Clarissa · Chapter
Conclusion explained
The conclusion summarizes the fates of the surviving characters after Lovelace's death.
What happens
The conclusion summarizes the fates of the surviving characters after Lovelace's death. The Harlowe family, especially the parents, are consumed by remorse after learning through Colonel Morden's extracts that Clarissa's correspondence with Lovelace was undertaken for their sake and that her virtue remained unblemished until she was drugged. Mr. and Mrs. Harlowe die within a few years, comforted by the hope of reunion with their daughter. James Harlowe Jr. marries into a lawsuit and lives miserably, while Arabella marries a man of quality but finds no joy. The fates of Sally Martin and Polly Horton are also recounted, illustrating the consequences of bad education and libertine influence.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Redemption
The Harlowe parents find a measure of redemption through their posthumous understanding of Clarissa's virtue and their own remorse.
Class and Social Reputation
James's lawsuit and Arabella's marriage for title highlight the ongoing importance of social standing and financial security.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The family's initial belief about Clarissa's guilt is overturned by the truth revealed in the extracts, exposing their own self-deception.
Characters to notice
- Clarissa Harlowe
Posthumously vindicated; her virtue and piety are celebrated by her family after they learn the truth of her correspondence and suffering.
- Robert Lovelace
Dies violently; his own family grieves his fate while acknowledging his guilt and unpreparedness for death.
- James Harlowe Jr.
Marries a woman with a lawsuit; lives miserably, attributes his misfortunes to his cruel treatment of Clarissa, and annually mourns her on September 7th.
- Arabella Harlowe
Marries a man of quality for his title but finds no joy in the match.
- Mrs. Harlowe
Dies about two and a half years after Clarissa, comforted by the hope of reunion with her daughter.
- Mr. John Harlowe
Survives his wife by half a year; his remorse hastens his death, but he dies hoping to be restored to Clarissa.
Key passages
“The news of Mr. Lovelace’s unhappy end was received with as much grief by his own relations, as it was with exultation by the Harlowe family, and by Miss Howe.”
Lovelace's death brought sorrow to his relatives but joy to the Harlowes and Miss Howe.
Contrasting reactions to Lovelace's death highlight the divided loyalties in the story.
“they saw that it was entirely owing to the avarice, the ambition, the envy, of her implacable brother and sister, and to the senseless confederacy entered into by the whole family, to compel her to give her hand to a man she must despise, or she had not been a Clarissa , and to their consequent persecution of her, that she ever thought of quitting her father’s house”
The family realized that Clarissa's flight was caused by her brother and sister's greed and ambition, and the family's plot to force her to marry a man she despised.
The Harlowes' self-recrimination after reading the extracts underscores the theme of family obligation and rebellion.
“He attributes all his misfortunes, when he opens himself to the few friends he has, to his vile and cruel treatment of his angelic sister . He confesses these misfortunes to be just, without having temper to acquiesce in the acknowledged justice.”
James admits his suffering is a just punishment for his cruelty to Clarissa, but he cannot accept it calmly.
James's ongoing misery reflects the theme of suffering and redemption, though he finds no peace.
