# Letter 184: Miss Clarissa Harlowe, to Miss Howe explained — Clarissa

> Chapter companion for Clarissa by Samuel Richardson.

## What happens

Clarissa writes to Anna Howe, expressing her despair at being forced to consider marriage to Lovelace after her family's complete rejection. She struggles with the indignity of having to humble herself before him, feeling trapped and without support. She describes Lovelace's impatience and her own reluctance to see him, torn between Anna's advice to assert herself and her own pride and modesty.

## Themes in this chapter

### Female Agency and Virtue

Clarissa struggles with the loss of agency, feeling forced to humble herself before Lovelace while trying to preserve her modesty and self-respect.

### Power and Manipulation

Lovelace uses his power over Clarissa's situation, creating distress and expecting submission, while Clarissa resists being manipulated into marriage.

### Family Obligation and Rebellion

Clarissa's family has completely renounced her, leaving her isolated and forced to rely on Lovelace, whom she distrusts.

## Character check-ins

### Clarissa Harlowe

Writes in deep distress, feeling forced to humble herself before Lovelace after her family's renunciation.

### Anna Howe

Clarissa's confidante, whose advice to be peremptory with Lovelace is weighed but found difficult to follow.

### Robert Lovelace

Impatient and displeased, he seeks an interview with Clarissa but is refused.

### Mrs. Norton

Mentioned as having been approached by Anna to intercede with Clarissa's mother, without success.

### Mr. Hickman

Mentioned as having carried Clarissa's application to her family, which met with bad returns.

### Dorcas Wykes

Reports Lovelace's impatience and relays messages between Clarissa and him.

## Key lines

> O my dear! to be cast upon a man that is not a generous man; that is indeed a cruel man! a man that is capable of creating a distress to a young creature, who, by her evil destiny is thrown into his power; and then of enjoying it, as I may say!

Clarissa laments being dependent on a cruel man who takes pleasure in her distress.

_Highlights her despair at being at Lovelace's mercy._

> What! I to challenge a man for a husband!—I to exert myself to quicken the delayer in his resolutions! and, having as you think lost an opportunity, to begin to try to recall it, as from myself, and for myself! to threaten him, as I may say, into the marriage state!—O my dear! if this be right to be done, how difficult is it, where modesty and self (or where pride, if you please) is concerned, to do that right?

Clarissa finds it deeply humiliating to have to push Lovelace into marrying her, as it violates her modesty and pride.

_Shows her internal conflict between necessity and self-respect._

> I must, if so, make the best of the bad matter.

Clarissa resigns herself to marrying Lovelace as the only option left.

_Indicates her reluctant acceptance of her fate._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/clarissa_se/chapters/letter-184-miss-clarissa-harlowe-to-miss-howe
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- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/clarissa_se/chapters