Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Required Blog Post: Evelina and Her Actions

Evelina has taken her innocence to a whole new level in volume II. Here her adventures consist of finally being able to stay with Madame Duval, help Mr. Macartney and encounter a world of prostitution. The character of Evelina is based on being naive and innocent about everything that surrounds her as was established in Volume I. However, we start to see changes in the character of Evelina. After reading the verse on page 294, "O LIFE! thou lingering dream of grief..." Evelina states that she found these lines harsh. She goes on to say that "this young man must be involved in misfortunes of no common nature" showing her ability to make connections and separate herself from this bubble she has been reserved within. It is also interesting to see that she says of no common nature because what life experiences do you think she is comparing this to?

Do you think that the character of Evelina has grown from Volume I and Volume II? If so, in what ways has her character evolved? For the better or for the worse? Do you think these changes have stripped her from her innocence or simply exposed her to the real world?

4 comments:

  1. I find it interesting, now that you point it out, that she can compare Macartney's grief to "common human nature". In the first volume she is portrayed as a very naive young girl who has been sheltered by Rev Villars and has not had an opportunity to experience the world. Here she makes a bold claim, as if she knows what is common grief for people to experience. I think she is comparing his grief to the world that she knows. Her only conflicts have been pranks, encounters with rude people, and men competing for her affection. She is still naive to think that her small world of only immediate friends and family is the normal human experience.

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  2. The sass that we had witnessed in Volume I comes alive in Volume II, and I cannot help but enjoy her character. I do not believe that these changes have stripped her of her innocence, but rather, it has allowed her to use her upbringing, her wisdom, her years of training with Mr. Villars, to fruition. Her “innocence” and virtuous nature may be allotted to her humble origins as a country girl. Upon seeing this “New London” that the Branghtons and Madame Duval are a part of, she could have very easily given in to the temptations that are offered. Her grandmother keeps on telling her that she is a “foolish, ignorant country girl, and that she should make it her (Madame Duval’s) business to teach me (Evelina) something of the world” (182). Instead of allowing her grandmother’s or cousin’s views to persuade her of the respect she is due, instead of accepting unsolicited or unwarranted advances of men, this young sixteen year old girl has enough sense and self-worth to decide what she is due. Her grandmother tries to convince her to marry her cousin, Tom Branghton, since according to her grandmother, this is her best bet to happiness since she cannot possibly deserve a higher match and since Madame Duval would rather pass her money down to relations. Instead of believing that the wealth that Madame Duval could shower upon her and the happiness that a marriage would bring her would truly complete her, Evelina chooses to return to Mr. Villars. In my opinion, Evelina is an extremely strong girl. Perhaps you are right, though Krupa, perhaps her innocence is lost in the sense of her naivety. Her illusions of a perfect world of honor and gentility no longer live in her thoughts. The virtue and strength of character she possesses are made more evident now that she is able to stand firm her ground after being exposed to the real world. The fact that she can judge most acutely the designs of individuals deserves another round of applause. She has learned to not judge a man as respectful by “his look.” Most importantly, she has come to understand that even a man such as Lord Orville, a man who has been perfect in every way may pursue her indecently. The first time I read his letter, I wasn’t quite aware of the affront he had made her. The fact that Evelina was able to discern how improper his letter truly was, how it attacked her modesty, instead of swooning at the idea that the godly LORD ORVILLE wishes to invest himself in a clandestine relationship… errr correspondence with her, attests to her character. I like Evelina.

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  3. I agree with Kirsten that as Evelina goes through events and encounters with people who aren't Reverend Villars she becomes more aware of herself in some ways. So she may have lost some naivety concerning the world, but through struggling through these matters and understand how the society is structured may in fact strengthen her virtues and make her a more upright women.

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  4. I agree! She's definitely gotten more sassy, and we have seen Evelina set in more situations where she personally has to make choices. In this first volume, Evelina is much more docile and willing to comply with the decisions made by those in charge of her (Villars, the Mirvans, and Mme Duval). Even in situations when she has the potential to assert herself, it is either out of humility or politeness or shyness, but she just doesn't. In the second volume, however, there are more opportunities for Evelina to make autonomous choices that may come into conflict with the attitudes and priorities of her caregivers. They also come into conflict with their opinions of her as a virtuous and wholesome girl, so in this way, she has the opportunity to assert her independence. I wonder if it is more to her advantage to be compliant and perceived as virtuous, or assertive and reprehensible. Regardless of how she is perceived, though, I think that she has retained her innocence. Maybe not in the sense that she is completely naive and ignorant of "real world" happenings, but I don't think she has specifically done anything wrong that would warrant a "fall from grace".

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