Evelina

Book

Evelina

by Fanny Burney

Publisher: Standard Ebooks

Language: en-GB

Subjects: Satire, Young women--Fiction, Love stories, Bildungsromans, Epistolary fiction, Socialites--Fiction, Debutantes--Fiction

<p><i>Evelina</i> is an epistolary novel that follows the titular Evelina Anville as she navigates the challenging (and sometimes absurd) nuances of 18th-century English society. The novel begins as Evelina is invited to London by the Mirvan family, marking her first true exposure to English high society. She soon encounters a series of misunderstandings, social embarrassments, and would-be suitors. Evelina is naive but kind-hearted, and she finds that both goodness and meanness can be found in all stations of society in equal measure.</p>
<p>The novel captures the manners and customs of Georgian England, especially in regard to class distinctions and gender roles. Evelina’s position as a young woman born into nobility, but not acknowledged by her father, finds herself navigating challenging social dynamics throughout the novel, and meets with those who judge a person’s worth based on their birth. Further, Evelina faces the challenges inherent to a young unattached woman as she attempts to assert her agency while maintaining her dignity.</p>
<p><i>Evelina</i> is an early example of the English romantic novel, and a fine example of social satire. When it was published in 1778, females were not encouraged to be writers, and <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/fanny-burney">Burney</a> was forced to publish anonymously. Nevertheless, her work influenced writers like <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/jane-austen">Jane Austen</a>, who referred to Burney’s works in her novels and private letters, and continues to provide an insightful and often humorous lens through which to view the late 18th-century English aristocracy.</p>

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