Evelina displays another creative way to use the epistolary technique. Early on in reading I am seeing how the story is about Evelina but it's not being told through the mind or eyes of Evelina like Pamela or Anti Pamela. Its like lady Howard is kind of narrating the story through her letters to Rev. Villars. It gives the novel a creative twist because it's like we're learning about Evelina's actions and characteristic developments at the same time he is. It gives a very current feel to the novel, we're not omniscient in this novel so we don't know how Evelina will turn out as a person or what is going to happen to her, which builds up anticipation because I have no idea of what this book is really about yet.
It seems as though we are watching Evelina develop into a woman through the eyes of her designated guardian. I just though that was another cool way to use the epistolary technique in a novel, paralleled to Haywood's and Richardson's.
I think the epistolary technique is very interesting. We not only get the impressions of the author of the letter but we get their insight into other characters and the situations that arise. There definitely is that sense of development through Rev. Villars. Evelina is always a conscientious participator. I think that as the novel progresses she becomes more outspoken but still attempts to remain reserved.
ReplyDeleteIts is def interesting to think of it that way, in that we are pretty much reading through Mr Villar's eyes (and some others throughout) as Evelina tells of her adventures. One thing I like about Evelina more than the other epistolary forms we read is that the letters seem more genuine, more realistic. Maybe its just me, but I think your observation plays into that feel.
ReplyDeleteI am a little too happy that the novel sounds a little more like a normal narration than straight letter writing. It reads like a journal with mild interruptions. Also, as you pointed out, the readers learn the events along with the characters which is what I think elevates the drama levels. To add to your point ,the characters take turns with the letters which makes the overall narration more reliable as we have more than one source.
ReplyDeleteI hate to sound like a robot in repeating the same thing, but I didn't get the feel of it turning into a narration at all. Maybe if I stopped reading the closings at the end of each letter I'd get a better feel for it being a story.
ReplyDeleteI'd just like to add on to what Renee said previously. I do find it interesting that this is the first girl that we have read about that has a conscious and thinks before she acts. She doesn't try to be conniving because she isn't that way. But its nice to finally read about a girl with a conscious and actual honesty.
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