By its publication, the novel „Pamela“ became one of the most popular contemporary books of that time. One of the reasons for the enormous success of “Pamela” might have been that more and more women got interested in literature, especially in romantic novels or religious works. All in all, the era was dominated by a commercialization of literature, the rise of the realism and of the moralistic-didactic intentions, which implicated a change of the recipients of literature. Moreover, it entailed a decline of the aristocratic ideals and a rise of the lower middle class and its moral concepts . Also characteristic for that era, as already mentioned, are the so-called “conduct books”, that aimed to educate the reader in the comportment in social life.
Richardson, who was part of the lower middle class, with his novel “Pamela” is completely in step with the social spirit of that time. The topic of a young girl who is anxious of keeping her virtue is not new, but Richardson added this attribute to a servant girl, which is, even for that time, quite exceptional. “Servant girls (...) constituted a fairly important part of the reading public, and they found it particularly difficult to marry. (...) Richardson’s heroine symbolised the aspirations of all the women in the reading public who were subject to the difficulty of getting married.”
Fielding, as a part of the aristocracy, criticized and satirized the over-morality that was presented in Richardson’s novel and, furthermore, mocks Richardson’s style in various way. Yet, all in all Fielding considers Richardsons moralistic and chaste point of view as an ambigious and even dissembling furtiveness.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The different biographical backgrounds of Richardson and Fielding and its consequences on their approaches on writing
Samuel Richardson
Henry Fielding
The consequences
The subject matters of the novels
Pamela; or virtue rewarded
Shamela
Fielding’s points of criticism
“Faults” in Richardson’s novel “Pamela”
Allusions to Pamela’s true feelings
Pamela – virtuous maid or prostitute?
Resumee
Objectives and Topics
This work examines the parody of Samuel Richardson's novel "Pamela" by focusing on Henry Fielding's "Shamela." It analyzes how the different social backgrounds of the authors influence their narrative perspectives and critiques, specifically addressing the portrayal of virtue, class mobility, and the epistolary format.
- Biographical influence on the literary approaches of Richardson and Fielding.
- Comparative analysis of the plots and character motivations in "Pamela" and "Shamela."
- Fielding’s satirical critique of Richardson’s moralistic tone and the hypocrisy of the clergy.
- The structural and linguistic subversion of the epistolary novel form.
- The deconstruction of Pamela’s virtue as a calculated social strategy.
Excerpt from the Book
Fielding’s points of criticism
The main point of Fielding’s attack on “Pamela” is the exaggerated moral, that Richardson is pleading through his protagonist. He presents Pamela as a model of virtue, whose chastity is rewarded with wealth and love. Fielding instead equates this morality with expedience and shows that Shamela only behaves in this way to gain wealth and to elevate herself socially. Throughout the whole novel Shamela uses words like “feign”, “act” and “pretent” which accentuates her furtiveness.
In contrast to Pamela, Shamela differs already in her kind of speech. While Pamela chooses her words very carefully and always with allusion to her virtue, Shamela instead verbalizes herself like a raffish and partially vulgar underclass maid. By this variation of language, the reader is able to recognize Shamela’s true intentions quite fast.
“Unlike Richardson’s heroine, who wrote accurately and sometimes with professional slickness, this girl misspells as any lady’s maid in her nonage would be expected to; but otherwise her letters show her to be an unexpected, vulgar horror – though a most amusing horror.”
Following is a short textexample from the novel “Shamela” that points out the protagonist’s vulgarness and candidness in a letter to her mother:
“O madam, I have strange Things to tell you! As I was reading in that charming Book about the Dealings, in comes my Master—to be sure he is a precious One. Pamela, says he, what Book is that, I warrant you Rochester’s Poems. —No, forsooth, says I, as pertly as I could; why how now Saucy Chops, Boldface, says he—Mighty pretty Words, says I, pert again. —Yes (says he) you are are a d—d, impudent, stinking, cursed, confounded Jade, and I have a great Mind to kick your A—. You, kiss— says I. A-gad, says he, and so I will; with that he caught me in his Arms, and kissed me till he made my Face all over Fire. Now this served purely you know, to put upon the Fool for Anger. O! What precious Fools Men are! And so I flung from him in a mighty Rage, and pretended as how I would go out at the Door; but when I came to the End of the Room, I stood still, and my Master cryed out, Hussy, Slut, Sauce-box, Boldface, come hither—Yes to be sure, says I; why don’t you come, says he; what should I come for says I; if you don’t come to me, I’ll come to you, says he; I shan’t come to you I assure you, says I. Upon which he run up, caught me in his Arms, and flung me upon a Chair, and began to offer to touch my Under-Petticoat. Sir, says I, you had better not offer to be rude; well, says he, no more I won’t then; and away he went out of the Room. I was so mad to be sure I could have cry’d”
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides the rationale for choosing "Shamela" as the primary subject for analyzing parodies of Richardson’s work.
The different biographical backgrounds of Richardson and Fielding and its consequences on their approaches on writing: Explores how Richardson’s middle-class upbringing and Fielding’s aristocratic background shaped their distinct literary styles and moral viewpoints.
The subject matters of the novels: Summarizes the plot structures of "Pamela" and "Shamela," emphasizing the epistolary format.
Fielding’s points of criticism: Examines Fielding’s satirization of Richardson’s moralistic ideals and the deliberate linguistic differences between the two heroines.
“Faults” in Richardson’s novel “Pamela”: Analyzes specific scenes and inconsistencies in "Pamela" that suggest calculating motives behind the protagonist's actions.
Resumee: Evaluates the success of "Shamela" as a parody and concludes that it effectively highlights the flaws within Richardson’s original narrative.
Keywords
Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Pamela, Shamela, Parody, Epistolary novel, Virtue, Satire, Literary criticism, Social class, 18th-century literature, Conduct books, Moralistic-didactic, Narrative perspective, Chastity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines Henry Fielding's novel "Shamela" as a critical parody of Samuel Richardson's "Pamela," focusing on how the two authors treat the themes of virtue and social mobility.
What are the central thematic fields addressed?
The study covers 18th-century literary trends, the role of conduct books, class-based differences in writing style, and the satirical subversion of morality in literature.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to demonstrate how Fielding utilized the parody form to expose the hypocrisy and perceived moral inconsistencies present in Richardson’s original work.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a comparative literature approach, analyzing the biographical backgrounds of the authors alongside a close reading of the narrative structures and stylistic choices of the novels.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It details the socio-biographical differences between the authors, the plot structures of both novels, Fielding’s specific critiques of Richardson's moral message, and textual evidence of the protagonists' true intentions.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Parody, Epistolary novel, Virtue, Satire, Richardson, Fielding, and Social class.
How does Fielding challenge the epistolary format used by Richardson?
Fielding uses the "editor to himself" trope and meta-fictional frames to suggest that the letters in "Shamela" are authentic, thereby mocking the claims of truthfulness Richardson made about "Pamela."
What conclusion does the author reach regarding Pamela’s true character?
The author argues that Pamela is a calculating character who uses the facade of virtue as a strategic tool to climb the social ladder rather than a genuine expression of moral integrity.
- Quote paper
- M. A. Alisa Westermann (Author), 2008, The Criticism of Richardson’s novel "Pamela" by Henry Fieldings’ "Shamela“, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/173354
