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Letter 43
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
“I am extremely depressed, my dear Lucy!” Eliza writes. Major Sanford has recently gone southward for several months, and Eliza has “declined any further conversation with him, on the subject of love.” She is planning to soon visit Mrs. Richman in New Haven and hopes this will “dissipate the gloom which hangs over [her] mind.”
Eliza is clearly depressed that Boyer has rejected her, but even though he is no longer in the picture, Eliza still doesn’t feel free to pursue any kind of relationship with Sanford. She obviously doesn’t wish to marry him, but she also doesn’t wish to see him in any other capacity. She has experienced the consequences of coquetry firsthand, and she isn’t looking to worsen her current situation.
Themes
Reverend Boyer’s recent rejection of Eliza has made him “appear in the brightest colors,” and this “fatal separation” has caused her to realize how “insensible” her regard of Boyer had been. She had considered writing him to “confess [her] faults” and “offer her hand,” but the harshness of his most recent letter suggested that he would not be open to such a proposal.
Of course, Boyer isn’t open to Eliza’s apologies, he has already told her in no uncertain terms that he is too good for her, so she has no reason to believe he will ever think otherwise. Eliza only wants Boyer now because he doesn’t want her.
Themes
