# Clara — News from Nowhere character guide > Clara in News from Nowhere by William Morris. **Role:** supporting **First appearance:** 0003-iv-a-market-by-the-way ## Snapshot Dick's spirited lover, quick to puncture sentiment with plain sense, she joins the river journey with a wary eye on Ellen's strange beauty. ## Who they are Clara is affectionate and practical, the kind of woman who diagnoses a friend's romantic despair as mere hunger for love rather than tragedy. Her reunion with Dick is wordless and flushed, and her shy glances at Ellen suggest she senses a rival she cannot quite name. She matters because her level-headed warmth keeps the utopia's emotional register honest, and her presence complicates the narrator's growing fixation on Ellen. ## Relationships ### [Old Hammond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/old_hammond) _family_ Clara is Old Hammond's granddaughter, showing affectionate respect and familial closeness. ### [Ellen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/ellen) _friendship_ Clara and Ellen share a sisterly bond, with Clara often protective and affectionate toward Ellen. ### [Friend Walter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/friend_walter) _friendship_ Clara and Friend Walter are friendly acquaintances, often seen in social gatherings together. ### [Greylocks](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/greylocks) _social_ Clara and Greylocks have a respectful, intergenerational acquaintance within the community. ### [Richard Hammond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/richard_hammond) _family_ Clara and Richard Hammond are siblings, sharing a close familial bond. ### [Old Hammond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/old_hammond) _family_ Clara is Old Hammond's granddaughter, showing affectionate respect and familial closeness. ### [Friend Walter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/friend_walter) _friendship_ Clara and Friend Walter are friendly acquaintances, often seen in social gatherings together. ### [Old Hammond](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/old_hammond) _family_ Clara is Old Hammond's granddaughter, showing affectionate respect and familial closeness. ### [Ellen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/ellen) _friendship_ Clara and Ellen share a sisterly bond, with Clara often protective and affectionate toward Ellen. ## In the story ### [IX: Concerning Love](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/ix-concerning-love) Enters the room and is reunited with Dick, blushing with happiness. ### [XV: On the Lack of Incentive to Labour in a Communist Society](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xv-on-the-lack-of-incentive-to-labour-in-a-communist-society) Mentioned as expected to arrive with Dick, but they do not appear during the conversation. ### [XVI: Dinner in the Hall of the Bloomsbury Market](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xvi-dinner-in-the-hall-of-the-bloomsbury-market) Clara leads the Guest to dinner, questions why modern life is not depicted in art, and shows a thoughtful, slightly troubled demeanor. ### [XVIII: The Beginning of the New Life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xviii-the-beginning-of-the-new-life) Clara arrives with Dick to fetch the Guest at the end of the chapter. ### [XIX: The Drive Back to Hammersmith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xix-the-drive-back-to-hammersmith) Sensitive to the Guest's unease, defends the beauty of contemporary clothing, and insists on finding him proper garments. ### [The Hammersmith Guesthouse Again](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xx-the-hammersmith-guesthouse-again) Present at the feast, though described as defensive compared to Annie. ### [XXI: Going Up the River](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxi-going-up-the-river) Wears a light silk embroidered gown, teases the Guest about his earlier scolding, and joins the river expedition. ### [XXII: Hampton Court and a Praiser of Past Times](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxii-hampton-court-and-a-praiser-of-past-times) Clara admires Dick's beauty, suggests stopping at Hampton Court, and later listens with restless excitement to the debate, showing her engagement with the old man's views. ### [XXIII: An Early Morning by the Runnymede](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxiii-an-early-morning-by-the-runnymede) Clara participates in the morning banter, dresses more simply to match Ellen, and asks demurely about the fairy comparison. ### [XXIV: Up the Thames: The Second Day](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxiv-up-the-thames-the-second-day) Clara is affectionate towards Dick and shows shyness towards Ellen. ### [XXV: The Third Day on the Thames](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxv-the-third-day-on-the-thames) Offers a psychological insight into the homicide's behavior, suggesting his love for the woman will keep him from despair. ### [XXVI: The Obstinate Refusers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxvi-the-obstinate-refusers) Accompanies the group and suggests visiting the builders. ### [XXVII: The Upper Waters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxvii-the-upper-waters) Clara participates in the conversation about the historical mistake of separating humanity from nature, and suggests a division of boats with a hint of stiffness. ### [XXVIII: The Little River](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxviii-the-little-river) Blushes at Ellen's remarks, seeming relieved and happy. ### [A Resting-Place on the Upper Thames](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxix-a-resting-place-on-the-upper-thames) Clara is present with Dick, engaged in 'happy wordless lovemaking,' and is part of the group but does not speak. ### [The Journey's End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxx-the-journey-s-end) Clara is mentioned as part of the company, though not directly active in this excerpt. ### [XXXI: An Old House Amongst New Folk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxxi-an-old-house-amongst-new-folk) Arrives to take care of Ellen as Dick and the Guest depart. ### [The Feast's Beginning … The End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/chapters/xxxii-the-feast-s-beginning-the-end) Clara is seated next to Ellen at the feast, also smiling and talking with those around her. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters/clara - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/news_from_nowhere_se/characters