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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Clarissa escape while Lovelace is visiting Lord M?

2. Who is Miss Howe?

3. When Clarissa runs away after the fire, what does she plan to do if Lovelace does not find her?

4. What does the Widow Sinclair overhear that makes her angry with Clarissa?

5. After Lovelace's party, what request does Clarissa get from Miss Partington?

Short Essay Questions

1. Are Clarissa's letters to her family what you expected? Why or why not?

2. It seems almost impossible for Clarissa to escape Lovelace. What factors combine to make it so hard for Clarissa to escape?

3. How does Arabella's letter refusing to forgive Clarissa develop Arabella's character?

4. Do you think Clarissa should give in and marry Solmes? Why or why not?

5. Why do you think Clarissa keeps refusing the money people offer her?

6. Do you think Clarissa's situation after she runs off with Lovelace is worse than what would have happened to her if she had stayed at her parents?

7. How does the reaction of Lovelace's friends to Clarissa characterize Lovelace's friends?

8. Lovelace says he does not want to use force, but he doesn't know how to overcome Clarissa's will. What options does he have?

9. What do you think Clarissa's last request is, and why?

10. Do you think that Lovelace's family is doing the right thing by encouraging him to marry Clarissa? Why or why not?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The theme of will power is important in "Clarissa." Discuss the role of will power in relationship to (a) Clarissa, (b) Lovelace, and (c) any one of the other characters. Be sure to describe what kinds of goals each of these characters wants to achieve and how they demonstrate (or do not demonstrate) the ability to achieve their will.

Essay Topic 2

Foreshadowing is used frequently in Clarissa. Give at least two examples of foreshadowing of events that later occur. How does foreshadowing affect the reader's response to the novel?

Essay Topic 3

What message do you think "Clarissa" has about the right way to run a family, if any? What advice do you think a parent in the eighteenth-century might have taken from this novel for running their own family?

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