Clarissa · Chapter
Letter 158: Miss Clarissa Harlowe, to Miss Howe explained
Clarissa writes to Anna Howe about Lovelace's return and his evasion of his promise to leave for Berkshire.
What happens
Clarissa writes to Anna Howe about Lovelace's return and his evasion of his promise to leave for Berkshire. He pressures her to marry immediately, proposing to find a house and set up an establishment. Clarissa, though uneasy, decides not to insist on his promise due to his excuses about her brother's plots and the civility of the people below. Lovelace's letter to Belford reveals his manipulative schemes, including the introduction of a fabricated widow and the planned visit of his libertine friends, as he wavers between honorable intentions and deceit.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Lovelace's elaborate schemes, including the fabricated widow and Miss Partington, highlight the theme of deception, as he presents a false front of honor while plotting manipulation.
Power and Manipulation
Lovelace exerts control over Clarissa through promises, excuses, and strategic delays, demonstrating his manipulative power in the relationship.
Female Agency and Virtue
Clarissa asserts her agency by insisting on Lovelace's promise and expressing anger at his deceit, yet her virtue is tested as she navigates his pressures and her own vulnerability.
Characters to notice
- Clarissa Harlowe
Expresses anger at Lovelace's broken promise and insists he leave for Berkshire; reluctantly agrees to his house-hunting proposal, though uneasy about his lodging.
- Robert Lovelace
Returns from a feigned absence, pressures Clarissa for marriage, proposes house-hunting, and writes to Belford detailing his manipulative plans and wavering intentions.
- Anna Howe
Recipient of Clarissa's letter; Clarissa seeks her thoughts on Lovelace's behavior and the situation.
- John Belford
Recipient of Lovelace's letter; Lovelace confides his schemes and invites him to meet Clarissa.
- James Harlowe Jr.
Mentioned as the pretext for Lovelace's return, with his 'projects' used as an excuse.
- Miss Partington
Described by Lovelace as a fabricated character (Priscilla Partington) to be used in his scheme to gain Clarissa's trust.
Key passages
“I cannot bear to be dealt meanly with; and angrily insisted that he should directly set out for Berkshire, in order to engage his cousin, as he had promised.”
Clarissa expresses her intolerance for dishonesty and demands that Lovelace immediately go to Berkshire to fulfill his promise of bringing his cousin.
Highlights Clarissa's frustration with Lovelace's broken word and her insistence on accountability.
“You may spare yourself the trouble of writing to any of your friends, till the solemnity has passed that shall entitle me to give weight to your application.”
Lovelace advises Clarissa to delay contacting her family until after their marriage, when his influence will make her pleas more effective.
Illustrates Lovelace's manipulative strategy to isolate Clarissa from her support network.
“O these reasoning ladies!—How I love these reasoning ladies!—’Tis all over with them, when once love has crept into their hearts: for then will they employ all their reasoning powers to excuse rather than to blame the conduct of the doubted lover, let appearances against him be ever so strong.”
Lovelace boasts that once a woman falls in love, she will use her intellect to justify her lover's behavior, no matter how suspicious.
Reveals Lovelace's cynical view of love and his confidence in manipulating Clarissa through her emotions.
