Christine Presents Clarissa by Samuel Richardson

Jacquie's Email: Hello Literary Ladies! I thought that perhapf I muft write thif whole email in the fafhion of the day, but fellcheck would have none of it!*

Just a reminder that we will be meeting this Wednesday, the day after the election (!), at Dianaʼs welcoming home. Christine will be presenting on Clarissa; or, The History of a Young Lady: Comprehending the Most Important Concerns of Private Life. And Particularly Shewing, the Distresses that May Attend the Misconduct Both of Parents and Children, In Relation to Marriage by Samuel Richardson.

When I wrote to ask Christine if this was indeed the correct full name of Richardson's epistolary novel she wrote:

      “Yes, indeed that is the title of the book, a case in which the length of title corresponds to the length of the book, just barely. Feel free to make the title even longer. It is a profoundly strange book to read in this world we live in. And I can't believe I am presenting one day after election day, not that I anticipate knowing for sure the results....in fact, I expect to be in an even greater state of anxiety than I am now.”

So, I look forward to both the conversation and Dianaʼs not lunch, beginning at noon, as well as Christine's presentation, which will begin shortly after Joanna rings the bell at 1pm. I imagine our time together, as always, will pass swiftly by.

Hope to fee you all on Wednefday! xJacquie

*The long s, also known as the medial or initial s, was a version of the lowercase “s” that was used in English from the 18th to 19th centuries. It was written as “f” and was used in the following ways:

• Only for lowercase “s”
• At the beginning or middle of a word
• In double “s” sequences, unless the letters were at the end of the word
• For example, “ſinfulneſs” for “sinfulness” and “poſſeſs” for “possess”

The long s was considered antiquated by the late 18th century and began to disappear, eventually stopping its use in printed materials in England in the 1810s and 1820s. However, it was still used in handwriting for longer. (From AI Overview. Imagine one day there will be an asterisk explaining AI...)

Joanna's Minutes The members of the Hastings Literature Club gathered on Wednesday, November 6, to spend a few hours not thinking about the previous day's election and the four years ahead. They were only somewhat successful in this endeavor.

More successful was Diana Jaeger's effort to make a delicious, tangy chicken salad and set out a lovely spread for us to enjoy. Certain members were delighted when Diana returned from the kitchen with a large bowl of more chicken salad and felt it permissible to take a second (and possibly third) helping.

Jacquie Weitzman recounted having visited the White House with her sister for a children's book event hosted by the Bidens. Again, the Literature Club strove to not think about the future. Carol Barkin recently back from France recommended Julia Child’s book My Life in France. Life in France was a comforting notion to many members.

The bell was rung at or about 1:00 PM and the meeting began.

Treasurer Lori Walsh confirmed the unchanged balance in the Club’s account: $248.06.

We then settled in for Christine Lehner's presentation on the novel Clarissa by Samuel Richardson. This summary of Christine's breakneck presentation strives to be short, in inverse proportion to the novel under examination, known to be the longest novel in the English language.

Christine succinctly asked and answered the rhetorical question: why Clarissa? Because it is there. Like Mallory's Everest, Clarissa is monumental: 969,000 words, somewhere in the vicinity of 3800 pages, or 103 hours as an audio book. Even its full title is long: Clarissa: or, the History of a Young Lady: Comprehending the Most Important Concerns of Private Life, and Particularly Showing the Distress that May Attend the Misconduct Both of Parents and Children, in Relation to Marriage.

Samuel Richardson was born in 1689, one of nine children. His father was a joiner (carpenter) of great skill. Richardson said that he spent his youth telling stories and writing letters. By the age of 13, he became known for his letter-writing ability, helping girls write their replies to love letters.

To gratify a thirst for reading, Richardson decided to become a printer and, at age 17, signed on for a seven-year apprenticeship, and then set up his own business. In 1721, he married Martha. By 1723 he was printing a Jacobite political bi-weekly for the first Duke of Wharton He would later incorporate many of Wharton’s libertine characteristics in the character of Robert Lovelace.

Meanwhile, over a 10-year marriage, Martha gave birth to five sons and one daughter. Four of these sons died before Martha did in 1731; the fifth son died within a year of his mother's death. Richardson then remarried to another daughter of a printer; she went on to give birth to six children, five daughters and one son. Four of the daughters lived to adulthood but their son, another Samuel, died as an infant. Richardson ran a successful business. In 1739 Richardson was asked by his friends to write a little volume of letters. This project inspired his first novel Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded—a mere 380 pages long. He wrote a sequel to the well-liked Pamela, which was not a success and then embarked on the project that would be Clarissa. It was published in full in 1744 in seven volumes.

Richardson wrote other books and continued to work at his thriving printing business. By 1758 he was suffering from various ailments. He died in July 1761 and was buried next to his first wife. Having no surviving sons, his printing business went to a second nephew, with no head for business, who sold the copyrights to Richardson's novels.

From a young age and throughout his life Richardson wrote copious letters. He believed in the usefulness of written letters to reveal character. Despite the formidable task of summarizing this enormous work, Christine did so in six words: things go from bad to worse. Much of Clarissa consists of letters between the title character and her best friend Anna Howe and also letters from the full cast of characters.

Clarissa Harlowe has been had been left an inheritance. Robert Lovelace, a wealthy libertine and heir to a substantial estate, begins to court Arabella, Clarissa’s older sister. Lovelace quickly moves on from Arabella to Clarissa. Clarissa dislikes and distrusts the notorious Lovelace; Arabella grows jealous of Lovelace’s interest in the younger girl. James, their brother also dislikes Lovelace because of a duel the two had fought. James and Arabella also resent that their grandfather left Clarissa a piece of land.

The entire Harlowe family is in favour of Clarissa marrying Roger Solmes. However, Clarissa does not wish to marry him, either. The Harlowes begin restricting Clarissa’s contact with the outside world by forbidding her to see Lovelace. Eventually they forbid her to either leave her room or send letters to her friend. Trapped and desperate to regain her freedom Clarissa continues to communicate with Anna secretly and begins a correspondence with Lovelace, while trying to convince her parents not to force her to marry Solmes.

Through clandestine correspondence, Lovelace pressures Clarissa into agreeing to elope with him. Clarissa reluctantly agrees but then changes her mind. She goes in person at the agreed nighttime hour to tell Lovelace she will not elope with him. Frightened by the repercussions of being seen to be eloping with the enemy, Clarissa stops resisting Lovelace, and allows herself to be carried off. Lovelace keeps Clarissa his prisoner for many months. She's held at several lodgings, including unknowingly a brothel. And although Lovelace puts her under increasing pressure to submit to him, Clarissa does not waver and manages to escape. Lovelace then drugs then rapes her. Clarissa escapes (again). She is wracked by illness; she reaches out to her father asking him to lift the curse he put upon her; her father does so. Eventually Clarissa dies in the full consciousness of her virtue and trusting in a better life after death.

Clarissa’s relatives finally realize that they have been wrong, but it comes too late.

We spent the afternoon listening to Christine’s summary of the action (and sometimes inaction) of the novel, read passages that gave us a flavor of Richardson's prose and not thinking about the other stuff to which the phrase “things go from bad to worse” might apply.

Respectfully submitted,
Joanna Riesman