Character Clues
Character Analysis
Social Status
Every once in a while, Clarissa comes off as a bit insecure. It's not her fault, really—her family has drilled into her the importance of watching each social step very carefully, because one wrong one could mean a major fall into a pit of loneliness and despair. Overdramatic much? It might seem so at first, but Clarissa's life is literally changed by one tiny flub. She steps into Lovelace's carriage and her life is effectively over.
Before any of this goes down, Clarissa knows that what's expected of her is simple: she talks to Anna about "raising a family, as it is called; a reflection as I have often thought upon our own…A view too frequently, it seems, entertained by families which having great substance, cannot be satisfied without rank or title" (13.6).
"Raising" here doesn't mean bringing up kids; it means to lift your family's status. In other words, maintaining or gaining in social status is the only way to go. It's not just about where she sits in the cafeteria—it's about navigating the seriously treacherous waters of the marriage market.
Family Life
Ah, family. Can't live with them, can't live without them, even if you make their lives totally miserable. Even though Mrs. Harlowe claims to have "a truly maternal tenderness" toward her poor daughter, the family love isn't really showing from our point of view (16.42). Why does Clarissa put up with it? And why does anyone in the book, really, refuse to say sayonara to their family unit?
Turns out it's totally crucial in Clarissa's world to maintain family bonds. Clarissa assumes that they'll have her back whatever she does, which isn't exactly true. After all, Clarissa's dad puts a curse on her and tells her that "he had rather have no daughter in me, than one he could not dispose of for her own good…" (20.26). Harsh! Family life is more linked to social status than anything else, and certainly not unconditional love.
Sex and Love
Everyone seems to want a little somethin'-somethin' in Clarissa, but some serious social codes stand in the way. Lovelace, in particular, seems downright obsessed with sex and love: "Now is my reformation secured; for I shall never love any other woman!—Oh, she is all variety!" (225.1). Yeah, we've heard it before. While everyone else tiptoes around declarations of love, Lovelace puts it all on the table to try to get sex.
But let's get real: Lovelace isn't the only one who thinks about this stuff. He's just more blatant. Clarissa is coy about it: "Why, my Anna Howe, I hope, you don't think, that I am in already in love?" (37.7). Clarissa's desire for love leads her to take chances, whether that means secretly corresponding with Lovelace or staying shut in her room to avoid marrying Solmes. Unfortunately, Clarissa's epic love story has an expiration date.