Clarissa, or the History of a Young Lady

Novel by Samuel Richardson. First published in 1747/1748. Tragic ending.

Richardson presents the heroine, Clarissa Harlowe, when she is discovering the concealed motives of her family, who would force her into a loveless marriage to improve their fortunes. Clarissa falls in love with Lovelace, a nephew of a quite rich Lord, who would grant both her happiness and that of her family. But she is wrong and dies tragically at the end of the novel. Richardson was determined, as his postscript indicates, to write a novel that was also a tragedy and indeed was found more tragic than his previous heroine.