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Clara’s name is a variation on the words “clear” and “clarity,” and with her logical sense of reason, she emerges as a polar opposite to Nathaniel’s increasingly dark, emotional fascinations. As is evident in the letter she writes to Nathaniel, having intercepted a letter intended for her brother, she can form logical explanations for the frightening scenes that Nathaniel either witnessed or imagined as a young child. Clara is both learned, linking Nathaniel’s fear to a traumatic incident from his childhood, and humble, giving Lothaire the credit for explaining this idea to her.

Even the letters themselves show the differences between the two characters. Clara’s letter is brief and to the point compared to Nathaniel’s letters, which are long and loquacious. Several times during the story, Clara makes appeals for Nathaniel to think about other matters when he insists on dwelling on topics that are dark or morbid, demonstrating her growing annoyance with him. However, Clara remains devoted to Nathaniel, pleading for him and Lothaire not to get into a duel, suggesting she continues to have his best interests at heart. Clara’s double in the story is Olympia, Nathaniel’s other love interest, but the two are different in that Clara represents a real human relationship. Unlike Olympia, she sometimes disagrees with Nathaniel and contradicts his opinions with her own.

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