Kathryn B.
Engl 404
9/1/05
Discussion Starter/Class Journal
On page 386, Evelina receives a letter, signed Orville. Evelina's initial reaction to this letter is joyous and romantic: “Good God, is it possible? - am I, then, loved by Lord Orville (387)?” After a second reading, Evelina concludes that the letter was actually an insult: “upon a second reading, I thought every word changed, - it did not seem the same letter, - I could not find one sentence that I could look at without blushing: my astonishment was extreme, and it was succeeded by the utmost indignation (387).”
On pages 497-500 it is learned that it was Sir Clement who wrote the letter, not Lord Orville, which implies that the letter was indeed written to insult, so that Lord Orville would loose Evilina's favor. (Sir Clement gives his reasons for his duplicity in a letter to Evelina on pages 532-534.)
1) What were your first impressions upon reading this letter? Did you think it was flattery or insult?
2) This letter is an example of the continual theme of misconception throughout the novel. How do these misconceptions add to the conflict and plot of “Evelina”? What other reasons could Burney have behind using this theme?