Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

Harlowe. Clarissa smoothes his resentment by willing the
pictures to him (L507 1414).
Scheuermann also observes that Clarissa' s wealth is
considerable, and as a single woman she has control of
her own property, adding up to a great deal indeed, but
still not giving her power or independence. The stigma
is social: "Clarissa could enter litigation and be free,
but good girls die first" (77-78). Richardson implies,
deliberately or not, that the effect of the
"unconformable will" upon Clarissa and her family is a
disruption of her life and their lives; however, the
disruption also enables Clarissa to use her knowledge of
inheritance language to perfect a "conformable will" at
the end of her life, something that her family is never
able to do.
Thus, Grandfather Harlowefs paper will becomes the
obstacle to her brother's individual and socially
endorsed will to obtain a title. In pushing Clarissa to
give up her dairy house, James, Jr., runs against
Clarissafs individual will and her ability to say no. As
Suarez so aptly observes, "Clarissafs 'Nof is an attempt
to assert her own autonomy, to secure her right to a will
of her own" (69).