Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 2

Name: Clarissa Harlowe; or the history of a young lady — Volume 2
Author: Samuel Richardson

By Samuel Richardson

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British Literature Novels

About This Book

The second volume continues as a sequence of letters tracing a virtuous young woman's escalating conflict with her controlling family, her entanglement with a persuasive libertine who alternates charm and menace, and the unwelcome courtship of a boastful suitor. Correspondence with a trusted friend and aunt exposes debates about duty, marriage, and filial obedience while detailing manipulative visits, intercepted papers, searches of her rooms, and coerced interviews. Episodes emphasize the pressures exerted by pride, reputation, and patriarchal authority, and portray her steadfast moral reasoning and attempts to secure refuge amid emotional abuse and schemes to restrain her liberty.

About the Author

Samuel Richardson

Samuel Richardson was an influential English novelist and a key figure in the development of the novel as a literary form. He is best known for his epistolary novels, which explore themes of virtue, morality, and social class. His most notable works include "Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded," which tells the story of a young maid's struggle to maintain her virtue against the advances of her master, and "Clarissa," a complex narrative that delves into the life and trials of a young woman facing societal pressures. Richardson's writing is characterized by its psychological depth and intricate character development, making significant contributions to the literary heritage of the 18th century.