Imagery In Maria Edgeworth's Belinda, By Maria Edgeworth

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In this excerpt from Belinda, a novel by Maria Edgeworth, she explores how it's the natural tendency of most people to abandon their god given gifts and abilities in order to blend in with the crowd. This idea is brought to fruition through Edgeworth's vivid imagery and diction while talking about Clarence Hervey's social interactions and thoughts.
Maria Edgeworth helps to illustrate Clarence Hervey's lust for social acceptance and willingness to abandon his gifts to achieve said acceptance in the first paragraph through her use of imagery and language. On lines 14 - 16 Edgeworth states “His chameleon character seemed to vary in different lights, and according to the different situations in which he happened to be placed.” The main imagery …show more content…

For example on lines 21 - 24 Edgeworth says “He was not profligate: He had a strong sense of humor, and quick feelings of humanity; but he was so easily led , or rather, excited by his companions” This is very strong language which is repeated throughout the entire excerpt. “He was so easily led… by his companions”, this line alone is a perfect summary of the theme throughout the entire novel. Hervey, like most humans, is a people pleaser who follows his “companions”, aka the status quo, without a second thought because he just wants to be accepted. As I said this language is repeated throughout the entire novel, Towards the end of the excerpt, line 46 - 49, it says “ If he [Hervey] had not been prejudiced by the character of her aunt, Mr.Hervey would have thought Belinda an undesigned, unaffected girl” This quote reveals that if it wasn't for Belinda's aunt he would try to court her, yet he and every other suitor knows that Belinda is below their class and her aunt is just trying to raise her social-economic status. Due to this Hervey doesn't want to court her because doesn't want people to talk about, and ultimately not accept, him because they believe he married a girl beneath his station. Once again we see how Edgeworth is trying to push the theme of people abandoning their gifts and wants in order to fit

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