The inner workings of all the characters in the novel reveal a chronic sense of isolation amongst all the individuals, despite the tribalism that social classes in England suggests. During her planning for the party, Clarissa includes and rejects members of her social network seemingly haphazardly, revealing her true ambivalence towards most of the people she knows. Even when the Prime Minister arrives to her party, she pays very little attention to his arrival, aside from being courteous, treating his role and position similarly to how she treats other guests in less-prominent positions. To make matters more complicated, Peter Walsh and Sally Seton, two of Clarissa’s closest friends from her youth, believe Clarissa to be a snob, or someone who excludes others based on their position in social hierarchies. No matter whether the reader agrees with this evaluation of the protagonist, snobs of all sorts are also in an isolated position that depends on their rejection of other people.

Clarissa herself does not enjoy the party she has so carefully planned, worrying that the event is a failure despite the large number of guests who attend.