Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

the end, is partly responsible for her death. A small
group of men drives the plot of Clarissa. Fueled with
hatred for women and a deep suspicion of the rising
merchant class, minor aristocrat Robert Lovelace is
determined to keep the privileges of the nobility out of
non-aristocratic hands. In doing so, he avenges past
slights received from James Harlowe, Jr. He also makes
as many women as possible pay for the jilting he received
at the hands of a woman who married above him. He is
most dangerous, however, because his power and
independence, derived through his inheritance of a vast
estate at an early age, make him invulnerable to
authority and discipline. His uncle's title, however, is
not hereditary. In order to be eligible for it, Lovelace
must amass as much wealth and property as possible.
Lovelace's nemesis, James Harlowe, Jr., also is
driven by the power invested in land. He angrily tries
to rectify his grandfather's will. The tension created
by the needs of both young men disrupts and distorts
their impetus and ability to communicate effectively and
honestly with Clarissa and the rest of the Harlowes.
Most importantly, their own language forces silence on
others normally in authority. Clarissa's father and
mother should have been able to decide about Clarissa's