Commentary – Letter 5

Clarissa writes this letter in response to a letter of inquiry set to her by Miss Howe after an atypical period of silence.  Clarissa explains she has been occupied nursing her mother through a cold.  Her actions exemplify her love and respect for her parents.  She places her familial duty above all other concerns.  Clarissa then proceeds to explain the events that have transpired in the house.  He brother and sister are closer than ever as they conspire against her.  She acknowledges her mother as a powerful woman, and wishes she would put an end to the “family-feuds” at their inception.  However, her mother refuses to intercede because she feels it is not her place as the woman of the house.  There is very little she can do to aid Clarissa.

Clarissa is convinced that women could gain the respect of the world if they were simply “sturdy in our wills.”  She finds the disparity between the genders absurd and frustrating. There is an internal conflict which begins to surface.  Clarissa wants to fulfill her role as defined by society, yet there are times when her heart stands in direct opposition. 

Letter Five also illustrates the control that Clarissa’s brother possesses.  The entire family, including his superiors (his father and uncles), will consult him on an issue before making a decision.  His opinion is often weighted above the rest.  It was not typical of the 18^th Century for a son to have so much power in a family especially over his elder male relatives.  She finds him completely disagreeable and undutiful. 

Clarissa loves her father dearly, but as she expresses to Miss Howe the gout has changed his disposition.  “It [the gout] imprisoned, as I may say, his lively spirits in himself.”  His physical ailments imprison him, and it is possible that he projects some of his pain and frustration on Clarissa by forcing her to suffer.-LT