Clarissa · Chapter
Letter 20: Miss Clarissa Harlowe, to Miss Howe explained
Clarissa recounts a tense conference with her mother, who delivers an ultimatum: she must comply with the family's plan to marry Mr.
What happens
Clarissa recounts a tense conference with her mother, who delivers an ultimatum: she must comply with the family's plan to marry Mr. Solmes or face disinheritance and estrangement. Despite her mother's pleas and threats, Clarissa refuses to give false hope, asserting her integrity and resistance to the forced match.
Themes in this chapter
Female Agency and Virtue
Clarissa asserts her moral integrity and right to refuse a forced marriage, resisting familial pressure to maintain her virtue and autonomy.
Family Obligation and Rebellion
The chapter dramatizes Clarissa's rebellion against her family's demands, as she weighs duty to her parents against her own conscience.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Clarissa's mother accuses her of hidden prepossessions for Lovelace, while Clarissa insists on her sincerity, revealing the gap between family perceptions and her true feelings.
Characters to notice
- Clarissa Harlowe
Clarissa is the narrator, steadfast in her refusal to comply with the forced marriage to Solmes, despite her mother's emotional appeals and threats of disinheritance.
- Mrs. Harlowe
Mrs. Harlowe acts as the family's envoy, delivering the ultimatum and pleading with Clarissa to yield, but she is caught between her husband's demands and her daughter's resistance.
- Mr. Solmes
Solmes is the proposed suitor, though he does not appear; his settlements are drawn and his match is the central point of contention.
- James Harlowe Jr.
James is mentioned as an instigator, driving the family's pressure on Clarissa through his ambitions and influence.
- Arabella Harlowe
Arabella is referenced as a sister who, along with James, spreads reports of Clarissa's supposed prepossession for Lovelace.
- Robert Lovelace
Lovelace is the man Clarissa is accused of favoring; his name is invoked as the reason for her resistance to Solmes.
Key passages
“I was speechless, absolutely speechless. Although my heart was ready to burst, yet could I neither weep nor speak.”
Clarissa was so overwhelmed by her mother's announcement that she could not respond, her emotions too intense for tears or words.
This moment captures Clarissa's shock and helplessness upon learning the settlements are drawn.
“To give you hope, my dearest, my most indulgent Mamma, is to give you everything. Can I be honest, if I give a hope that I cannot confirm?”
Clarissa explains that offering hope would be dishonest, as she cannot promise to comply with the marriage.
Clarissa prioritizes her integrity over appeasing her mother, refusing to make a false promise.
“I must accommodate myself, Madam, in the latter case, to my circumstance: much only is required where much is given.”
Clarissa states that if disinherited, she will live within her means, as she was raised to be content with little.
This shows Clarissa's readiness to accept poverty rather than submit to a forced marriage.