From Namelessness To Identity

Critical attention has been mainly focused on Evelina's epistolary form, characters, feminism and the theme of identification. Huang Mei mentioned the theme of initiation in her Debating the Self:Novel in 18th---Century England. However, few scholars have done such studies deeply and systematically.This thesis discusses the difficulties and bewilderment of Evelina, as well as her growth attained during the period of overcoming all these difficulties, when she struggles to identify herself in the society. It focuses on how a homeless, nameless and ignorant female becomes a mentally mature and named upper-class lady. It also analyzes what initiation means to the heroine, the author and even to all the eighteenth-century females.In the introduction, the creative career of Burney, the novel and its background are studied and the theory of Bildungsroman is introduced. Later the author of this thesis does a literary survey on the novel and puts forth the meaning of the study. Chapter One focuses on the growth that Evelina has attained and the limitation of her growth. In the novel, the window symbolizes the heroine and the author's status in the patriarchal society. They occupy this special place rather than remain outside of the room or go to the center of the room together with the males. Chapter Two discusses the heroine's five mentors, who, instead of her family members, protect and guide Evelina, and analyzes their influence on Evelina's growth. Chapter Three focuses on the narrative strategies used in reflecting the heroine's growth. In the conclusion, the main idea of the thesis is summarized, and Evelina's significance to Burney's whole creative career is also pointed out.