This blog is Assignment writing on paper-102 (Literature of the Neo-Classical Period) assigned by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad sir, Head of the English Department of Maharaja Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Bhavangar University (MKBU).
Name :Bhatt Riddhiben D.
riddhi28bhatt@gmail.com
Sem :1
Roll No. :16
PG year :2020-2022
PG Enrollment No. :3069206420200004
Paper Name :102 ( Literature of the Neoclassical Period)
Topic Name :Social Status in Pamela;or,Virtue Rewarded)
Submitted to :Smt. S.B.Gardi Department of English
Social Status in
Samuel Richardson’s Pamela; or,
Virtue Rewarded
J Introduction:
The novel reads like a study of power
and how it can be abused or used in a responsible and sensible manner for the
betterment of mankind. Pamela is the embodiment of sensibility citing her
ability to write accounts and her expertise with her needleless against the
advances of her dead mistresses’ son.
Pamela is overtly mature
for her 15 years as she begins to question society’s injustices with some
bewilderment in her journal. She draws clear and true parallels that only serve
to shock and enrage her master. “Well may I forget that I am your servant when
you forget what belongs to a master.” (Richardson, 1985: 55)
J Brief Introduction of Pamela:
Pamela; or, Virtue
Rewarded is an epistolary novel first published in 1740 by English writer
Samuel Richardson. Considered one of the first true English novels, it serves
as Richardson's version of conduct literature about marriage. Pamela tells the
story of a fifteen-year-old maidservant named Pamela Andrews, whose employer,
Mr. B, a wealthy landowner, makes unwanted and inappropriate advances towards
her after the death of his mother. Pamela strives to reconcile her strong
religious training with her desire for the approval of her employer in a series
of letters and, later in the novel, journal entries all addressed to her
impoverished parents.
After various
unsuccessful attempts at seduction, a series of sexual assaults, and an
extended period of kidnapping, the rakish Mr. B eventually reforms and makes
Pamela a sincere proposal of marriage. In the novel's second part Pamela
marries Mr. B and tries to acclimatize to her new position in upper-class
society. The full title, Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded, makes plain Richardson's
moral purpose. A best-seller of its time, Pamela was widely read but was also
criticized for its perceived licentiousness and disregard for class barriers.
The action of the novel is told through letters and journal entries from Pamela
to her parents. She also questions his intentions with a form of purity that
strips away his upper-class titles and exposes him as the manipulative
scoundrel he is Unknowingly, Pamela is heralding common people to acceptance
both socially and artistically. Richardson is subtly increasing awareness of
the prejudices surrounding women and uncovering the corruption and unfair
privileges enjoyed by the upper class. By appealing to readers of middle and
lower classes Richardson stirred emotions and expressed grievances. It is “the
traders and artisans, who find in him their spokesman.”
Pamela is a heroine with
which readers could identify. She is human and admits her own flaws quite
readily which would have greatly appealed to the audience of mainly women
readers. Her innocent wonderings are met with startling and rude
discoveries.She muses on the injustices and prejudices of the world she is
being forced to grow up in. “I tremble to think what a sad hazard a poor maiden
stands against the temptations of this world, and a designing gentleman, who
has so much power to oblige.” For all her trembling and fear Pamela proves to
possess emotional strength beyond her years.Richardson cleverly shows the
innocence of women targeted by wealthy men such as Mr. B. Statements made by
Mr. B such as “She has all the arts of her sex; they were born with her”
clearly show the slanderous approach used by men to justify their actions.
His view of women as
lesser beings are unveiled when he describes his misconduct as “innocent
romping” and describes the mistreated Pamela as a man’s toy or a decoration.
Her refusal to yield her virginity increases her value as a woman and a human
being. She possesses “the right to maintain her sense of self-worth.” The
magnitude of the threat posed by Pamela is unveiled through Mrs. Jervis who
observes, “I hope I should act as you do. But I know nobody else that would.”
Lady Davers acknowledges that Pamela’s stance of virtue is rarely heard of.
Richardson challenges the
political, social and economic status quo with Pamela’s speeches which both
question and accuse. “The philosopher said true, when he looked upon the skull
of a king, and that of a poor man, that he saw no difference between them.”
Stubborn resolve against the easy route combined with prudence proved
successful for Pamela as Mr. B admits that it was “her person made me her
lover, but her mind made her my wife.”) Not all would take the opinion that it
is better to live in abject poverty than to lose your integrity to a wealthy
individual.
Throughout the triumph of
marriage Pamela never loses her values or principles. Her integrity is worth
far more to her than sparkling diamonds. Material items hold no importance and
this can be attributed to her upbringing.Regis, a key theorist in feminism in
romance novels, describes Pamela as a feminist heroine. By marrying Mr. B she
settles for no less than equal social standing. Yet, “she is denied the
absolute freedom that men assume.”
On the contrary, Beasley
strongly believes Pamela promotes “traditional ideals of male authority.” He
recognizes her struggle for chastity but once she marries she bends to
authority. I strongly contend this opinion in favour of Regis’s view.
After marriage her
institutionalization into the social fabric is shaky yet it is her struggle to
avoid disgrace, poverty and complete social ruin by clinging steadfastly to her
virtue that is admirable and revolutionary. She is defenceless in a world
governed by men yet her “resilient virtue is triumphant.”
J Pamela’s Social Status:
The young Pamela is of
one of society’s lower classes. Born into a poor family, she was at the age of 12
sent to be the waiting maid for a rich woman. Pamela is very fortunate with her
mistress who takes her in and teaches her to write and do needle work, and
gives her as Pamela says “other Qualifications above my Degree” (11).
It was not common in that time for a young,
poor girl to be able to read and write, and this qualification is something her
master comments on and praises her for on occasion. The education Pamela has
received from her late mistress puts Pamela in a slightly different position
than her fellow servants. The skills taught to her by Mrs B are not the skills
of a common maid, and as Pamela herself points out, she does not really have
the knowledge needed to be a lowly servant.
The education she has
received from Mrs B, dancing, singing, drawing and doing needlework, has not
prepared her for the poor life she would lead if she were to return to her
parents. The education Pamela has, then, is more that of a lady of the house
than that of a lowly maid. She has been taught to read and write, she sews and
plays the harpsichord. All these are skills taught to the women of the upper
class, and they were activities the ladies used to occupy themselves. Even the
dresses Pamela wears are above her social standing, she wears silk dresses.
When moving to her mistress’s house she was given the clothes that are more
fitting for someone of a higher social group than her own.
JPamela and the Women of the Upper
Class:
Being poor as she is, it
is not surprizing that not everyone thinks her marriage to Mr B is a good idea.
As we have seen above, the poor were by some (or perhaps most) not even
regarded as having the same rights as the gentry. One good example of how society
regarded Pamela is set forth by Mr B’s own sister, Lady Davers. This event
takes place after the marriage of Pamela and Mr B but the union is not widely
known.
As Mr B is away on a
business trip Pamela is left in the mansion and is expected to meet up with him
for dinner at a friend’s house. As Pamela is getting ready to leave, Lady
Davers shows up demanding Pamela’s company. As Mrs Jewkes, the housekeeper,
wants to save Pamela from the meeting with Lady Davers she warns Pamela of her
arrival. Lady Davers, however, does not appreciate being kept waiting and cries
out to the 38 servants to find Pamela.
“I will see the Creature”
and “Bid the Wench come down to me” (380) are not exactly the most caring ways
to address someone and show clearly how Pamela is regarded by Lady Davers. She
feels superior to Pamela, and the names by which she calls her are a way of
stating just how little regard she has for Pamela. In the first quote she seems
to take Pamela out of the human sphere and in a way places her down with the
animals. She refuses to stop addressing Pamela in this way, and continues even
after she learns of Pamela’s marriage. Pamela has no other option but to go
down to Lady Davers where she finds herself being verbally attacked and
ridiculed for hours. Lady Davers believes that Pamela has lost her virtue and
lives in sin with Mr B and she does not care for the way Pamela treats her.
Pamela on her part wants to avoid telling Lady Davers about the marriage but at
the same time is not willing to compromise her new station.
Pamela, in this scene, shows that
even though she is quite aware of the fact that she will not be accepted fully
into the upper class, she will not accept being treated badly. She can live
with not being invited into the social sphere of the other ladies, but she will
not be ridiculed by them in what is now her home. By marrying Mr B, she has
become a member of the gentry and she will not be treated as an inferior. This
is shown by how Pamela refuses to answer some of the questions set forth by
Lady Davers, and by her sitting down in Lady Davers’ company even when she is
not asked to. The fact that Lady Davers sees this as an affront to her, does
not change how Pamela behaves. Moreover, her new station in life gives her the
right to do these things.
What is also interesting when it comes to Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded is the fact that Richardson decided to place the marriage of Mr B and Pamela in the middle, and not at the end of his novel. The second half of the novel concerns itself with Pamela as an upper class wife. It describes how she embraces her new role, and how she fulfils her duties as the wife of Mr B. This is clearly done to justify the marriage and show that Mr B’s choice of wife was the right one.
J Conclusion:
Pamela was the best-selling
phenomenon of its time. Richardson’s ability to combine sentiment with reality
in fiction meant it was read by all; whether critic or admirer. Later writers
were hugely influenced by Richardson’s work including Jane Austen who copied
the epistolary method in Sense and Sensibility.
Pamela is the first crack
in the rigidity of social position. Without openly demanding change she makes
her individual influence felt. She is a symbol of revolution and the shifting
in perceptions seen throughout the 18th century. Her character traits of
virtue, honesty, obedience, tolerance and patience swiftly dominated
sentimental literature. Pamela’s parents regard her virginity as a jewel of
limitless value. It is a jewel with which she may barter her way into the upper
classes yet her innocence and sensibility allows her to accomplish this without
being manipulative and shrewd. Pamela is doing nothing but exerting that right
which is the basis of all human rights.
Pamela represents a low
grumble of dissidence manifested not through violence or force but through
persistent, emotional and relatively peaceful refusal of abuse and degradation
from the upper classes. She poses a potent threat to the status quo as she
internally changes perceptions and values. She defeats an entire class system
by becoming a wife of high rank in a society in which she was persistently
victimized.
J Reference:
- 1. Rogers, Katharine (1976).
"Sensitive Feminism vs. Conventional Sympathy: Richardson and Fielding on
Women". Novel. 9 (3): 256–70. doi:10.2307/1345466. JSTOR 1345466.
- 2. "Samuel Richardson’s Pamela A Tool of Resistance English Literature Essay." ukessays.com. 11 2018. Essays. 02 2021 <https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/samuel-richardsons-pamela-a-tool-of-resistance-english-literature-essay.php?vref=1>.
(words : 2168)
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