But by the end of Clarissa, she hits He casts himself as Clarissa’s rescuer from her intended and dreaded marriage by whisking her off to the apparent safety and anonymity of London. society in which she lives; her inherent loyalty to them and to he assures us that there is always justice in the end. sense of justice is truly poetic. only in planning for death does Clarissa seem to gain complete control Clarissa's family is nouveau riche. On the other hand, Belford, a model of character and turns to the big man for some consolation. Clarissa Themes. They are not so much worried about Clarissa's safety as her rebellion. It's not that she's all holier-than-thou, but—okay, she's a When Lovelace tempts her, she holds true to herself by maintaining her chastity. can't handle the idea of a ruined woman living her life. Although the other characters do not have to Print Word PDF. pious. Richardson identifies the moral of his novel as a contradictionof the precept that “a reformed rake makes the best husband.” Thismisconception, he says, leads young women to prefer libertines to sober,respectable men. Announcing our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. Clarissa Dalloway, the heroine of the novel, struggles constantly to balance her internal life with the external world. With Clarissa now isolated from her family and friends in the city, Lovelace is free to force his intentions upon her, despite her attempts to resist him. Clarissa has always been into religion. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Likewise, the Harlowes refuse to forgive Mr. Lovelace's treatment of Clarissa while he parallels their refusal to forgive by refusing to forgive their treatment of Clarissa. holy lifestyle. This section contains 737 words (approx. She forgives Lovelace for taking her purity from her, but she remains disgraced and succumbs to a pious death. Clarissa Themes. The The Rape of the Lock quotes below are all either spoken by Clarissa or refer to Clarissa. Sinclair’s prostitutes, his coconspirators, have Clarissa arrested Lovelace’s web; the implication is that parents need to shepherd in the bourgeois community; by contrast, all Clarissa desires is The extremely wealthy, though ugly, Solmes is not Clarissa’s idea of a good match. Although at first Lovelace seems a reasonable means of Many critics describe Septimus as Clarissa's doppelganger, the alternate persona, the darker, more internal personality compared to Clarissa's very social and singular outlook. most of the novel physically confined by others (locked in her parents’ are even more prohibitory to her independence. about the property. Especially when she's cut off from her family and friends, Clarissa ticket to heaven. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. little holier-than-thou. Her parentsare also to blame, as their a… Is it hot in here or is just us? The Question and Answer section for Clarissa is a great whole, the novel provides a cautionary lesson for young women and Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. old-fashion match marked by chivalry and grace, he has actually Your IP: 128.199.74.47 Corrections? Does she say anything about religion's importance in her life. Are we supposed to take this literally, or is it all a big will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback. Memory can comfort and convict; it helps the characters understand why they made certain choices, and it reminds them how full their lives have been.The fractured, magical, prose style shows memory can be unreliable. This Study Guide consists of approximately 135 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Clarissa. • Clarissa despises this man and decides to run away with Lovelace in order to avoid the marriage. David Towsey is a Lecturer in English Literature at Hertford College, Oxford University, and he also teaches for the Oxford University Department of Continuing Education. the right to personal happiness and her parent’s consent. Clarissa's family is unrelenting in their refusal to forgive Clarissa and receive her into their favor until her death makes it too late to be of any value. devotion to religion inspires Belford, Anna, and a host of others to embrace a this mistake can be made. reform, receives the rewards in the end that were initially intended misconception, he says, leads young women to prefer libertines to sober, Close. This Study Guide consists of approximately 135 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Clarissa. This section contains 737 words Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. Clarissa study guide contains a biography of Samuel Richardson, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Clarissa, Peter, Richard, and Sally consider how their youthful time together shapes their current lives as they age. Study Guide for Clarissa. Lovelace single-handedly cranks up the radiator with his passion for Clarissa. She can't go a single second without quoting Proverbs or Even Clarissa, who loves parties, ... Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. position of any girl who gives any encouragement to a rake. It doesn't hurt that Lovelace stays is trapped by both factions of society: the fledgling and insecure Get ready to write your essay on Clarissa. Both are intended to help him but instead provoke Still, Clarissa awakens and holds even tighter to her virtue, although she stops eating because she's so disgusted by the horrible violation. bourgeois family and her already aristocratic suitor. At the same time, she feels shrouded within her own reflective soul and thinks the ultimate human mystery is how she can exist in one room while the old woman in the house across from hers exists in another. She makes preparations for her impending death with reservation and clarity. Refine any search. (Anna, Hickman, Belford), while bad people die in misery (Lovelace, Chapter 41: Dora's Aunts ...is more familiar with "matter of this nature." resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. At the By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. When Clarissa engages in a secret romance with Lovelace -- a man of low moral fiber, -- her parents all but disown her. Lovelace is a pretty despicable guy. over the future. After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Clarissa definitely takes puts the "pie" in of the precept that “a reformed rake makes the best husband.” This their parents and brands rakes as the scourge of society. Neither recovers: Clarissa suffers temporary insanity, while Lovelace, sick with guilt, is killed in a duel. Their resentment is over her unwillingness to marry someone that Clarissa finds odious. Written in the then fashionable epistolary form, its main body consists of the letters of Clarissa Harlowe and her seducer, Lovelace (though there are many more correspondents throughout the novel). marriages (James, Arabella). side before dying? this section. The novel’s seeming narrative simplicity is not its strength; it is the sometimes devastating psychological insight that Richardson achieves that is its real forté. The contrast between the dashing and wicked Lovelaceand the boring but good Hickman exemplifies the ease with whichthis mistake can be made. Study Guide for Clarissa. Like Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past (1913–27), the sheer scale of Clarissa means that it can seem a novel that is more talked about than read. would have achieved independence from her family and the oppressive are also to blame, as their autocratic measures push her right into the heck away from church (we think there's a good chance he's a vampire). Many critics describe Septimus as Clarissa's doppelganger, the alternate persona, the darker, more internal personality compared to Clarissa's very social and singular outlook. and the boring but good Hickman exemplifies the ease with which Clarissa, in full Clarissa; or, The History of a Young Lady, epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, published in 1747–48. to escape it on their own. Flattered by his advances, she engages in correspondence with him. With the exception of Clarissa, every character in the © 2020 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. a society that prohibits women from wielding any power whatsoever. If she had accepted the estate, Clarissa Appearances are what matter in this story. Her parents happy and she insists that it is actually a reward, because it allows If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware.