Burney’s Evelina: A Literary Paragon For Jane Austen Ipshita Chakraborty College

The mother of English-Fiction, is the stature of Frances Burney, according to Virginia Woolf. Her diary is rife with literary experimentation, and her first published novel Evelina, or The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance Into the World (1778), which gained the admiration of Dr.Samuel Johnson remains a success. Burney's keen eye on the arbitrariness and unfairness of the society, skillful characterization, satire, and having been written by a woman (despite her failed attempts to maintain anonymity) made it praiseworthy. Burney laid the groundwork for the upcoming female novelists through her women-led novels: Evelina, Cecilia, Camilla, and The Wanderer.

Although her manners conform to the societal parameters, Evelina is a remarkably high-spirited protagonist with a freshness and openness of her demeanor. Like all of her female protagonists, Evelina too voices innermost desires, fears, and ambitions. She is described as "innocent as an angel, and artless as purity itself” with a flawless beauty that attracts a lot of men. Evelina experiences the harsh reality as she steps outside, learning the ways of the world. Throughout her journey, she stumbles through the daily difficulties in a woman’s life. Burney’s description of...