Volume II

Volume II began some interesting conversations about culture and identity. In response to Letter 58, Megan thought that the novel was setting up both Clarissa and Anna in their desire for individuation against the understandings of their respective families of acceptable roles for daughters. Debra observed that Clarissa is stuck “between a rock and a hard place”—the rock being her father’s patriarchal values, and the hard place being the burgeoning role of “love” and the relatively new idea of freedom in choosing who one will marry.  There was also a productive conversation about culture and identity in response to Letters 59 and 60. Tony observed that as the novel progresses, Clarissa’s “untroubled” notion that she has the responsibility and the power to shape her own identity becomes more and more troubled as the novel progresses.