Evelina and Marriage (Keena Griffin's Secondary Lit. post)

Judith Newton’s article on “Fanny” Burney and Evelina connects Burney’s personal life with the details of the financial and social purposes of marriage for 18^th century women in order to show how they affect the structure and reception/criticisms of the novel.  Early on, Newton spells out the fact that men are seen as the prizes in 18^th century marriages because of the financial stability they provide.  This places men in power, which commonly taken advantage of in Evelina.  This is also the case in Burney’s example.  Newton shows that Burney fights an attempt to marry one potential suitor, “but Fanny could hardly reject the more permanent conditions of her existence, and these conditions still compelled her to marry. (Newton 48)

           

Newton then goes on to bring Evelina into the picture, calling it “[Fanny’s] response to the situation she could not reject.” (Newton 48)  Her arguments continue to focus on the subjective position of women in marriage – which is so deep that she argues it turns women into objects or “prey” of men.  As Newton continues, she focuses on how Burney’s novel reflects her own position in life.  Newton analyzes the relationships between male and female characters in an attempt to do what few critics have done before, she argues – which is to actually critique Evelina in terms of a feminine standpoint.

Newton states that “Most allusions to Burney’s feminine point of view take the form of compliment rather than analysis.” (Newton 49)  This brought an interesting view to my mind.  As readers and/or critics, do we fill the roles of available men this feminine novel is looking for?  In simpler terms, are we any better than the male figures that Newton goes on to display as insincere?  While they may pay some attention to Evelina and say nice things about her, they ultimately choose to see if there is anything better out there and take their time in doing so.

This article changed my views entering this book.  I will choose to accept the role of the suitor, and make the book impress me on a different level than any other – because it has called itself to a higher standard based on the issues it raises.  At the beginning of the day, I believe it is just another novel among the many that speak about a character’s challenges, but what does it say about a female character in a world that is completely different from the one we know today?  How is it related to The Female American? I believe that this question can only be answered after the class has completed the book, but I would like to keep these themes in the back of my hmind as I read further.  How does it tell a woman’s point of view?  Why should the reader or critic care about these particular struggles?  To mimic Newton’s primary question, does this book do a good job of presenting the struggles of a woman in the market for a husband to read it?  If it doesn’t, then I will have no problem moving on to find a better and more qualified “bride”.

These were my primary interpretations, but I am interested in finding out what the class has to say.  How does the idea of marriage change the way we view a female character in this novel?  Newton also argued that a female’s position in the story was less important because she was seeking agency through male characters.  Does this affect the way we read Evelina, or the view the challenges within the story?  

       

Cited

Newton, Judith.  “Evelina: Or, the History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the Marriage Market.”  Modern Language Studies 6.1 (1976): 48-56.