Clarissa · Chapter
Letter 126: Miss Clarissa Harlowe explained
Clarissa writes to Anna Howe about her restless night and a morning conversation with Lovelace regarding suitable London lodgings.
What happens
Clarissa writes to Anna Howe about her restless night and a morning conversation with Lovelace regarding suitable London lodgings. They discuss the difficulty of finding accommodations that are independent of Lovelace's acquaintances and safe from her family's discovery. Lovelace writes to Mr. Doleman to secure proper apartments for her, and Clarissa awaits his reply while remaining ready to depart for London.
Themes in this chapter
Female Agency and Virtue
Clarissa strives to maintain her independence and virtue by insisting on lodgings not tied to Lovelace's acquaintances, despite her constrained circumstances.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Lovelace's offer of help may conceal manipulative intentions, as Clarissa remains wary of being discovered or compromised.
Characters to notice
- Clarissa Harlowe
Narrates her sleepless night and her cautious discussion with Lovelace about London lodgings.
- Robert Lovelace
Joins Clarissa in the garden and proposes arrangements for her London accommodations, writing to Mr. Doleman.
- Anna Howe
The recipient of Clarissa's letter, whom Clarissa asks for advice on the proposed plan.
- Mr. Doleman
Lovelace writes to him to procure decent apartments for Clarissa in London.
Key passages
“Sleep and I have quarreled; and although I court it, it will not be friends.”
Clarissa cannot sleep, despite trying to rest.
Highlights her anxiety and guilt over her situation.
“To go to town upon an uncertainty, I own, is not agreeable: but to be obliged to any persons of your acquaintance, when I want to be thought independent of you; and to a person, especially, to whom my friends are to direct to me, if they vouchsafe to take notice of me at all, is an absurd thing to mention.”
Clarissa finds it unappealing to travel to London without a fixed plan, but she refuses to rely on Lovelace's connections because she wants to appear independent from him.
Shows Clarissa's desire for autonomy and her distrust of Lovelace's influence.