'Analytical Essay: Maria Edgeworth's Belinda'

In the prose passage Belinda by, Maria Edgeworth Clarence Hervey is established as a satirical and chameleon character, that the reader can recognize as a prideful and laughable person that adds to the complexity of his situation. Maria Edgeworth uses tone to characterize Clarence as a prideful and distinguishable character. Clarence “had been early flattered with the idea that he was a man of genius; and he imagined that, as such, he was entitled to be imprudent, wild, and eccentric.” Maria blatantly mocks Clarence’s ego to be one of a man who is dignified to the point of ludicrousy, which creates a tone of mockery. Maria adds to Clarence’s mockery by putting in his true and raw emotions he feels towards Belinda to add humor to the overly proper and distinguished tone of the piece. Clarence “had not sufficient resolution to keep beyond the sphere of [Belinda’s] attractions… when he found himself with in it... [He] drew back with sudden …show more content…
The author also characterizes him in a cold and humorous way letting the reader recognize his portrayal as a satirical character. “Clarence Hervey might have been more than a pleasant young man, if he had not been smitten with the desire of being thought superior in everything…” This brings his worst trait, his superiority complex, to the cold light of humor in a sarcastic and raw way, making the readers realize the authors mocking tone is used to further indicate the satirical portrayal of Clarence Hervey. Maria brazenly does this to let the readers understand his character to be a man of thoughtlessness and boisterousness indicating that Hervey is a “chameleon