Clarissa · Chapter
Letter 245: Mr. Lovelace, to John Belford, Esq. explained
Lovelace recounts his manipulative efforts to pressure Clarissa into marriage, including a staged debate with the disguised Captain Tomlinson and a feigned display of remorse.
What happens
Lovelace recounts his manipulative efforts to pressure Clarissa into marriage, including a staged debate with the disguised Captain Tomlinson and a feigned display of remorse. He devises a false expedient to satisfy her uncle and schemes to intercept Miss Howe's next letter, which he fears will ruin his plans.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Manipulation
Lovelace orchestrates a staged debate and false expedient to coerce Clarissa into marriage, demonstrating his calculated control.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Lovelace fabricates a story about a second ceremony to deceive the Hampstead women and Clarissa, highlighting the gap between appearance and truth.
Female Agency and Virtue
Clarissa struggles to maintain her autonomy against Lovelace's pressure, insisting on waiting for Miss Howe's letter despite emotional distress.
Characters to notice
- Robert Lovelace
Narrates the letter; orchestrates a manipulative scene with Captain Tomlinson and the Hampstead women to pressure Clarissa into marriage.
- Clarissa Harlowe
Distressed and conflicted; resists Lovelace's pressure but shows moments of yielding; insists on waiting for Miss Howe's letter before deciding.
- John Belford
Recipient of the letter; Lovelace writes to him with candid accounts of his schemes.
- Captain Tomlinson
Assists Lovelace in the staged debate; pretends to be a mediator for Uncle Harlowe.
- Miss Rawlins
Leads the Hampstead women into the scene; is deceived by Lovelace's expedient story.
- Mrs. Moore
Carries messages between Lovelace and Clarissa; facilitates the manipulative scene.
Key passages
“There is a sort of stone, thou knowest, so soft in the quarry, that it may in manner be cut with a knife; but if the opportunity not be taken, and it is exposed to the air for any time, it will become as hard as marble, and then with difficulty it yields to the chisel.”
Lovelace compares Clarissa's resolve to a soft stone that hardens if not acted upon quickly, implying that her initial yielding must be seized before she becomes unyielding.
Lovelace reflects on the need to act swiftly to exploit Clarissa's momentary weakness.
“Miss Howe’s next letter is now the hinge on which the fate of both must turn. I shall be absolutely ruined and undone, if I cannot intercept it.”
Lovelace acknowledges that Miss Howe's upcoming letter will determine the outcome of his plans, and he is desperate to intercept it to avoid ruin.
Lovelace reveals his dependence on controlling Clarissa's correspondence to maintain his scheme.