Richard is a Good Boy
When we meet Richard we learn that things about him that confirm what we have learned about him from Clarissa and Peter, and new things that we could only know by being inside of his mind. The thing I wanted to point out is the moment/moments leading up to when he goes to Clarissa, and fails to pronounce his love. Or does he? I think that there is something special in keeping the innocence and tenderness in their relationship as there was in the beginning, as opposed to getting used to saying to each other "I love you", and being desensitized to those words. When Richard is gathering the courage to pronounce his love to Clarissa, he acts almost like a giddy schoolboy. His mind is filled only with how he is going to say it to her, repeatedly saying that he would do so "in so many words". I think that it is not a bad thing that he finds himself unable to say the words directly to her, but nonetheless he finds happiness in being with her. He even finds happiness think