Pamela: or, Virtue Rewarded
By Samuel Richardson
Samuel Richardson
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1689 in Mackworth – 1761 in London
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One of the most importar writer of 18 Century
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Worked as printer and publisher
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He began his writing activity very late
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Genre: Epistolary Novel
He printed also Daniel Defoe’s works
Sentimental novel
Female audience
Aim: to entertain young people and to
take a moral lesson trough the art
following the Puritan’s values
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He wrote:
•
Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded(1740)
•
Clarissa: Or The history of a Young Lady (1747-48)
•
The history of Sir Charles Grandison (1753-54)
Idea of combining
instruction with
entertainment
PAMELA: characters and setting
CHARACTERS:
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PAMELA:
MR. B:
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A beautiful fifteen years old girl
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Works as maidservant for Lady B and Mr B
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Belongs lower social class
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She is cultured and virtuous
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Pamela’s employer
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a wicked man who harasses pamela
SETTING
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Bedfordshire Estate: place where Pamela works
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Lincolnshire Estate: place where Pamela is imprinsoned by Mr B
PAMELA: STRUCTURE- PLOT
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Composed by letters and journal mostly written by Pamela
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The book is divided in two volumes
FIRST VOLUME’ S PLOT
SECOND VOLUME’S PLOT
1.Lady B’s death
1.Pamela falls in love with Mr B and
accepts his proposal of marriage
2.Mr B seduces Pamela against her will
and imprisons the girl
3.Pamela attempts the suicide
4.Mr B repents and changes his behaviour
becoming more mature and responsible
2.Mr B’s sister doesn’t accept Pamela
because of her social gap
3.Pamela over comes the opposition of
Mr B’s sister
4.She is happily married becoming rich
and obtaining the social position
PAMELA: analysis
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE:
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Chronological sequence
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THEMES:
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First person narrator
Psychological analysis of the
character:
the reader is taken inside the minds
of the characters and is invited to
share their innermost thoughts,
feelings and moods.
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The virtue is rewarded: Pamela’s
virtue is rewarded by love and social
prestige
Class distinctions: the superiority of
upper-class which despises lower
class
Male superiority: women were less
considered and rispected than men
Puritan values : faith to god, gaining
social position