Kendel M.
English 404/540
Sept. 15th, 2005
Class Discussion
Appearances are deceiving?
Throughout Cecilia we have seen time and again that people are not
what they appear to be. The Masquerade was an embodiment of this theme in Burney's
book, and continuing from there we have some other cases of this hidden behavior.
For example, Mr. Monckton, seeming to be a trusted advisor to Cecilia, is in fact
seeking after her hand and fortune and is only impeded by the unexpected longevity
of his current wife.
An interesting example of this theme is young Mr. Delvile. Within today's reading
(245-320), Delvile has gone from repentant (245) to enraptured (250) to chivalrous
(288) to attentive (302) and finally to completely absent (317). As Mr. Delvile
thus far seems to be the man with the most virtuous character in the novel, what
are we to make of his inconsistencies? What could Ms. Burney be communicating
to her audience through his character? How does it enhance/detract from the novel?