SparkNotes: Free Study Guides No Fear Shakespeare: The Bard made easy SparkCharts: Just the facts TestPrep: SAT, ACT, and more 101s: College texts condensed Subject Finder: Browse by subject SparkCollege: Get in! SparkLife: 100% study-free home_bottom home_top BN_link
 
◄ PREVIOUS
Important Quotations Explained
NEXT ►
Study Questions and Essay Topics
 

Clarissa

 Samuel Richardson
 

Key Facts

 
full title · Clarissa, or The History of a Young Lady
 
author · Samuel Richardson
 
type of work · Novel
 
genre · Epistolary, realist, psychological
 
language · English
 
time and place written · 1740s, London
 
date of first publication · 17471748 (7 serial volumes)
 
publisher · Samuel Richardson
 
narrator · None. The plot is presented in a series of letters written by the characters.
 
point of view · The story is told in a series of letters, giving the point of view of several characters. The characters provide information about one another, but there is no omniscient or objective narrator.
 
tone · Varies; Clarissa and Belford's letters tend to be serious, while Lovelace and Anna's are humorous and sometimes ironic.
 
tense · Present
 
setting (time) · Mid-eighteenth century
 
setting (place) · The English countryside; London
 
protagonist · Clarissa Harlowe
 
major conflict · Clarissa struggles to maintain her virtue against Lovelace's plots and violence.
 
rising action · The Harlowe family, by trying to force Clarissa into a bad marriage, propels her into Lovelace's control.
 
climax · Lovelace's rape of Clarissa determines the final outcome of the plot, including her death and his downfall.
 
falling action · After the rape Clarissa escapes Lovelace and begins to prepare herself for death and heaven.
 
themes · The danger of rakes, virtue is rewarded eventually, a single false step brings disaster
 
motifs · Enclosure, dreams, money
 
symbols · Beauty, angels/devils, animals
 
foreshadowing · Before running away with Lovelace Clarissa dreams that he stabs her and throws her into a grave, foreshadowing that he will cause her death. Lovelace dreams about Clarissa ascending to heaven while he falls into hell, foreshadowing their fates in the afterlife.
 
 
Help | Feedback | Make a request | Report an error | Send to a friend

◄ PREVIOUS
Important Quotations Explained
NEXT ►
Study Questions and Essay Topics
 
 
 
 
 
 
Message Boards
Ask a question or start a discussion on the community boards.
  • Clarissa
  •  
     
     
     
    Printable PDF
    Download a printable version of this SparkNote.
     
     
     
    SparkCharts
    A textbook's worth of information on an easy-to-read chart.
  • Literary Terms
  •  
     
     
    Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | About | Sitemap
    ©2008 SparkNotes LLC, All Rights Reserved.