Lovelace

Like Clarissa, the overpowering character of Lovelace is felt almost immediately. Power is the ultimate object with each of his accomplishments. With Clarissa, his need for power becomes an almost sensual pleasure, and this pleasure becomes an obsession for control of Clarissa. His ruthlessness and conceit have no boundaries and the reader can actually admire his strength and energy in gaining complete control of Clarissa. He will not sacrifice his power in return for normalcy. As Clarissa becomes a martyr for her faith, Lovelace becomes a martyr for his ego. Everything else takes second place. He welcomes resistance because it serves to stimulate his ego. He can then use this as an excuse for his vengeance for Clarissa. He feels nothing will endanger him because he is protected by his own humor and drama, which can be seen in his correspondence. However, his unrestrained will becomes his downfall in the end. The character of Lovelace remains on a blameless, artificial and single minded level. His “bad boy” image might be acceptable were it not for these traits. Clarissa’s purity, virtue and goodness become the main stimulant for Lovelace. When underlying feelings of love threaten to surface, Lovelace must preserve his “loveless” and vindictive personality so as not to become undone.--Pat Phillips