Character Analysis of Clarissa Harlowe

Clarissa Harlowe

• Protagonist, beautiful, virtuous, and talented
• Considered an exemplary woman by everyone
• Strict ideas of duty and morality
• Takes care of neighborhood poor
• Jealousy from siblings after inheritance

Robert Lovelace

• Antagonist, handsome, brave, intelligent, and accomplished
• Skilled writer
• Loves Clarissa but wants to conquer her virtue
• Has a history of seducing and ruining women

Anna Howe

• Clarissa's best friend, confidante, and sometimes foil
• Vivacious and flippant, contrasts Clarissa's seriousness
• Sometimes teases Clarissa but loves and respects her

John Belford

• Lovelace's best friend, also a rake
• Shares a secret shorthand correspondence with Lovelace
• Has a conscience, eventually sides with Clarissa against Lovelace

Mrs. Sinclair

• Madam of a London whorehouse
• Monstrous, masculine, and wicked
• An aura of sin surrounds her
• Instrumental in Clarissa's ruin

Mr. (James) Harlowe, Sr

• Clarissa's father, authoritarian and unforgiving
• Bad temper attributed to gout
• Anxious about family's wealth, reputation, and social position

James Harlowe, Jr.

• Clarissa's older brother, proud, ambitious, and resentful
• Fiercely proud, violent when threatened

Mrs. (Charlotte) Harlowe

• Clarissa's mother, loving but passive
• Won't defy her husband, even when disagreeing
• Resents Clarissa for causing trouble

Arabella Harlowe

• Clarissa's sister, envious and bad tempered
• Inferior in beauty and character to Clarissa
• Overvalues money and reputation, resentful of Clarissa's inheritance

Mrs. (Judith) Norton

• Clarissa's nurse, a pious woman
• Well educated and well-bred
• Responsible for Clarissa's education and sense of morality

Colonel Morden

• Clarissa's cousin and trustee of her estate
• Brave, skilled, and has a shady past

Mr. Hickman

• Anna's suitor, respectable but unexciting
• Anna mocks him for his manners but he persists
• Offers help to Clarissa despite risks

Uncle (John) Harlowe, Antony Harlowe, Aunt (Dorothy) Hervey

• Clarissa's uncles and aunts
• Love Clarissa but won't help her against Mr. Harlowe

Roger Solmes

• Rich, ugly, and unappealing
• Inappropriate match for Clarissa
• Obsessed with money, mistreats servants and family

Lord M., Lady Betty, Lady Charlotte, and Patty Montague

• Lovelace's relatives
• Well-bred, refined, and respected in society
• Admire Clarissa's virtue

Captain Tomlinson

• False name of Patrick McDonald, one of Lovelace's accomplices
• Expert actor, convinces Clarissa of his sincerity

Sally Martin, Polly Horton, Dorcas Wykes

• Whores in Mrs. Sinclair's brothel
• Ruined by Lovelace, want to see Clarissa suffer
• Their mockery encourages Lovelace

Joseph Leman, Betty Barnes, Hannah Burton

• Servants of the Harlowes
• Joseph is a spy for Lovelace
• Betty is Arabella's maid and mistreats Clarissa
• Hannah is faithful to Clarissa

Mrs. Moore, Widow Bevis, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Lovik

• Keepers and guests of houses where Clarissa stays
• Decent but some are deceived by Lovelace

Mrs. Howe

• Anna's mother
• Struggles for control over Anna
• Courted by Antony Harlowe
• Shallow and selfish

Clarissa Harlowe

• Clarissa Harlowe is the protagonist of the novel, an 18-year-old woman known for her beauty, virtue, and accomplishments.
• She is considered an exemplar for her perfect behavior and moral character.
• She has strict ideals regarding duty and morality, showing a particular love for helping the neighborhood poor.
• Despite her endearing personality, her brother and sister are envious of her, especially when she inherits an estate from her grandfather.

Robert Lovelace

• Robert Lovelace is the dashing antagonist of the novel.
• He is of good family, handsome, brave, intelligent, and skilled.
• He is known for his love of writing, which he utilizes skillfully.
• Lovelace is a notorious seducer, having ruined many women who either died in childbirth or became prostitutes.
• He is attracted to Clarissa and sees conquering her virtue as both a romantic pursuit and a challenge.

Anna Howe

• Anna Howe is Clarissa's best friend and confidante.
• She is vivacious and flippant, a contrast to Clarissa's seriousness.
• Anna often mocks her mother and her suitor, Hickman, with a carefree attitude that is sometimes offensive.
• Despite these traits, she deeply respects and loves Clarissa.

John Belford

• John Belford is Lovelace's best friend, also a rake.
• Belford and Lovelace share a correspondence similar to Clarissa and Anna, but they communicate in a secret shorthand.
• Despite being a libertine, Belford possesses a conscience.
• His exposure to Clarissa gradually influences him to side with her against Lovelace, although he remains a friend to him.

Mrs. Sinclair

• Mrs. Sinclair is the madam of a London brothel.
• She is a monstrously large, masculine, and wicked woman with a strong presence of sin around her.
• Though appearing to be a respectable widow, Clarissa recognizes her wickedness.
• Mrs. Sinclair plays a significant role in Clarissa's ruin.

Mr. (James) Harlowe, Sr.

• Clarissa's father, known for his authoritarian and unforgiving nature.
• His bad temper is attributed to gout, and he often appears outside the main action of the novel, agitated and angry.
• He is deeply concerned with his family's newfound wealth, reputation, and social standing, refusing to tolerate any disobedience from his children.

James Harlowe, Jr.

• Clarissa's older brother, full of pride, ambition, and resentment.
• He is not particularly brave or intelligent but fiercely proud.
• He reacts violently to anything that he perceives as a threat to his reputation or prospects.

Mrs. (Charlotte) Harlowe

• Clarissa's mother, loving but passive, unwilling to defy her husband, even when disagreeing with him.
• She resents Clarissa for causing trouble in the family but also pities her situation.

Arabella Harlowe

• Clarissa's sister, envious and bad-tempered.
• She is inferior to Clarissa in both beauty and character and suffers from the constant shadow of her younger sibling.
• Like her father and brother, she prioritizes money and reputation, fueling her resentment of Clarissa's inheritance.

Mrs. (Judith) Norton

• Clarissa's nurse, a pious woman.
• She is well-educated and well-bred despite falling on hard times.
• She was responsible for Clarissa's initial education and instilled in her a strong moral compass that matured into her exemplary virtue.

Colonel Morden

• Clarissa's cousin and trustee of her estate.
• He is absent from the novel for much of the time as the Harlowes await his arrival to arbitrate their conflict.
• He shares similarities with Lovelace in terms of bravery and skill, and also has a somewhat questionable past.

Mr. Hickman

• Anna's suitor, respectable but unexciting.
• Anna constantly mocks him for his overly formal manners, but he persists patiently in his pursuit.
• He offers help to Clarissa when she leaves home despite the potential for conflict with Mrs. Howe.

Uncle (John) Harlowe, Antony Harlowe, Aunt (Dorothy) Hervey

• Clarissa's uncles and aunts who love her but refuse to help her against the wishes of Mr. Harlowe.

Roger Solmes

• A rich, ugly, and unappealing man, considered utterly unsuitable for Clarissa except for the wealth he would bring to the family.
• He prioritizes money above all else, mistreating his servants and even his family for personal gain.

Lord M., Lady Betty, Lady Charlotte, and Patty Montague

• Lovelace's relatives, embodying high social standing and refined manners.
• They highly regard Clarissa's virtue and wish to include her in their family despite her lower social rank.

Captain Tomlinson

• The false identity of Patrick McDonald, one of Lovelace's accomplices in deceit.
• He is a skilled actor, convincing Clarissa of his sincerity.
• He expresses reservations about playing his assigned role but delivers a flawless performance nonetheless.

Sally Martin, Polly Horton, Dorcas Wykes

• Prostitutes in Mrs. Sinclair's brothel.
• Both Sally and Polly were ruined by Lovelace and desire to see Clarissa suffer the same fate.
• Their mockery contributes to Lovelace's continued path of wickedness.

Joseph Leman, Betty Barnes, Hannah Burton

• Servants of the Harlowes.
• Joseph doubles as a spy for Lovelace, while Betty, his girlfriend, is Arabella's maid and treats Clarissa rudely.
• Hannah, by contrast, remains loyal to Clarissa.

Mrs. Moore, Widow Bevis, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Lovick

• Keepers and guests of various houses where Clarissa stays.
• Despite their general decency, some are deceived by Lovelace and end up working against Clarissa.

Mrs. Howe

• Anna's mother, courted by Antony Harlowe.
• She strives to exert control over her daughter and forbids her from helping Clarissa.
• While not a bad woman, she is shallow and self-centered.

This quiz delves into the characters of 'Clarissa Harlowe', focusing on the protagonist, Clarissa, and her complex relationships with other key figures such as Robert Lovelace, Anna Howe, and more. Explore their traits, motivations, and the impact they have on the story's moral themes.