We have changed our privacy policy. In addition, we use cookies on our website for various purposes. By continuing on our website, you consent to our use of cookies. You can learn about our practices by reading our privacy policy.

Clarissa Letters 151-180 Summary

  • Clarissa writes to Anna from her new lodgings in London.
  • Everything's cool, but old widow who's renting the place out has an "odd winking eye." BAD SIGN.
  • The widow Sinclair has a relative who will be filling in as a servant until Clarissa can get her old servant Hannah back. This servant has the best name ever: Dorcas.
  • Okay, so Mrs. Sinclair's place is actually a whorehouse. Whoopsies!
  • Besides Dorcas, the prostitutes who live there are named Polly Horton and Sally Morton. It's like they're straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.
  • Polly, Sally, and Dorcas are nice enough, but they're definitely giving Lovelace some funny looks.
  • At least they seem to be readers of moral literature. Oh, wait, Lovelace planted some second-hand books around to make them look like they read moral books. That's not sketchy at all.
  • Y'know those funny looks the girls seem to be giving Lovelace? Well, they've all slept with him.
  • Actually, they used to be fine upstanding citizens before Lovelace came along.
  • All of this makes Clarissa pretty uneasy, but it's even worse that Lovelace is insisting that they're "married." No separate room for you, Clarissa!
  • Lovelace invites all his bros over for some fun times at the brothel. No, not like that. It's about as innocent of a brothel party as possible.
  • Clarissa still leaves the group, disgusted, but she manages to check out all of Lovelace's buddies.
  • The guys are Mowbray, Belton, Tourville, and a classy heiress named Miss Partington. Don't even ask what she's doing with this band of misfits.
  • Oh, and there's Belford, who's been corresponding with Lovelace. Clarissa notices that he seems like the most decent dude.
  • Lovelace is up to his tricks again. He gets a buddy of his to pretend he's a house broker named Captain Mennell.
  • It's extra sketchy because Lovelace has no intentions of finding Clarissa a decent place outside of the brothel.
  • In the meantime, Clarissa's cousin writes her a letter. That would be Colonel Morden, who is pretty much one of the only trustworthy men in Clarissa's life at this point.
  • Groan. Looks like Morden thinks Clarissa's option is to—say it with us now—marry Solmes. So he's not much help.
  • Looks like Mommy's mad. That would be Anna's mom, who forbids Clarissa from writing to Anna.
  • Ever the good girl, Clarissa agrees. But Anna doesn't plan to lie down.
  • Using her beau, Mr. Hickman, as a front, Anna continues writing to Clarissa. She also calls Lovelace Beelzebub. Guess the bloom is off the rose?
  • Even though most of Lovelace's friends are jerks, they still think Clarissa is getting a raw deal.
  • They write Lovelace to tell him to cut it out, but he's not really paying attention.
  • Anna to the rescue, once again. She writes to Clarissa's old nurse, Mrs. Norton, to beg her to reconcile Clarissa and her family.
  • Mrs. Norton is like, "Nope." But she also writes back to Anna to say that she hopes Clarissa is still a virgin.