Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

"villein." Considering Villars as a villain has merit
when we view his actions regarding his Evelyn family
charges and the fatal ends of the first two and the near
disaster for the third, our heroine. The approximation
of his name to "villein" turns up interesting
associations, as well.
According to the OED, a villein was a peasant who
was subject to his lord and manor (3580). Amy Pawl
speaks of the importance of names in Evelina, claiming,
"Evelina must learn . . . that names are arbitrary and
may be misapplied" (285) . Pawl also argues that because
Evelina was refused her father's name, she became "more
absolutely Villars' possession" (285) . Villars' name,
therefore, is as important as Evelina' s. Mr. Villars is
the servant, a subject of the Evelyn family. He is a
villein assigned to the Evelyn family estate for life.
Evelina, however, by being denied her own name, becomes a
subject of Mr. Villars; as Pawl suggests, she becomes his
"possession," a subject, a servant to Villars, whose
every effort seems concentrated on controlling her every
move.
Mr. Villars, the beloved tutor of John Evelyn and
Caroline Evelyn, assumes charge of the third generation
of Evelyns. One cannot help but notice through his own