Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World Characters

Evelina, the novel’s titular protagonist, is Sir John and Caroline Belmont’s daughter and Mr. Villars’s adopted child. Caroline dies soon after giving birth to Evelina, and although Sir John and Caroline were married… read analysis of Evelina

Lord Orville is a young nobleman; he’s Evelina’s love interest and Lady Louisa Larpent’s brother. Lord Orville is charming, polite, and compassionate. He has excellent manners, treating people politely not because he wants… read analysis of Lord Orville

Sir Clement is a young nobleman; he’s Evelina’s other suitor who competes with Lord Orville for her attention. Sir Clement is extremely boisterous and forceful and constantly pesters Evelina while she is in London… read analysis of Sir Clement Willoughby

Madame Duval is Caroline’s mother and Evelina’s grandmother. She’s from a poor family and met Evelina’s grandfather Mr. Evelyn when she was working as a barmaid. Madame Duval was beautiful but greedy and… read analysis of Madame Duval

Mr. Macartney is a Scottish poet; he’s Sir John Belmont’s son, Evelina’s brother, and Miss Belmont’s fiancé. Evelina meets Mr. Macartney while he is a destitute lodger in Mr. Branghton’s shop… read analysis of Mr. Macartney

Sir John is Evelina and Mr. Macartney’s estranged father. In his youth, Sir John is a debauched libertine and does not care how his actions affect others. Sir John marries and impregnates Caroline Belmont… read analysis of Sir John Belmont

Caroline is Evelina’s mother, Madame Duval’s daughter, and Mr. Villars’s ward. Mr. Villars raises Caroline when Madame Duval leaves her in his care. Caroline is an extremely naïve young woman, and Sir… read analysis of Caroline Belmont

Mrs. Mirvan is Mr. Villars’s friend, Lady Howard’s daughter, and Evelina’s guardian while she is in London. Evelina travels to London with Mrs. Mirvan, and her daughter Maria to meet Mrs. Mirvan’s… read analysis of Mrs. Mirvan

Captain Mirvan is a naval officer; he’s Mrs. Mirvan’s husband and Maria’s father. Captain Mirvan joins Evelina, Mrs. Mirvan, and Maria during their stay in London. Captain Mirvan is extremely rude and… read analysis of Captain Mirvan

Lady Howard is Mr. Villars’s friend and Mrs. Mirvan’s mother. Lady Howard is a wealthy and respectable noblewoman who has been friends with Mr. Villars for a long time. Lady Howard knew Evelina’s… read analysis of Lady Howard

Mr. Branghton is a shopkeeper; he’s Evelina’s cousin and Tom, Miss Branghton, and Polly’s father. Like Madame Duval, Mr. Branghton is from a lower-class family but has made money through his… read analysis of Mr. Branghton

Tom is Mr. Branghton’s son, Miss Branghton and Polly’s brother, and one of Evelina’s suitors. Tom is a poorly educated young man who does not take anything seriously and has bad manners… read analysis of Tom Branghton

Miss Branghton is Mr. Branghton’s eldest daughter, Tom and Polly’s sister, and Evelina’s cousin. Miss Branghton has a crush on the Branghton’s neighbor, Mr. Smith, and she’s jealous of Evelina because… read analysis of Miss Branghton

Polly is Mr. Branghton’s youngest daughter, Tom and Miss Branghton’s sister, and Evelina’s cousin. Polly is a silly, uneducated girl who flirts openly with her lover, Mr. Brown, even though this… read analysis of Polly

Miss Belmont is Dame Green’s (and, allegedly, Sir John’s) daughter. Dame Green tricks Sir John: she tells him that Miss Belmont is Sir John’s deceased wife, Caroline’s, baby, when really, the baby… read analysis of Miss Belmont

Dame Green is Caroline’s maid who is impregnated by a man she is not married to, around the same time that Caroline falls pregnant with Evelina. After Evelina’s birth and Caroline’s death, Dame… read analysis of Dame Green

Monsieur Du Bois is Madame Duval’s French lover who escorts her to London. Monsieur Du Bois is generally polite and reserved. He does not speak much English, so his perspective is mainly lost on… read analysis of Monsieur Du Bois

Mr. Smith is the Branghton’s neighbor and one of Evelina’s suitors. He’s pretentious, vain, and arrogant, and he mistakenly believes that many young women are in love with him. Mr. Smith is middle-class—and although… read analysis of Mr. Smith

Mr. Lovel is a fashionable but foolish nobleman whom Evelina meets at her first ball in London. Mr. Lovel asks Evelina to dance at the ball, and Evelina turns Mr. Lovel down but then accepts… read analysis of Mr. Lovel

Lord Merton is Mr. Lovel’s friend and Lady Louisa Larpent’s fiancé. He’s an arrogant nobleman who openly and rudely flirts with Evelina in front of Louisa. His manners are so bad that Evelina… read analysis of Lord Merton

Louisa is Lord Orville’s sister and Lord Merton’s fiancée. She’s is a cold, snobbish woman who rudely ignores Evelina while Evelina is also staying with Mrs. Beaumont (Louisa’s aunt) in Bristol. Although Louisa… read analysis of Lady Louisa Larpent

Mrs. Beaumont is Louisa Larpent and Lord Orville’s aunt and Mrs. Selwyn’s friend. Evelina goes to stay with Mrs. Beaumont while she is visiting Bristol with Mrs. Selwyn. Mrs. Beaumont is from an… read analysis of Mrs. Beaumont

Mrs. Selwyn is Mr. Villars’s friend who takes Evelina to visit Bristol with her. Mrs. Selwyn is a widow, and she has an unusually witty and bold personality. Because of these traits, Mrs. Selwyn… read analysis of Mrs. Selwyn

Mr. Evelyn is Evelina’s grandfather and Caroline’s father. Mr. Evelyn falls in love with and marries a barmaid, Madame Duval, even though his friends advise him against this. Madame Duval’s coarse temperament… read analysis of Mr. Evelyn

Mrs. Clinton is one of Mr. Villars’s servants. She was formerly Caroline’s maid and now serves as Evelina’s nurse at Berry Hill. Mrs. Clinton is the one who remembers that Dame… read analysis of Mrs. Clinton