Pamela 1
Main Points
Pamela is Samuel Richardson’s attempt to intervene in how people read. Coming from the profession of a printer, he tries to reform culture and the theory of how fiction should function within society (ex. Worked with Penelope Aubin, see previous class notes). There was concern at the time over the effect of romances on impressionable minds, and Richardson tried to write morally instructive fiction to combat that other seemingly destructive genre and teach appropriate and moral ways of conduct. Pamela is inspired by two letters between a father and daughter – Richardson takes the ideas of these letters and writes a rather large book. He wrote Pamela in two months and published it anonymously in 1740 (it was still generally known that he was the author). The book became a sensation and a fad such as we know today, but which had never been seen before at that time. There were, of course, other people on the other end of the spectrum, who hated Pamela.
What does Richardson value? What is important to him as he wrote Pamela?
- Innovative and experimental form
- Discretion – resistance to directly representing wickedness
- “Richardsonisms” – extractable bits of wisdom
o p. 20 “It is Virtue and Goodness only, that make the true Beauty”
- Pamela’s beauty – she must be exceptional, and we must believe that she is beautiful enough to be worth all the trouble in this novel
o Never directly described, we only know she is small, 16, and has a good shape – this is important to Richardson. We only see her through the eyes of others, everyone needs to agree on her beauty
o Contrasts with hideousness of Ms. Jewkes
- Duty - morality
- Untrustworthiness of characters means complete isolation and alienation for Pamela, she has no one to help her (think of her back story, she is very poor, has no social standing
o P. 134 – Williamson tries to find help for Pamela, but others think that a rich man taking a maid as a mistress is a common occurrence
- Reading! Richardson dwells on this theme, Pamela is well read and has learned a lot of lessons from books (like we should learn from this book)
- Mistrust of wealth
o Poverty and virtue vs. wealth and corruption
o Idea of tainted money – parents won’t spend the 4 guineas because they are worried that it’s a down payment to their daughter’s prostitution
What is Pamela like? (more on this next class…)
- foolish
- seems vain
- Why does she stay?! Makes excuses not to leave Mr. B.
- Beautiful enough to be worth all the trouble
- Constantly writing
o Allows her some autonomy, self-actualization
- Saucy
- Has more power than we think…
o p. 63, 68 – examples of Mr. B’s insecurity and the odd power relationship – he has to play by her rules
Close Reading:
Quote:
“When I further consider’d your untainted Virtue, what Dangers and Trials you had undergone, by my Means, and what a world of Troubles I had involv’d you in, only because you were beautiful and virtuous, which had excited all my Passion for you; and reflected also upon your try’d Prudence and Truth, I, tho’ I doubted not effecting this my last Plot, resolv’d to overcome myself; and however I might suffer in struggling with my Affection for you, to part with you, rather than to betray you under so black a Veil” (269)
Analysis:
We as a class have discussed the reliability of Mr. B and his atonements for his past behaviors towards Pamela and whether or not they were forgivable. In this segment, it seems that Richardson is truly trying to convince the reader that Mr. B is reformed and that he now has realized the error of his ways and found the will to control his passions. He admits to having only wanted Pamela because she was beautiful and not because he was in love with her, but Richardson, and Mr. B, seem to want to convince the reader and Pamela that he now truly has fallen in love with her. Mr. B’s seeming abrupt change of heart and perspective make it all the more suspect and even Pamela suspects him of continuing his plotting in tricking her into a false marriage. It makes one wonder why Richardson goes through such great lengths to reform Mr. B, on such a seemingly flimsy basis as he simply saw the error of his ways. Perhaps it was to demonstrate the complexity of the human and its actions towards others. Otherwise, Mr. B never quite seems to gain his reader’s trust after treating Pamela so terribly, and his motives are still suspect despite his repeated voicing of his true love for Pamela.
3) Text Reference
In class today, we discussed the scene in which Mr. B flits about in front of Pamela, essentially begging for compliments on his clothing. Specifically, Mr. B is wearing his “Birth-day suit,” a term which had a much different meaning for its eighteenth century audience than it does for readers today. According to the footnote on this term, Birth-day suits were “rich dress worn at Court on royal birthdays” by the nobility (527). Moreover, it notes that women often wore gold, whereas men favored flowered velvets. Pamela does not reveal which monarch is being celebrated, although the footnote asserts that the Queen’s birthday was the occasion for the very finest dress. Pamela describes, “His Waistcoat stood an End with Gold Lace, and he looked very grand” (68). As mentioned in class, the inclusion of the Birth-day suit reference adds to the odd humor that the reader encounters in Pamela. Namely, by definition, Mr. B is likely in the finest clothing that he owns. He feigns modesty, pretending that he is unaware of his impressive appearance, thus calling his young servant’s attention to his finery. In this sense, though he is rich and powerful, he here behaves like an insecure boy with a crush.
External link:
Central to Richardson’s Pamela is the relationship between servant and master. Many times in our discussion we have tried to dissect the issue of Pamela’s loyalty and/or attraction to Mr. B and the reasons behind her decision to remain his servant. This link offers a list of rules and manners expected of servants published in 1753, about a decade after Pamela's publication. It provides insight into the dynamics of the master-servant relationship. The idea of servant loyalty to his/her master is explored and emphasized. As Pamela is portrayed by Richardson as a virtuous character, fulfilling her servant duties is important to maintaining that virtue. The connecting theme of the rules listed involves the servant upholding his/her master’s honor at all costs. Perhaps it is a same adherence to maintaining loyalty and honor which contributes to Pamela’s unwillingness to leave.
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