After reading the last section from Wieland, my initial response was pity. The feeling stemmed from the precarious situation that Clara found herself in. She really just could not win. Not only did the love of her life believe her to be impure and corruptible, but he sowed a similar seed of disapproval in her brother. The worse part about it was that he had just as much proof to confirm it as she had to deny.
I do, however, admire the fact that she wasted no time in attempting to set everything straight. She immediately jumped to defend her honor. "My purpose was to go immediately to Pleyel's farm" (103). That combines with heading out to her brother's house confirms the unfairness of Pleye's accusations.
The pity for Clara could even be extended back as far as the beginning. from a young age you pity the loss of her parents, her unrequited love and how her feelings seem to be displaced upon a murderer and thief. Clara just seems to have a lot of forces working against her.
I agree with this post to some extent. While reading this novel, I also felt some pity for Clara after she described the details of her father’s unexpected death (20). The fact that her mother died shortly thereafter also made me feel sympathetic towards Clara (22). Even though she became an orphan at a young age, she still appeared to have a joyous life. She was an independent woman with her own land and servants. However, Clara may also want us to feel more pity towards her than we should allow ourselves to feel. We must continually remember that she is the only person narrating this story. I am not sure if I can believe Clara when she claims to be madly in love with Henry Pleyel. It seems that she changes her feelings often and may be too spontaneous. Even though there are some instances in Clara’s life where we could feel pity towards her, we cannot yet classify her or her narrative as tragic.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post, also to some extent. I do feel as if Clara gets the short end of the stick in life sometimes. But with that said, she has dealt with it tremendously. In reading the novel from her point of view, the first feeling the reader gets about her is not necessarily one of pity. And that could be because of how strong a person Clara has become. Her strength most likely comes from the experiences she has gone through and being able to endure with an optimistic outlook.
ReplyDeleteTo comment on Paige T's comment about Clara's love for Pleyel, I have to respectfully disagree. I do believe that Clara is as in love with Pleyel as she claims. Yes, her feelings are a bit fickle at times, but her "love" for Pleyel and her "considerable curiosity" that she feels towards Carwin should not be comapred. While I agree that she has become quite fond of Carwin and is extremely intreagued by his story, I do not think she is in love with him. At the end of the day, her heart lies with Pleyel and always has. Although she has neglected to share these feelings with Pleyel, she has obviously fallen for her. And Pleyel for Clara. I was convinced of this in chapter nine when Pleyel was missing and Clara was worried sick. She stated "how fondly did I dream that Pleyel was a lover!" Then she went on to ask the question "why should I prolong, by hypocrisy or silence, his misery as well as my own? Why not deal with him explicitly, and assure him of the truth?" When she feels that she will never see Pleyel again, she torments herself for not confessing her love to him earlier on. I do not believe this is a statement of someone who is truly confused. If the tables were turned and Carwin were the one missing, I do not believe that situation would have prompted the same response from Clara.