Reading Clarissa
Autumn 2008
Thursday 11-13, A214
Fulfils any ½ of any MA module
http://home.adm.unige.ch/%7Ekukorelly/
Sometimes easier to access via English
Department Staff pages.
Erzsi Kukorelly
Office hours:
Monday 14.15-15.15 Co 209
or by appointment (078.727.2268)
elizabeth.kukorelly@unige.ch
Texts: Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, or the History of a Young Lady. Penguin Classics Edition,
ISBN 9780140432152
Other texts will be available for photocopying on seminar shelf in library.
Participation: Active participation is required from all students. Although not formally graded, in-class participation,
enthusiasm and good preparation for class may be taken into consideration when giving grades, either for papers
or for exams, as well as when giving attestations.
During class, your book is open on the desk, and bears the marks of interactive reading. You are prepared to take
risks and you contribute to but do not dominate the discussion. Although you listen to your colleagues and your
teacher with due respect, sincere and politely expressed disagreement is encouraged.
Attendance: If you miss more than 2 seminar sessions without valid excuse (medical certificate), you will not
receive credit for this seminar.
Plagiarism: This institution will not tolerate plagiarism, which is a crime. The statement on plagiarism is available
on the department website.
Formal requirements:
a. All participants must give a number of short presentations based on the questions that are specified below. The
exact amount will depend on numbers participating on seminar.
b. An essay, either graded or ungraded, depending on your modular requirements; see website for modalities and
deadlines
OR c. An exam; see website for modalities and deadlines.
Seminar Goals: participants are expected to:
a. read Clarissa paying close attention to the way in which they read;
b. become familiar with a couple of theories of reading;
c. come to understand the various ideological implications of the novel.
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SCHEDULE OF READING
1. 18/09/2008 – Introduction
2. 25/09/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 35-161 (up to and including letter 33.3)
Other reading: Samuel Richardson, ‘Preface’ to Penelope Aubin’s Collection
a. what issues can you identify concerning the conduct of young ladies?
b. what can you say about money, manners and morals?
c. how is Clarissa’s character developed in this early section?
d. how do the inserted letters function, and to what effect?
3. 2/10/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 161-293 (up to and including letter 74)
a. how is Lovelace’s character introduced?
b. does Clarissa love Lovelace? what structures of “proof” are set up in the text? what is the link with reading?
c. what is the effect of printing Clarissa’s grandfather’s will (p. 53)? what is the link between “will” and “authority”?
d. think about the role of servants in the novel up till now.
4. 9/10/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 293-403 (up to and including letter 99)
Other reading: Wolfgang Iser, ‘The Rudiments of a Theory of Aesthetic Response’ in The Act of Reading: A
Theory of Aesthetic Response, pp. 20-50.
a. think about the value of words – oral and written.
b. how is the plot a function of reading? what is read?
c. how does the novel transmit an ideology of marriage? what is that ideology?
d. note how we now have multiple perspectives on action. What is the effect of this on narrative? on reading?
5. 16/10/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 403-530 (up to and including letter 156)
a. think about the value of money and other riches in the novel until now.
b. what is the effect of the italic passages that introduce and punctuate letter 103 (p. 411) and others? in terms of
reading, authority, typography – and anything else you can think of.
c. what differences in style can you identify between Clarissa’s and Lovelace’s writing? what is their effect? what
do the protagonists’ letters say about themselves? about each other?
d. how does Anna Howe’s role change after Clarissa leaves her family? what was her role up till now?
e. what is particular about letters 139 and 140? what is the effect on reading and interpretation?
f. what do you think of the list of books in letter 155 (p. 525)?
6. 23/10/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 530-653 (up to and including letter 201)
a. ‘What are words but the body and dress of thought?’ (L. 161, p. 543) – think about this assertion in terms of
reading and truth.
b. Think about Lovelace’s strategies of writing (for example: figures on p. 557 L. 170, use of poetry on e.g. p.
570 & 571 L. 174.3 & L. 175, p. 609 L. 191)
c. How is the fact that Clarissa has not yet written to Col. Morden (p. 565, L173) an example of dramatic irony?
how does this affect reading? Relate this to italic editorial insert on p. 583 (L. 182), as well as the letter that
follows.
d. On p. 577 (L. 177), Anna Howe describes certain ‘giddy creatures’. What does she make reference to? How do
you relate this to Clarissa, to Clarissa and the practice of reading? Relate this to Lovelace’s comments on taking
Clarissa to the theatre (p. 620, L. 194)
e. What is the effect of narrative perspective on Belford’s letter to Lovelace (L. 192, p. 612)?
f. Think about the conversation between Anna Howe and her mother (pp. 626-630, L. 197): form and content.
What is the effect on reading?
g. What is the effect of having Lovelace comment on Anna Howe’s letters (pp. 634-639, L. 199)?
7. 30/10/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 653-789 (up to and including letter 233.4)
a. Think about the categories public and private.
b. How can we relate Lovelace’s feigned illness (pp. 676-679, L. 211 & 212) to the introduction of Captain
Tomlinson (p. 680 fwd.), to Lovelace’s assertion to Belford ‘We were once The Quarrelsome, but now we are The
Polite, Lovers ---’ (p. 693, L. 216), and the ‘stage direction’ on p. 764 (L. 232)?
c. What is the effect of reading? Again, again, again. Keep thinking about this!
d. Is Lovelace’s description of Clarissa on p. 705 (L. 220) erotic? Find other examples of this kind of thing. What
is the link with sentiment? With the senses? With the body?
e. ‘I love to write to the moment’ claims Lovelace on p. 721 (L. 224). What does this mean? What is the effect on
reading? On truth? Relate to his claim to use ‘shorthand writing’ on p. 762, L. 232.
f. What are Lovelace’s feelings about marriage?
g. What can you find out / say about the ideogrammes that Lovelace uses to highlight aspects of Anna Howe’s
letter (p. 743 fwd, L. 229.1)?
h. What can you say about the footnote on p. 774 (L. 233)?
8. 6/11/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 789-907 (up to and including letter 264)
Other reading: Roland Barthes, ‘The Death of the Author’
a. On p. 799 (L. 235), Clarissa refuses to tell her story. Are there other examples of this in the novel?
b. What can you say about reading the body?
c. What is the effect of including the marriage licence on p. 871 (L. 254)? What is Lovelace’s attitude to marriage?
e. How is Lovelace an author? What does interpreting Lovelace as author say about the practice of reading in
general?
d. What can be said about Clarissa’s “mad” papers? (890-896 L. 261)
9. 13/11/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 907-1022 (up to and including letter 320)
Other reading: Michel Foucault, ‘What is an Author?’
a. What can you say about the footnotes on pages 933, 934 and 936? (L. 276)
b. How do you account for Belford’s taking over the narrative? What is the effect? (pp. 964-969, L. 293)
c. What does Clarissa do once she escapes?
10. 20/11/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 1023-1141 (up to and including letter 369)
a. Is Clarissa really a ‘poor … plotter’? (p. 1023, L. 321)
b. Belford begins to have an important part in the narration. Why, and to what effect?
c. What is the significance of Hickman’s insisting on the whole truth and nothing but the truth? (p. 1095, L. 346)
d. Clarissa tells her story, and Lovelace reacts to it. What can you say about this episode? (pp. 1104-1109, L.
349-350)
e. Comment on Anna Howe’s letter describing the ball. (pp. 1133-1139, L 367)
11. 27/11/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 1142-1268 (up to and including letter 438)
a. Read Lovelace’s L. 370-71 (pp. 1142-50) and Belford’s L. 413 (pp. 1205-07) in view of the effect of reading and
cultural consumption.
b. Death and its preparation begin to be important themes. Which deaths? How are they linked? What other
deaths have we encountered? With what effect?
c. Note how there begins to be serious talk of publicizing Clarissa’s story. What is the effect of this in the novel,
and on reading the novel?
d. What is the significance of Clarissa’s Meditations? (p. 1189, L. 399; p. 1192, L. 402; p. 1221, L. 418)
e. Does Clarissa’s relationship with her family and friends evolve? What factors contribute to this relationship?
12.4/12/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 1269-1394 (up to and including letter 499)
a. Clarissa continues to die and then, towards end of section, dies. Track this process. Compare Clarissa’s death
to that of Sinclair. (pp. 1386-1394, L. 499)
b. What can you say about Clarissa’s coffin?
c. And about Lovelace as an author?
d. What is the effect of Clarissa’s decline on Lovelace?
e. Think about Brand’s letter (pp. 1292-1295, L. 444) and Mowbray’s letters (pp. 1359-1360, L. 480 and pp. 13821383, L. 496).
f. Consider Clarissa’s posthumous letters, from the perspective of reading both in the novel and of the novel.
13. 11/12/2008 – Clarissa – pp. 1394-1499 (till end)
a. Think about Clarissa’s will and its reception (pp. 1412-1422, L. 507-508)
b. What do you think of Lovelace’s reactions to and behaviour after Clarissa’s death?
c. What can you say about Anna Howe’s “character” of Clarissa? (pp. 1465-1472, L. 529)
d. What is the function of the “Conclusion” (pp. 1489-1494) and the “Postscript” (pp. 1495-1499)?
14. 18/12/2008 – Conclusion