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Letter 55
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Coquette, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Women and Society
Sex and Virtue
Marriage and Social Mobility
Friendship
Summary
Analysis
“Major Sanford has returned,” Julia writes to Lucy, “and amity (but not commerce,) is ratified.” Julia reports that Eliza is lifting from her depression, and while Eliza claims she wishes to return to her gay disposition, she does little to guarantee its reoccurrence. “These are indications of a mind not perfectly right,” Julia says.
Here, Julia implies that it is more than mere depression that is keeping Eliza down, as Eliza expresses the desire to improve but appears unable to do so. Julia falsely believes that Eliza is only being polite to Sanford and that she has no romantic feelings for him.
Themes
Julia recently met Sanford and “disliked him exceedingly.” She has “no charity for these reformed rakes.” While on a walk with Eliza, Julia again ran into Sanford and his wife, Nancy, and they endured a pleasant exchange. Eliza was obviously uncomfortable, and Sanford’s eyes never left her, but she thankfully declined tea when the Sanfords offered. Eliza later claimed Mrs. Sanford a lovely woman and questioned Sanford’s virtue for marrying her for money.
Julia instantly dislikes Sanford on the basis of his reputation, which is further evidence of her intolerance and self-righteousness. She has no proof that he is lacking virtue, she simply assumes this because he is rumored to be sexually promiscuous. Eliza, on the other hand, has every reason to believe him immoral and is finally beginning to see this.
Themes
