This paper proposes that Samuel Richardson consciously created the motivational complexity of Clarissa Harlowe. The arguments are the following: eighteenth-century scientific interest in motivation influenced Richardson, his Puritanism led him to suspect and emphasize motive, his frequent use of the word motive suggests an awareness, his choice of the epistolary form is ideal for revealing motives, his attention to the ambiguity of motives indicates his interest, and his complexly motivated Clarissa demands a conscious creator. The last argument constitutes the principal section of the study, and Clarissa's motives are analyzed from the events prior to the elopement, through the rape in London, and finally to her death. She is studied as a product of eighteenth-century decorum, individualism, and Puritanism, but also as an intricate personality.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc663532 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | House, Doris Ann |
| Contributors | Belcher, William F. (William Francis), 1919-, Marcello, Ronald E., Kirk, Gerald A. |
| Publisher | North Texas State University |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | iii, 140 leaves, Text |
| Rights | Public, House, Doris Ann, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights |
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