Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

divine commandment" (100). The Harlowe family commands
Clarissa to give up the dairy house as well as her dream
of remaining single to marry Solmes, thereby making all
the Harlowe males happy. Land is everything to them, the
stepping-stone to family greatness. Marriage is an
economic transaction for the betterment of the family,
not the individual. Unfortunately for Clarissa, marriage
has not yet become a social institution of love and
independent choice.
The inheritance language that paralyzes and confuses
the rest of Clarissa's family, in the hands of James,
Jr., becomes disruptive enough to translate into an
extreme demand from him through her parents: Marry
Solmes or else. Clarissa is forced to take action
against their wishes. Richardson aptly provides Clarissa
with a force of will at a time when general thinking
concluded that the wisdom and guidance of parents would
never command a child to do anything harmful for the
child (Goldberg 101). In exchange, children were to be
obedient to their parents since they were always looking
out for the welfare of their children; the divine right
of the family was to protect the family lineage and
interests and to accrue wealth.