Clarissa’s 19th letter to Miss Howe proves to
the reader that in the beginning of the novel, not only was she thinking
clearly, but she was not at all naïve. In her attempts to escape the marriage
with Solmes, Clarissa analyzes her situation very clearly. Rationally, she
explains to Anna her thoughts on the situation in a manner that does not reflect
her state of mind toward the end of the novel. She realizes that her parents
will not give her any freedom or say in the matter, for they cannot retract this
business agreement between them and the Solmes. She questions, “and then, left
to myself, should I take a wrong step, though with ever so good an intention,
how many should I have to triumph over me, how few to pity me!” and also brings
an element of foreshadowing to the novel.
Indeed, readers do eventually see her take that wrong step to Lovelace, and
Clarissa is, indeed, left with few to pity her. If she knew all this in the
beginning of Clarissa, then readers cannot help but ask themselves “why?” This
foreshadowing by Clarissa shows that she was not naïve, she did predict her
demise, yet she was faced with no other options due to her unsupportive family.