Arabella is the daughter of an English noble, who is consumed by the romance novels she reads for fun. She believes that this is the way people fall in love, and when she finally decides it is time for her to get married, she searches for someone that will be as heroic as the male characters she reads about.
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Her father, though, wants her to marry her cousin Glanville, whom she finds to be pretty boring. Glanville's friend Sir George Bellmour, though, is just the kind of chivalrous man that she is looking for. As the story continues, Arabella demonstrates her false romantic ideas in numerous ways. For instance, she demands that Glanville fight for her own in order to demonstrate his worth.
But in the climactic moments of the story, Arabella takes it one step too far. Convinced that she is about to be abducted by ravishers, she throws her into a river to avoid their advances. She survives, but becomes incredibly sick and must stay in bed. Her doctor reasons that physical treatment is not the best way to treat her, for she will continue to put herself into dangerous situations because of her ideas of chivalry. The only way to save her is teach her the way the world actually is. She thinks about what the doctor says, and determines that her ideas are outlandish and untrue. She reconsiders her feelings for Glanville, and decides to marry him.
Best part of story, including ending:
The story is great because it is wonderful new take on Don Quixote, and an interesting social critique of the women in the 18th century.
Best scene in story:
My favorite scene is her final realization because that is what is most interesting about the story.
Opinion about the main character:
I can't say that I like or dislike Arabella, but I find her to be tremendously intriguing. Her romantic notions are relatable, and the conclusion to her story teaches that sometimes life isn't all its cracked up to be.
