Language In Clarissa, Evelina And Pride And Prejudice

Clarissa's grandfather recounts the wealth of the
Harlowe men in the Preamble of his will. In fact, much
of the Harlowe wealth, it seems, comes from Clarissa's
mother, Mrs. Charlotte Harlowe. According to Janine
Barchas, Charlotte Harlowe's class differentiates her
from the Harlowe men. While their ambitions aim toward
the aristocratic, Mrs. Harlowe stands above them; she is
aristocratic (28). She is the daughter of a viscount;
yet, she will be condemned by Anna Howe for having "long
behaved unworthy of her birth and fine qualities (L27
133) . Marrying James Harlowe, Sr., Charlotte Harlowe
loses her estates, her name, her power and her voice. At
the same time, she remains unacknowledged, even by
Grandfather Harlowe, for her contribution to "raising the
family. "
As more inherited property, more settlements were
made at the marriage of an eldest son, as was done in the
strict settlement of James Harlowe, Sr., resettling the
Harlowe estate in favor of his son and namesake. In
this, Richardson followed the historical model of the
landed gentry as well as the development of strict
settlement throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries. His history of the rise of the Harlowe family