`` Evelina, By Frances Burney A Satirical Look At The...

When conjuring up images of 18th century England, many people will think of beautiful balls, grand gentlemen, classy ladies, and high society as a whole. People will often think of the social order of that time period, but few people seem to think about how individuals of that time period were dependent upon and often a slave to the social class they were born to. Many authors of this time period have written work on their views of social classes and the men and women who occupy them. Frances Burney, a female novelist, was one of these authors who brought her own unique perspective to the page. Her novel, Evelina, is a satirical look at the failures of the social order. Her novel promotes social reform using humor and a brazen attempt at shedding some truthful light on the ridiculous patterns that made up daily life for those who occupied high society. In Evelina, Burney tells the story of a young and naà ¯ve girl named Evelina, who moves to the city from her home in the country. Evelina is not sure what to expect when she comes to London and much of the novel centers around her trying to find her footing in modern society. Upon her arrival, Evelina writes to her Uncle about the various people she meets and how they establish her understanding of the rules of behavior and politeness. However, soon Evelina discovers that what people preach and practice often do not match up. Evelina learns that the class a person derives from, does not necessarily speak to their character.