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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. Who is courting Mrs. Howe?

2. What kind of place does Lovelace trick Clarissa into choosing for her lodging in London?

3. Why does Lovelace think that Lord M dying might help him get Clarissa to marry him?

4. When the Harlowes learn that Clarissa has run off with Lovelace, which family member is actually sad for Clarissa?

5. In letters 22-36, does Clarissa want to marry Solmes or Lovelace?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why do you think Lovelace can not maintain his feelings of repentance?

2. When Lovelace says he loves and hates Clarissa simultaneously, and can you see his point of view? Why or why not?

3. Why do you think Richardson decided to include Belton's death scene in the novel? What purpose does this scene serve?

4. Describe Mr. Lovelace's character as it has been revealed in Letters 1-10.

5. After Lovelace has his "debate" with the God of Love, do you believe he has really changed his intentions toward Clarissa?

6. Does Clarissa's challenge to debate with James change what you think of her character? Why or why not?

7. Does Clarissa's behavior with her coffin reinforce the earlier development of her character? Why or why not?

8. Do you think Clarissa is right to keep refusing offers of money from Lovelace and Miss Howe?

9. In letter 31, we see one of Lovelace's own letters for the first time. Does he seem different than you expected, or about the same? Why and how?

10. How does Clarissa selling her clothes to pay for her funeral reflect on her situation?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the techniques Richardson uses to develop characterization in "Clarissa." Using examples from any character, discuss how Richardson develops his characters through (a) their own representation of themselves in their own writing, (b) reports of what the characters do and say, and (c) what other characters say about them. What are the differences among these three methods of representing characters, in terms of how much weight each kind of evidence has?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Widow Lovick and Widow Sinclair. Why is the status of each woman as a widow important?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the treatment of prostitutes in "Clarissa." How do other characters, both male and female, regard the prostitutes? What kind of character do Polly and Sally reveal? Are there any sympathetic or positive representations of prostitutes in this novel?

(see the answer keys)

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