# Letter 393: Miss Clarissa Harlowe, to Her Mother explained — Clarissa

> Chapter companion for Clarissa by Samuel Richardson.

## What happens

Clarissa writes a desperate, penitent letter to her mother, begging for her forgiveness and blessing. She insists her repentance is genuine, claims she never intended to elope with Lovelace, and pleads for a written pardon to comfort her in her final struggles.

## Themes in this chapter

### Suffering and Redemption

Clarissa's letter is a profound expression of suffering and a plea for redemption through her mother's forgiveness, which she equates with divine absolution.

### Family Obligation and Rebellion

Clarissa's rebellion against her family's wishes leads to her current state of distress, and she now seeks to reconcile with her family obligations by begging for forgiveness.

## Character check-ins

### Clarissa Harlowe

Writes a humble, contrite letter to her mother, pleading for forgiveness and a written blessing.

### Mrs. Harlowe

The recipient of Clarissa's letter; Clarissa addresses her as her 'angry and just judge' and begs for her pardon.

### Arabella Harlowe

Mentioned as having wrung Clarissa's heart with severity and unkindness.

## Key lines

> No self-convicted criminal ever approached her angry and just judge with greater awe, nor with a truer contrition, than I do you by these lines.

I come to you with as much fear and genuine remorse as any guilty person facing a stern but fair judge.

_Clarissa compares herself to a criminal and her mother to a judge, emphasizing her deep humility and repentance._

> she met the seducer with a determination not to go off with him: that the rash step was owing more to compulsion than to infatuation

She insists she met Lovelace intending not to elope, and that her impulsive action was forced rather than driven by foolish passion.

_Clarissa defends her character by claiming she was coerced into eloping, not willingly deceived._

> Lost, unhappy wretch, I forgive you! and may God bless you!

Just say these words: 'Lost, unhappy wretch, I forgive you! and may God bless you!'

_Clarissa asks her mother to utter a specific phrase of forgiveness, which she would treasure as a 'passport to Heaven.'_

## Links

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