Letter 53 Commentary

Clarissa begins this letter to Anna Howe with an exchange between herself and Mrs. Betty. Betty, according to Clarissa, has done nothing but talk about Clarissa’s departure for her Uncle Antony’s. Clarissa says that Betty was surprised that she would not be more eager to go to Antony’s, a place she considered to be in “her taste,” which Clarissa thought to be a comment that was quite smart, but also in the likeness of her older sister, which displeased her greatly.

Later, Clarissa explains to Anna a conversation she overheard between her brother, James, her sister, Bella, and Mr. Solmes. The three were discussing the letter James had written to Clarissa, and described it as “unanswerable,” and said Clarissa could never have a response to his assertions. She also heard Mr. Solmes say that he would persevere in his quest for Clarissa.

This conversation enraged Clarissa who immediately wrote a response to James. “No more call me meek and gentle, I beseech you.”

Clarissa first tells her brother that she cannot be carried away to anyone’s home against her will, and that she has considered perhaps going to the estate she has been left by her late-grandfather. And though she understands this to be a legitimate option if she chooses it, she understands that her brother (and by extension, her family) does not want to permit that, and therefore offers other options to her brother:

1. Allow her to stay with Anna Howe and her family

2. Allow her to stay with her Aunt Hervey

3. Allow her to stay with her Uncle Harlowe (rather than her Uncle Antony’s, for parts of his estate frighten her)

4. If she must go to Uncle Antony’s, she asks that she not be forced to receive visits from Mr. Solmes, in which case she would go to Antony’s happily

She then says that if not of these options please her brother, than any suggestion he has will make her happy, as long as she does not have to marry Mr. Solmes.

It is at this point that Clarissa’s letter becomes somewhat biting.

She explains that her style of writing may seem different to them because she wrote this particular letter in a way that would be familiar to them. She decided to “empty my female quiver at once,” and allow herself to speak openly and honestly regarding her disappointment. She sarcastically challenges her brother’s manliness and intelligence several times throughout the course of the letter, something she must be sure will create rage in him.

She then says that if her brother can agree to her conditions, she will require that they write out the agreement. And, she said, if he cannot agree, she will expect him to at least be friendly toward her and treat her the way a brother should. She takes one more moment to slip in a slight attack, saying her brother is tenacious and took advantage of her as a young girl and was especially terrible. She also said that she willingly gave him up, not the other way around.

Clarissa then told Anna of how she immediately sent the letter down, and very quickly her sister, Bella, came up to see her. Bella tells her how she is tired of allowing Clarissa’s tongue and pen hurt her family, and that because of her vulgarity and mean-spiritedness, she will leave immediately. To this, Clarissa responds that she does not want to leave, but she feels as though she is literally being dragged away.

Clarissa tries to go down to see her family, but is kept from doing so by Bella. Clarissa ends the letter by telling Anna that she did not have the chance to make arrangements for her absence, and asks her, once she is gone, to come and retrieve her letters from the Harlowe estate.-LM