A quote from the Rev. Dr. Lewen because I don‘t want to give Lovelace‘s whining any more air, and because it‘s a different voice. Buy even he seems to be laying all the responsibility on our #Clarissa! Not blaming her for what happened, but telling her to fix it or she‘s guilty of harming the next woman L decides to rape. Sheesh! Also, does anyone else find Richardson‘s prose harder to get through when he gets preachy, or is it just me? 🙄
Lcsmcat @hazel2019, @jerdencon, @annececilie, @tamra, @amiable, @daisey, @sarabellym, @llwheeler, @liz_m, @slategreyskies, @covertocovergirl, @librarybelle, @localtxlibrarian, @cewilf, @dd42500, @hilded, @bookwormM, @mamareading, @jewright, @lauraisntwilder, @leahbergen, @jenniferp, @rubyslippersreads, @currey, @theelliemo, @barbarajean, @thebookhippie, @arubabookwoman, @ginakbutler 1y
Lcsmcat Also, I‘m at the final day of a conference today and then will be driving home so, as they said on SNL back in the day “Talk among yourselves” and I‘ll chime in when I can. 🙂 1y
Currey @Lcsmcat It is not just you. Richardson puts some of his preaching into Clarissa‘s voice when she is correcting Anna‘s behavior or even when defending herself. It makes her decidedly less appealing when she is correcting but I appreciate her defending herself. It beats “woe is me”. 1y
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Amiable I continue to be amazed that -- given the time period, when women had so few legal rights-- people keep urging Clarissa to prosecute Lovelace. While I agree with Dr. Lewen that doing so may help prevent Lovelace from raping another woman, his tone is more “it has to be you because you are society's ideal of the perfect woman, so YOU are trustworthy and believable.“ Which is both a huge compliment to Clarissa and an unfair burden. ⬇️ (edited) 1y
Amiable And also an insult to other women. Although I could have missed his point-- maybe it also has to do with the fact that Clarissa has Lovelace's letters to Belford, where he expressed his evil plans in excruciating detail. So she has proof that it wasn't consensual and that she was drugged and held down. 1y
TheBookHippie It‘s very preachy and even with all her assets to make a good witness she won‘t be believed -not much has changed and the law wasn‘t on her side. I do appreciate something other than the woe is me narrative but I‘m not sure the author has captured what her voice would actually be like in reality …🤷🏻♀️ 1y
Lcsmcat @Amiable Does Dr. Lewen know she has the letters? (I can‘t remember who knows what.) But yes, he lays it on a bit thick about her perfection. Which seems like another burden on C‘s shoulders. 1y
Lcsmcat @Currey Much less appealing! 1y
Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie I think Clarissa is not portrayed as a real person, but more of an ideal. So there cannot be a real voice. 1y
TheBookHippie @Lcsmcat I agree I think I just wish it was real 🙃 1y
Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie We can live and hope. 😏 1y
Jerdencon I agree with everyone- and at times I find myself skimming a lot of the letters when they don‘t move the plot along… 1y
BarbaraJean YES about the preachiness, whoever's voice he puts it in and even if I agree! Clarissa's exhortations to Anna feel that way, as well as Belford's to Lovelace. @Amiable I was also surprised that she's being pressured to prosecute. Even a “paragon of virtue“ like Clarissa wouldn't be believed--her family doesn't believe her and I think that would carry a lot of weight against her. Definitely agree about that being a backhanded compliment as well! 1y
BarbaraJean Now that I've agreed with the problems inherent in her being pressured to prosecute... on the other hand, I found Lewen's encouragement to do so (especially in the quote above) a bit refreshing. It felt vindicating that Lewen believes her, and that he's encouraging her to stand up for herself. A bit #BelieveWomen, if you will. I don't agree with his guilt trip or the idea that she's to blame for future victims if she doesn't speak up, but still. 1y
Lcsmcat @BarbaraJean It would be nice (if not helpful to the plot) to hear Dr Lewen apply some of that pressure to Clarissa‘s family. Maybe get them to believe and support her before he asks Clarissa to stand up in open court. 1y
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