# Indiana — The Conscious Lovers character guide

> Indiana in The Conscious Lovers by Richard Steele.

**Role:** major

**First appearance:** 0006-act-i

## Snapshot

A young woman kept in elegant comfort by a man she has never been told she owes everything to, torn between gratitude and a love she dare not speak.

## Who they are

Indiana lives surrounded by finery — dressing-plate, bank notes, a house of quality — yet no one will tell her plainly who provides it, and her aunt Isabella insists the whole arrangement is a seducer's art. In Bevil's presence she is mute with shame and longing; in his absence she must defend his image against Isabella's relentless suspicion. Her uncertainty about her own origins and her benefactor's intentions makes her the emotional centre of the play's inquiry into generosity, reputation, and what a woman may safely feel.

## Relationships

### [Isabella](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscious_lovers_se/characters/isabella)

_family_

Indiana is the long-lost daughter of Isabella, reunited after years of separation and mistaken identity.

### [Sir John Bevil](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscious_lovers_se/characters/sir_john_bevil)

_social_

Sir John is a paternal figure to Indiana, later revealed to be her uncle, showing protective concern.

### [Phillis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscious_lovers_se/characters/phillis)

_social_

Indiana and Phillis interact as mistress and maid, with Phillis assisting Indiana in her romantic affairs.

### [Mr. Sealand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscious_lovers_se/characters/mr_sealand)

_family_

Mr. Sealand is Indiana's long-lost father, discovered through a recognition scene involving a bracelet.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscious_lovers_se/characters/indiana
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscious_lovers_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_conscious_lovers_se/characters