le ladies. Burney is trying to show that although money can be utilized for many functions, it cannot hide a person’s character. Madame Duval, although rich, is too cruel of a character to be considered a lady. To provide the contrast to Madame Duval, both Evelina and Mr. Macartney appear earlier in the novel to be poor and suffer from financial/social distress. They do not belong to any upper class families and are viewed by others as commoners. However, they both possess an air of gentility and sensitivity. They have refined taste in life, especially Evelina, as she demonstrated that she has a heart of gold. She shows her most notable conduct of virtue by saving Mr. Macartney from his attempted suicide and gives him financial help and encourages him to live. Her genuine compassion and excellence is invaluable. In spite of their lack of wealth and social standing in London, Evelina and Mr. Macartney’s excellent behavior transcends the boundary of class. As clearly one of the themes of the novel, the word “class” plays a great role in eighteenth century English society. Through this novel, Burney gives the reader a view of the upper, middle and lower class people in eighteenth century England. She presents to the reader that a person’s social status is a sensitive subject at that period of time and it has been the center of many attacks. Burney breaks the stereotype that certain class behaves a certain way. She reveals that the definition of “class” should not be judged solely on a person’s wealth or social standing. Burney sneers at those who flaunts their status and behave odiously. She admires those who show humanity and conveys to the reader that it is through the ethical choice that a person makes, and through his or her conduct and manners that make a person noble. One who is educated and proves oneself to be a man of quality is what Burney believes as...
