Resumo de The Wanderer - Frances Burney

In the opening of Frances Burney?s lengthiest novel, a young woman with
dark skin and a bandaged face calls out to a group of English citizens
who are secretly boarding a boat to escape France in December of 1793.
Though most of the passengers want to leave her, a sea officer and a
young gentleman come to her aid, paying her fare and offering her a
place on the boat. Immediately, the group demands to know her identity
and history, and the woman, who is later nicknamed Ellis, refuses to
give away either.
Among the passengers with whom Ellis?s fate becomes inextricably
entwined are Mrs. Maple, her two nieces Elinor and Selina, the
gentleman Mr. Harleigh, Mrs. Ireton and her son, known simply as
Ireton, an Admiral, and a Mr. Riley. Upon reaching England, Ellis
discovers that she has lost her purse containing her money, and is now
not only alone, but without any means of supporting herself.
Immediately, there is a noticeable difference in how the men and the
women perceive the stranger. While the men are generally sympathetic,
the women are immediately suspicious and only grudgingly aid Ellis in
getting to London.
Through her manners and the loss of her bandages and dark skin,
which turn out to be merely disguises, it is discovered that Ellis is,
in fact, from a higher class of society than initially believed. She
agrees to accompany Mrs. Ireton as a companion, but the older woman?s
sarcasm and constant stream of insults eventually drive Ellis from her
company to the home of Mrs. Maple, where Elinor takes pity upon her.
Ellis earns her keep by doing seamstress work for the household, and is
also coerced into accepting a role in a play, where she is noticed by
Mrs. Maple?s society friends. In order to save face, Mrs. Maple lies
about Ellis?s background and passes her off as a young visitor. Miss
Ellis, as she becomes known, strikes up a friendship with Lady Aurora
Granville and her brother, Lord Melbury, much to the chagrin of Mrs.
Maple, who is still quite suspicious of Ellis?s history.
While staying at Mrs. Maple?s, Mr. Harleigh becomes infatuated with
Ellis, unaware that Elinor is in love with him. The romantic triangle
has disastrous consequences, as Elinor attempts to commit suicide, and
Ellis eventually flees to prevent herself from earning a bad
reputation, and to escape Mr. Harleigh, whose sincere intentions
nevertheless compromise her already delicate social situation. After
taking work as a harp teacher, and almost lowering herself socially as
a paid performer, Ellis is saved from irreparable social damage when
Elinor attempts a second public suicide attempt at the very performance
in which Ellis is supposed to participate.
While awaiting Elinor?s recovery, Ellis finds Gabriella, a
childhood friend from France, and temporarily takes up abode with her.
Through her friend, the reader learns for the first time that Ellis?s
name is actually Juliet, though her last name and her past remains a
secret. When Gabriella has to leave suddenly to join her ailing
husband, Juliet takes a job in a milliner?s shop, but the work is only
temporary, and she is left once again without an income. Out of
desperation, Juliet returns to Mr. Ireton?s service. Throughout the
novel, and particularly upon her return to the Ireton household, Juliet
is threatened with public exposure, something that was not thought fit
for proper young women. Working in the public domain or performing
publicly was considered improper for upper class women. Further
evidence of Juliet?s upper class roots is her refusal to compromise
herself, or to be displayed in public in an unbecoming manner.

Juliet finally hears from Gabriella, and is able to go to London to
assist her in her shop. Gabriella, not realizing the full extent of
Juliet?s precarious situation, unintentionally reveals Juliet?s last
name?Granville?and part of her history to Sir Jaspar, an older
gentleman who becomes infatuated with Juliet. Though happy with
Gabriella, Juliet finds out that she is being pursued by a man from
France, so she flees from her friend and ends up wandering the English
countryside, accepting shelter and aid from anyone who will offer it.
The end of the novel is full of action, in which the secrets are
revealed and the story is quickly tied up. Though she evades him
for a while, Juliet is eventually found by the French gentleman, who
turns out to be her husband. Harleigh has similarly caught up with her,
and finally finds out Juliet?s true identity and history as well. Sir
Jaspar, also wanting to aid and protect Juliet, has her husband
arrested and deported back to France, where he is eventually executed
for various crimes.
Juliet is finally able to reveal to Lady Aurora and Lord Melbury that
she is their half-sister, learns that the Admiral is actually her
uncle, who names her his heir, accepts a marriage proposal from
Harleigh, and is reunited with her French guardian, a Catholic Bishop.
She had married her husband, a government official, only because he
threatened the Bishop?s life.

Oddly, the last dialogue in the book is a commentary by Elinor,
now a changed woman, who states that radical actions are not a proper
path. The narrator closes with a commentary on the difficulties and
struggles of women, yet has faith that courage, patience, and prudence
can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

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