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Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

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Anna Howe to use inheritance practice and civil action in<br />

order to gain control over her. One must also understand<br />

the power of Grandfather Harlowe's will over the plot of<br />

the novel. His determination to leave the dairy house to<br />

<strong>Clarissa</strong> is as subversive to the family men as it is<br />

divisive of the family. Beyond what the terms of his<br />

will do to <strong>Clarissa</strong>, one must look at what the terms do<br />

to the plot and to the other characters they touch.<br />

Grandfather Harlowe knew the terms of his will would<br />

cause a stir. He admitted that his "dispositions" were<br />

not "strictly conformable to the law," but he wished that<br />

his family would not "impugn or contest" his desire to<br />

leave <strong>Clarissa</strong> the dairy house (L4 54). Grandfather<br />

Harlowe's will exemplifies the investment choices and<br />

estate planning of the first generation of wealthy<br />

eighteenth-century merchants, nearly all of whom were<br />

obsessed with land and title acquisition. With the<br />

marriage of an eldest son, an established landed family<br />

transmitted to him known amounts of inherited property<br />

through strict settlement. The bourgeoisie, however,<br />

were merchants who dealt with hard cash, personalty, so<br />

the full amount of their projected fortunes could not<br />

always be ascertained until the immediate demise of the<br />

father or until the marriage of the eldest son. Because

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