Evelina Volume III

Evelina began the novel as a poor, orphaned, inexperienced girl but ends the novel as surrounded by family and a very wealthy woman. She rose from a low station and aspired to a high one. It almost seems that there is hope offered for the less fortunate.
John Belmont had the best of intentions after all! It was that meddling Dame Green that messed with Evelina’s future. What I found interesting was Evelina’s reaction to this information. She completely accepts her ‘foster sister’ and says, “Poor unfortunate girl! How hard is her fate! She is entitled to my kindest offices, and I shall always consider her as my sister” (311). I suppose the conduct manual includes not only how to present yourself at an assembly but also how to be kind to manipulative, self-serving people.
I have to admit that the background of Mr. Macartney stunned me. At the time he writes his letter he is under the impression that he has courted his sister and killed his father. This just seemed like a situation that Shakespeare would create.
There is a great justice served in this last volume. Mr. Macartney (did NOT see this one coming!) and Evelina both are acknowledged as his children. Willoughby admits that he wrote the fictitious letter and never reappears (he finally got the hint). Lovel after acting like a jerk the entire novel finally finds some respect for Evelina when he overhears the Captain call her Miss Belmont (324). Which this incident reminded me greatly of a tradition the ancient Greeks had. They would show kindness to strangers for fear they were a god or goddess testing their hospitality and feared their wrath. The Captain admits how fond he is of Madame Duval, “she hit my fancy mightily; I never took so much to an old tabby before” (325). He liked her reaction when provoked is my guess but this admittance displays a perverted kind of affection he has towards her.
The Captain’s reemergence near the ending provides a great laugh. It serves as a lesson to Lovel as well. His presumptuous behavior finally caught up with him. It seems to serve a message that just because a person is born into an elite family and has a large sum of money it does not mean that they are automatically programmed to be ‘proper.’ The bringing together of certain supportive characters that Evelina began her journey with, reconfirms how far she has progressed and is only right that they end the journey in her company.
I thought that it was interesting that Madame Duval was too ill to attend the wedding. I thought she would have went to Bristol right away to attend. Especially, since
Bristol was where everyone went for the healing waters. Then, for Monsieur Du Bois to leave her, she is now all alone. Well, I suppose she has the Branghtons for company. I wonder why she would not have gone back to France since this was her goal all along?
Lady Louisa reminded me undoubtedly of Pamela. She kept whining whenever she was in a scene, “fatigued to death” (324) “I shall faint” “take him away, or I shall die!” (332) “I‘m afraid it‘s monstrous hot” (298) there are many, many more times of complaining especially with the term ‘monstrous’ but I think I’ve cited sufficient examples. It was as if her character was suppose to epitomize the weakness of women. Everything seemed to upset her in some way or another. It may be a way of showing her youth or inexperience as well. The letter in which Lady Louisa is introduced at Mrs. Beaumont’s she is complaining incessantly about the drive her and Lord Merton have taken. Because of the dust she is quite under the weather. Then later on, after Lord Merton is badgering Evelina with compliments she becomes jealous and does not talk to him for awhile then treats Evelina very coldly. Also, when the discovery of the poetry in the bathhouse is made Willoughby tells her not to tell Lady Louisa because she was not part of the beauties of the bath. It just seems like people have to tip toe around her and shower her with concentrated attention (Lord Merton, Coverely, and Lovel in particular).