Pamela [Paperback]

In the beastiary of 18th century female heroes, poor one-dimensional Pamela doesn't do well, and the book itself, with its static narrative and repetitious tub thumping on virtue, with the magical "Happy Ending", ages poorly. Defoe's crafty, bumptuous Moll Flanders, for example, although not a psychological study by any means, continues to amuse with her businesslike narrative on getting ahead with what one's got. Fielding's pastiche, Shamela, a take-off of the Pamela (as is Joseph Andrews) published shortly after Richardson's book, turns the book inside out and, like most good satire, is shorter and easier to read. Later, more durable (because more complex) heroines were penned by Fanny Burney and Jane Austin. All have aged well because all are vigorously human, warts and all.

After Pamela was published to great acclaim, the elderly author gained a coterie of older women fluttering about him, and became something of a literary lion. The book was shoved into the hands of young misses in the hopes of moral instruction, who were probably bored to tears with it. It was touted from the pulpit and a big hit with male tastemakers who, even if they couldn't make their way through the thing, felt their preconceptions of female virtue to be amply bolstered. Poor plotless Pamela, forever the victim, is hardly more than a set of platitudes waiting to be rescued by a paradigm - as Samuel Johnson once said "If you try reading Pamela for its story, you would hang yourself; you must read it for its sentiment" - but at least Richardson troubled to give her a voice. His great contribution to literature was his expansion of the epistolary style, and this book continuous to be read, but for its sentiment, or its curiosity value, is hard to say.

Pamela is a mid-teen waiting maid, and as the novel begins, the Lady she serves has just died. Prior to her death, this Lady recommends her servants, and particularly Pamela, who has been educated and refined above her social station, to the Lady's son, a strapping young man, Mr. B. Mr. B, with his own plans for Pamela, gladly takes her into his service, rather than send her to his sister, Lady Davers. Shortly after entering his service, Pamela begins to be uncomfortable, as Mr. B starts trying to seduce her. Pamela, in correspondence with her parents, and under the direct advice of the housekeeper, Mrs. Jervis, vows to protect her virtue and chastity. The rest of the novel deals with Pamela's efforts to fend off Mr. B's advances, in conditions that often amount to imprisonment and attempted rape.

There are many noteworthy issues in "Pamela," first of all being the figuration of the word "virtue." In the context of the novel, and its main character, the word has gender connotations, which align virtue with chastity and marriagability. It is a somewhat radical concept that Pamela, as a common, if obscenely beatiful, servant, should be so assiduous and insistent on the value of her virginity. Her parents tell her that she should rather die than forfeit her innocence. In higher social circumstances, chastity has definite marriage value, whereas Pamela, whose family is all but destitute, has no way to provide for her - her ability to marry is dependent to a great extent on remaining virtuous. One of the things "Pamela" forces us to think about is whether men can or should be held to the same sexual moral standards as women, and accustom us to the idea of unequal (social and economic) relationships.

Another important and valuable thing we get from "Pamela" is the idea of character and self as written things, as text. Mr. B chides Pamela for writing about him, and the possibility that her letters circulate with disparaging comments on himself. Of course, the more commonplace notion of employers giving "characters" of their servants, or recommendations makes Pamela's writings all the more interesting. The fact that the vast majority of the novel consists of Pamela's writing - we get the clear message that it is the point of view of a young, lower class woman that gives us our ideas about everything in the novel. The way that Pamela writes herself and those around her, including the vile and sexually-ambiguous Mrs. Jewkes seems to indicate the truth-value and propriety of Pamela's opinions and observations. The fact that other characters in the novel read Pamela's letters is also important here, as they not only better understand themselves, but Pamela and her own motivations. The way especially, that Pamela and Mr. B read and learn from each other throughout the novel, is fascinating.

Richardson would go on to further elaborate these themes in completely different social circumstances, and with a great deal more terror and anxiety in "Clarissa," but Pamela has its own distinct charms and appeal. In form and content, the influence of "Pamela" can be felt and appreciated from around the time of its publication (see Henry Fielding's "Shamela" and "Joseph Andrews") through to the 20th century and beyond (see "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker). Important to note, though - this review pertains specifically to the 1740 first edition of "Pamela" published by Riverside. There are significant differences, modifications in language and tone between this and, say, the 1801 edition published in the Penguin Classics. Each has its own merits, so buy and read at your discretion!