Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded is an epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, first published in 1740. It tells the story of a maid named Pamela whose master, Mr. B., makes unwanted advances towards her. She rejects him until he shows his sincerity by proposing an equitable marriage to her. In the second part of the novel, Pamela attempts to accommodate herself to upper-class society and to build a successful relationship with him. Titlepage of Aphra Behns Love-Letters (1684) An epistolary novel is written as a series of documents. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ... Samuel Richardson (August 19, 1689 – July 4, 1761) was a major 18th century writer best known for his three epistolary novels: Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady (1748) and Sir Charles Grandison (1753). ... Events May 31 - Friedrich II comes to power in Prussia upon the death of his father, Friedrich Wilhelm I. October 20 - Maria Theresia of Austria inherits the Habsburg hereditary dominions (Austria, Bohemia, Hungary and present-day Belgium). ...

The story was widely mocked at the time for its perceived licentiousness and it inspired Henry Fielding (among many others) to write two parodies: Shamela (1742), about Pamela's true identity; and Joseph Andrews (1742), about Pamela’s brother. Henry Fielding (April 22, 1707 – October 8, 1754) was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humor and satirical prowess and as the author of the novel Tom Jones. ... An Apology for the Life of Mrs. ... // Events January 24 - Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ... Joseph Andrews is a novel by Henry Fielding, first published in 1742. ... // Events January 24 - Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ...

Conduct books and the novel

When Richardson began writing Pamela, he conceived of it as a conduct book. (One could say that the eighteenth-century conduct book is the forerunner of today’s etiquette and self-help books.). But as he was writing, the series of letters turned into a story. Richardson then decided to write in a different genre, the novel, which at the time was a new form. He attempted to instruct through entertainment. In fact, most novels from the middle of the eighteenth century and well into the nineteenth century, following Richardson’s lead, claimed legitimacy through their ability to teach as well as to amuse. Look up genre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative in prose. ...

Epistolarity

Epistolary novels, that is, novels written as a series of letters, were extremely popular during the eighteenth century and it was Richardson's Pamela that made them so. Richardson and other novelists of his time argued that the letter allowed the reader greater access to a character's thoughts - Richardson claimed that he was writing "to the moment," that is, that Pamela's thoughts were recorded nearly simultaneously with her actions.

In the novel, Pamela writes two kinds of letters. At the beginning of the novel, while she is deciding how long to stay on at Mr. B’s after the death of his mother, she writes letters to her parents relating her various moral dilemmas and asking for their advice. After Mr. B abducts her and imprisons her in his countryhouse, she continues to write letters to her parents, but because she is unsure whether or not her parents will ever receive them, they are to be considered both letters and a diary.

In Pamela, the reader receives only the thoughts and letters of Pamela, restricting the reader’s access to the other characters; we see only Pamela's perception of them. In Richardson's other novels, Clarissa (1748) and Sir Charles Grandison' (1753), the reader is privy to the letters of several characters and can thus more effectively evaluate the motivations and moral values of the characters. This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... Events April 24 - A congress assembles at Aix-la-Chapelle with the intent to conclude the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession - at October 18 - The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is signed to end the war Adam Smith begins to deliver public lectures in Edinburgh Building of... The History of Sir Charles Grandison (1753) is a novel by Samuel Richardson Sir Charles Grandison, Volume 4 (of 7) at Gutenberg Entry in the Literary Encyclopedia Categories: Literature stubs | English novels ... 1753 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

The body

Pamela’s body is often at the center of the events in the novel. Mr. B attacks it as much as her morality. In fact, he often attacks her virtuousness through her body. For example, he attempts to kiss her at one point and she has to shake him free. In another important episode in the novel, Mr. B attempts to rape Pamela, but she “conveniently” faints. Finally, in one of the most revealing scenes of the novel, Mr. B attempts to steal the letters that Pamela has secreted in her petticoats. The letters have, in a sense, become herself.

Reception

Richardson’s novel was the bestseller of its time. It was read by countless buyers of the novel and was also read aloud in groups. For example, one apprentice might buy or borrow the novel and read it aloud to the others while they were working. The novel was also integrated into sermons as an exemplar. It was even an early “multimedia” event—fans and mugs, among many other items, were illustrated with Pamela themes.

Richardson's revisions

The popularity of Richardson’s novel led to much public debate over its message and style. Richardson responded to some of the criticisms by revising the novel for each new edition; he even created a “reading group” of women to advise him. Some of the most significant changes that he made were his alterations to Pamela’s vocabulary. In the first edition her diction is that of a lower-class maid, but in later editions Richardson made her more linguistically middle-class by removing the lower-class idioms from her speech. In this way, he made her marriage to Mr. B less scandalous as she appeared to be more his equal in education.

Criticism

• Armstrong, Nancy. Desire and Domestic Fiction: A Political History of the Novel. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.
• Doody, Margaret Anne. ‘’A Natural Passion: A Study of the Novels of Samuel Richardson. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974.
• McKeon, Michael. The Origins of the English Novel: 1600-1740. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.
• Watt, Ian. The Rise of the Novel: Studies in Defoe, Richardson and Fielding. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1957.