Clarissa · Chapter
Letter 268: Mr. Lovelace, to John Belford, Esq. explained
Lovelace writes to Belford, vacillating between marriage and cohabitation with Clarissa.
What happens
Lovelace writes to Belford, vacillating between marriage and cohabitation with Clarissa. He rationalizes that Clarissa's will remains unviolated and that her distress is excessive, hoping she will eventually consent to marry him. He also expresses a desire for a child by her to complete his revenge on her family.
Themes in this chapter
Libertinism and Morality
Lovelace's internal conflict between his rakish inclinations and the moral pressure to marry Clarissa, reflecting libertine philosophy.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Lovelace rationalizes his violation of Clarissa by claiming her will remains unviolated, distorting the reality of her suffering.
Power and Manipulation
Lovelace's strategic considerations about marriage and fatherhood as tools for revenge and control over Clarissa and her family.
Characters to notice
- Robert Lovelace
Author of the letter; debates marriage vs. cohabitation, rationalizes his actions, and hopes for a child by Clarissa.
- John Belford
Recipient of the letter; Lovelace addresses him as a confidant and advocate for Clarissa.
- Clarissa Harlowe
Subject of Lovelace's schemes; he believes her heart is broken but dismisses her suffering as excessive.
- Dorcas Wykes
Mentioned as the servant to whom Clarissa says her heart is broken.
Key passages
“Were she even to die tomorrow, and to know she should, would not a woman of her sense, of her punctilio, and in her situation, and of so proud a family, rather die married, than otherwise?”
Lovelace argues that even if Clarissa knew she would die the next day, her sense of propriety and family pride would make her prefer to die married rather than unmarried.
Lovelace's cynical view of Clarissa's motivations, assuming social reputation outweighs personal feelings.
“The destroying of good habits, and the introducing of bad, to the corrupting of the whole heart, is the violation. That her will is not to be corrupted, that her mind is not to be debased, she has hitherto unquestionably proved.”
Lovelace redefines violation as the corruption of one's character, claiming that since Clarissa's will remains uncorrupted, she has not truly been violated.
A key rationalization by Lovelace, minimizing the rape by focusing on Clarissa's moral integrity.
“O Jack! had I an imperial diadem, I swear to thee, that I would give it up, even to my enemy, to have one charming boy by this lady.”
Lovelace declares he would trade an imperial crown to have a son with Clarissa, emphasizing his intense desire for a child by her.
Reveals Lovelace's obsession with fathering Clarissa's child as a form of triumph and revenge.