woman leaves her to be the only one whose first impression of Burney s characters remain true throughout the entire novel. Upon their first encounters with Evelina, characters such as Sir Clement Willoughby, Lord Merton, and Mr. Smith give off the impression that they are ill bred. Burney presents us with many instances following their initial individual encounters to show that Evelina was not wrong in believing certain characters to possess poor mannerisms and behaviors. It also shows that Evelina is not fooled easily by people s titles and appearances. Due to her sensibility and newness to the world, Evelina is able to read characters accurately. It is her ability to read well and see through other character s deceptions that makes Evelina worthy and deserving of the perfect Lord Orville in the end.

9 Samela 8 Works Cited Burney, Fanny. Evelina, Or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World: Authoritative Text, Contexts and Contemporary Reactions, Criticism. Ed. Stewart J. Cooke. New York: W.W. Norton &, Choi, Julie. "Engendering the Modern Individual; Empire, Class and Nation in Evelina." Feminist Studies in English Literature 8.2 (2001): 1-31 Eckersley, Lynette L. "The Role of Evelina's 'Worthiest Object' in Frances Burney's Resistance to Eighteenth-Century Gender Ideology." Eighteenth-Century Novel 2 (2002): Glock, Waldo S. "Appearance and Reality." Essays in Literature 2.1 (1975):