Brett and Clarissa

Brett and Clarissa can be viewed as complete opposites yet they have subtle similarities much like Septimus and Jake.

Brett is viewed as a bachelorette. She goes out with many men and is introducing many styles for women that haven’t emerged yet in that time period (short hair and loose clothes). She is very confident in who she is and is just there for a good time. Clarissa however is married and is extremely self-conscious. She, like Brett, enjoys parties however becomes very stressed with the people at the parties. Clarissa is constantly second-guessing herself and her “role” in society. She hates being criticized of extreme femininity (when Peter calls her a “perfect hostess”) yet she is worried about pleasing Richard and satisfying her role as a wife. Brett, quite frankly, isn’t worried about any of this. She married her first husband for his money, divorced him, is going to marry another man whom she doesn’t love, and is going out with many other men. She also doesn’t care about whom she hangs out with nor how feminine she looks.

Now believe it or not, Brett and Clarissa do have some similarities. They both can’t be with their true love. Clarissa loves Sally but isn’t with her because, for one thing, she doesn’t quite realize she loves her. It is also something that wouldn’t be accepted in the society during that time. Brett “can’t” be with Jake because of his injury (who is her true love). Instead, Clarissa and Brett both marry men whom they aren’t in love with (in Brett’s case she does it twice).

Another thing that both of these women have in common is that they are both “being chased” by men. Peter and Richard are both in love with Clarissa. Mike, Jake, Cohn, the Count, and many other men are in love with Brett. Peter and Richard both view each other as friends and Mike and Jake also view each other as friends. In both books, there is a weird love triangle between the three characters.

At a first glance, Brett and Clarissa are two completely different characters. One is insecure while the other is too secure. Yet they share some striking similarities that can be noticed as you learn more and analyze them, their roles in society, and their love lives.

    

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 19, 2017 at 1:04 PM

    You bring up some great similarities about Clarissa and Brett. Thinking about it now, Clarissa, like Brett, is heavily sought out by other people but in a less sexual way. It wasn't just Peter and Richard, it was also all the party guests and people on the street who thought as Clarissa as the perfect human being for her role. For Brett is was more her sexual attraction that got men worked up.

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  2. TinaSeptember 20, 2017 at 11:43 AM

    Clarissa can't be with Sally, because, as you said, she doesn't realize that she loves her. A romantic relationship with another woman would never have been seen as an option. Brett, on the other hand, knows that she loves Jake. What's their relationship exactly? If they're not lovers (and yet they love each other), does that mean a polyamorous relationship isn't seen as an option? If so, this could be another similarity between Clarissa and Brett. If not, I'd be curious to know Brett and Jake's reasons for not pursuing that path (as it kinda seems like it'd be a pretty decent deal).

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  3. ajSeptember 21, 2017 at 11:28 AM

    I think that there is a slight different between Clarissa's inability to be with Sally and Brett's inability to be with Jake. In terms of Clarissa, I do not think she really wants to be with Sally. That is not really an option for her because of the culture of that time. I interpreted this as Clarissa just reflecting on memories she had while growing up. Brett can be with Jake if she really wanted to, but her necessity for sexual relationships is hindering that from happening. I guess there is something keeping each relationship from happening, but theyre both different. I do think your comparisons are extremely good and insightful!

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  4. AnikaSeptember 21, 2017 at 7:04 PM

    This is an interesting comparison. It seems that both Clarissa and Brett are not really sure what they want in life. Brett seems to jump from husband to husband and it is not clear if she actually loves any of her husband. She is always with different men and it is clear that Jake is her true love, yet she tells herself that she doesn't want to be with him. Clarissa is also indecisive as she can't decide if it was the right choice to marry Richard. She is constantly debating this and never seems to be able to get the idea out of her mind. In this way it seems that both Brett and Clarissa are both indecisive and torn between different people.

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  5. EmmaSeptember 24, 2017 at 1:50 PM

    This is an interesting point you've brought up. At first glance (or read, I guess) Brett seems like a much happier, freer character, while Clarissa stays stuck in her insecurity. But you're right; both are grappling with their love interests. How each character presents themselves says something about their societies. For Clarissa, playing a "hostess" gets her attention and a place in society. For Brett, the casual rejection of anything serious gets her attention from guys everywhere she goes. It would be interesting to compare 20th century London and Paris while thinking about these female characters and the way they present themselves so differently, despite having similar insecurities.

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  6. Jessica ValeteSeptember 26, 2017 at 1:56 PM

    I love this post! I never even considered the similarities between their characters. In addition to the great points you made I also feel like if Clarissa had the opportunity she would have a real wild side. If she could truly be with Sally I think we would see them living wild together for much of their lives. Brett obviously has her wild times. She spends most of her time drinking and partying with anyone around her.

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  7. NishantSeptember 30, 2017 at 2:34 PM

    Nice job contrasting Clarissa and Brett. As you mentioned, at first glance they seem to be polar opposites but also share similarities. Clarissa lives a secure life and provided for by her husband and hosting proper parties; while Brett lives a wild life partying, drinking and being “one of the boys”. Brett is perhaps searching and longing for the perfect relationship that provides love and security while Clarissa is longing for sort of a breath of fresh air.

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