Memories of Times Past

     Although she has only appeared once in the book thus far (and only in Clarissa’s thoughts), Sally Seton further highlights the odd relationships and connections Clarissa has. First it must be acknowledged that Clarissa’s relationship with Sally is unlike any other we find in this book, and arguably the strongest. We can compare this relationship with two other important relationships in the book: Clarissa and Richard, and Clarissa and Peter. Clarissa doesn’t speak much of her husband Richard, and we can reap a lot from that. She lives with her husband everyday and yet she has nothing to say about him. We as readers can see that Clarissa doesn’t hold that much of a connection, if any connection at all with her husband. Clarissa seems to see Richard simply as a social game piece. She is his wife and he is her husband, and that is all. However, we do see a bit more of a connection between Clarissa and Peter. She talks about him very affectionately, describing him looking “awfully well” (39). But she still gets quite annoyed at him from time to time. For example, when Peter interrupts her, she says “It was like running one’s face against a granite wall in the darkness! It was shocking; it was horrible!” (35). But the way Clarissa talks of Sally is completely star-crossed. Clarissa even considers that she could’ve been in love with Sally. Every detail from appearance to attitude appeals to Clarissa, so much so that she describes not being able to take her eyes off her. 

Now, what Clarissa finds attractive about Sally is another interesting matter. The characteristic Clarissa seems to admire the most is Sally’s wildness. Sally doesn’t act like how a young lady should, cutting off the heads of flowers, reading deep literature, and running nude across the hall when she forgets her bath towel. The reasons for Clarissa’s attraction to Sally could signify the longing Clarissa has for a more adventurous, risk-taking lifestyle. Everything about Clarissa’s life screams order and class. She is wealthy, meaning she must maintain an image, and Richard was arguably the “safe” choice to marry compared to Peter. Clarissa’s inner desire to break out of her shell definitely plays a part in her attraction to Sally. 

Even though Clarissa describes Sally in such a loving and remarkable manner. Clarissa is recalling everything from her memory. Memories can be often romanticized, and through romanticization, flaws and bad qualities are usually filtered out. The more recent the memory, the more detail it contains, and the more flaws it potentially holds. Using this reasoning I suggest that Sally could be regarded highly by Clarissa because Clarissa hasn’t seen her for a long time. Further strengthening this reasoning, when Clarissa first thinks of Peter, there aren’t many flaws she points out. However, when Clarissa meets Peter in person, she is quick to get annoyed by him toying with his pocket knife. In addition, Clarissa has no interest with her husband, who she spends the most time with. 

Based on this observation, I could draw two points on human psychology. One, people tend to romanticize their past relationships and experiences, not necessarily appreciating their current ones in life. Second, some people get attracted to people with opposite traits. Interestingly, the common thread of the two points is that people get excited about what they do not have. Simply put, the grass is always greener on the other side. So, when you desire something you do not have, rethink! Are you falling into this psychological trap? 

Also writing about this topic reminded me of this song. Give it a listen! (https://youtu.be/GVwJNg4Wgq4)