Clarissa · Chapter
Letter 371: Mr. Lovelace, to John Belford, Esq. explained
Lovelace writes to Belford, expressing hope that Clarissa may be pregnant, which he believes would compel her to live and legitimate the child.
What happens
Lovelace writes to Belford, expressing hope that Clarissa may be pregnant, which he believes would compel her to live and legitimate the child. He dismisses her desire for death as mere rhetoric, citing Job and Shakespeare, and argues that her noble mind would not permit suicide. He complains of being tired of his relatives and friends, and plans to go to town to confront Clarissa, awaiting only Miss Howe's response. He also reflects on the public knowledge of his affair with Clarissa, criticizes her for not keeping it secret, and mentions Miss Howe's efforts to persuade Clarissa to marry him.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Manipulation
Lovelace manipulates the narrative, hoping Clarissa's pregnancy will force her to live and legitimate the child, and plans to confront her despite her rejection.
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
Lovelace accuses Clarissa of not keeping her secret and dismisses her death wish as mere rhetoric, contrasting her expressed despair with his own interpretation.
Suffering and Redemption
Lovelace discusses Clarissa's suffering and her desire for death, but he sees potential redemption through pregnancy and marriage.
Characters to notice
- Robert Lovelace
Author of the letter; expresses hope that Clarissa is pregnant, dismisses her death wish, and plans to visit her in town.
- John Belford
Recipient of the letter; Lovelace addresses him directly and references his previous letters.
- Clarissa Harlowe
Lovelace speculates she may be pregnant, criticizes her desire for death, and mentions her refusal of money from friends.
- Anna Howe
Lovelace mentions her efforts to persuade Clarissa to marry him and her promise to his cousins.
- Mr. Hickman
Lovelace references Hickman's account of his interview with Miss Howe and decides to let him have her.
- Lord M.
Lovelace mentions being tired of him during his recovery.
Key passages
“It would be the pride of my life to prove, in this charming frost-piece, the triumph of Nature over principle, and to have a young Lovelace by such an angel”
Lovelace would be proud to see Clarissa become pregnant, as it would show natural instinct overcoming her moral resolve, and he desires a child with her.
Lovelace expresses his hope that Clarissa is pregnant, viewing it as a victory of nature over her principles.
“Revenge, Jack, has induced many a woman to cherish a life, to which grief and despair would otherwise have put an end.”
Lovelace suggests that the desire for revenge can make a woman value her life, even when grief and despair might drive her to suicide.
Lovelace rationalizes that Clarissa might live out of a desire for revenge, rather than from despair.
“The weariest and most loaded worldly life, That pain, age, penury, and imprisonment, Can lay on nature, is a paradise To what we fear of death.”
Even the most burdensome life, filled with pain, old age, poverty, and imprisonment, is a paradise compared to the fear of what death might bring.
Lovelace quotes Shakespeare to argue that life, however difficult, is preferable to the unknown terrors of death.