Text Bank 21

Samuel Richardson
(1689-1761)

Life and works considerable self-will and knowledge, together with

Samuel Richardson was born in Derbyshire in 1689 into Christian piety; they profess and venerate truth, defend
a Puritan commercial middle-class family. In 1706 he virtue and perish when they find they are unequal to the
was apprenticed to a printer and he did so well in the conflicting demands of experience.
job that, at the age of 32, he was able to set up his own
printing shop. When he was 50, he was asked to write a The epistolary novel
volume of model letters to be used on various occasions by Pamela, Clarissa and Sir Charles Grandison are written in
‘country readers’, who were not educated enough to write the form of letters exchanged between the main characters.
them themselves. So Richardson showed maid-servants This new type of literature was largely a reflection of the
how to negotiate a proposal of marriage, apprentices how fashion for letter-writing of the period and was later to be
to apply for a job, and even sons how to plead for their taken up by foreign writers, such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau
father’s forgiveness. While working on this volume he had (1712-78) in Julie, ou la nouvelle Héloïse (1761), Johann
the idea of using the epistolary technique to tell a story he Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832) in The Sorrows of Young
had heard about a serving maid whose virtue had been Werther (1774), and Ugo Foscolo (1778-1827) in Ultime
unsuccessfully challenged by an unscrupulous man. So he lettere di Jacopo Ortis (1798-1802). The epistolary novel
started writing Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740), his slowly fell out of use in the 19th century, especially when
first ‘epistolary novel’. It was a great success, like the two Jane Austen (→ 4.16) made the technique of the omniscient

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novels which followed, Clarissa, or the History of a Young narrator popular.
Lady (1747-48) and The History of Sir Charles Grandison
(1753-54). EL Style
The ‘epistolary way’ chosen by Richardson uses the first
Characters person narrative technique through personal letters and
In Richardson’s work there is a psychological analysis, journals and provides different individual points of view
missing from most of the previous fiction. The reader is on the same event, which is fully explored; moreover, it
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taken inside the minds of the characters and is invited has much in common with the dramatic technique, since
to share their innermost thoughts, feelings and moods. the characters introduce one another, using letters instead
In contrast to Defoe’s novels, there is also a sense of of speech, and the action is made up by a series of ‘scenes’
individual development within the story: characters are with no general summaries. Another aspect of this literary
far from being static and the reader is almost a witness form is its immediacy: the reader is invited to believe that
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of their gradual development. Richardson’s heroines have the letters are as if they were in the very act of composition,
much in common with each other: youth and charm, while reading them.
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Key idea All Richardson’s novels are set in a realistic tendency within Richardson’s novels, which
domestic middle-class environment and are reflects the Puritan middle-class scheme of
the dramatic representation of the ethics reward for virtue and punishment for sins.
preached by The Spectator (→ Across Cultures, He avoided episodic plots by basing his
The moralising aim p. 196): common sense, good manners and novels on a single action, a courtship.
modesty. In fact, there is a heavy moralising

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 Text Bank 21

Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded

Samuel Richardson
(1740)

PLOT AND SETTING

The title of this novel is significant: not virtue for itself of injustice both to herself and to her fellow-servants. Mr
but for what it brings about, ‘virtue rewarded’. Pamela B., the son of her mistress, is another round character and
is a collection of letters written by a virtuous girl to reflects contemporary male superiority: he tries to seduce
her parents, who live in the country. Her letters record Pamela several times, but her resistance arouses his passion
her various moods and feelings as she resists her late and gradually changes his behaviour which becomes more
mistress’s son’s attempts at seducing her and gains from mature and responsible.
him, as a reward, a proposal of marriage which she accepts,
becoming rich and obtaining the social position that, STYLE AND POPULARITY
according to the Puritan bourgeois ideal of the age, was The form which Richardson adopted for Pamela is directly
the highest achievement in life. indicated on the title-page: it is ‘a series of familiar letters’.
The plot is very simple and it is probably the first time that The writer places himself in the position of an editor,
a novel is not based on a long chain of events, but it is built arranging and publishing, without comment, a series of
around the interrelation between the two main characters, thirty-two letters followed by a long journal which Pamela
their belonging to different social classes, the difficult herself wrote while cut off from her friends at B-Hall: this
balance between sexual instincts and a moral code. journal also includes letters written both by Pamela and

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In keeping with the plot, the setting varies little and the other characters.
scenes mostly take place indoors: Pamela is generally To us today the novel may seem tedious and unconvincingly
confined to a house and she goes outdoors only when ELmoralising. Yet it was immensely popular and it was
her conflict with Mr B. comes to an end. a remarkable breakthrough, a breach into a rigid and
discriminating class system. The novel also comments on
CHARACTERS the sexual and social inequality in the position of women.
Pamela, who is a ‘round character’, is practical,
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passionate, humble with everyone, but she is intolerant

Key idea The story of Pamela is a variant of the gave excitement, admiration and love. These
age-old ‘Cinderella theme’. Both stories offer are the attractions of romance but here the
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compensations for the monotonous work fairy god-mother and the prince are replaced
and limited perspective of ordinary life. by morality and the social importance
The Cinderella By projecting themselves into the position marriage had in Richardson’s age, since it
theme of the heroine, the readers of Pamela could was the only way open to women to improve
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change their impersonal, boring world into their social status.

a gratifying pattern where each element

COMPETENCE: READING AND UNDERSTANDING INFORMATION

1 READ the text and answer the following questions.

1 What kind of novel did Richardson create?
2 What was the aim of his novels?
3 What sort of characters did he create?
4 What narrative technique did he employ?
5 Who are the protagonists of Pamela?
6 What is the setting of the novel?

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 Text Bank 21

T21 The rich despise the poor Samuel Richardson

Pamela
Pamela’s following letter to her parents includes another letter she has casually (1740-41)
Tuesday Morning, Book I
discovered. It is the message to Mr B. written by his sister, Lady Davers.

BROTHER,
‘I am very uneasy1 at what I hear of you; and must write, whether it please you or not,
my full mind. I have had some people with me, desiring me to interpose2 with you;
and they have a greater regard for your honour, than, I am sorry to say it, you have
5 yourself3. Could I think, that a brother of mine would so meanly run away4 with my
late dear mother’s waiting-maid5, and keep her a prisoner from all her friends, and to
the disgrace of your own? But I thought, when you would not let the wench6 come to
me on my mother’s death, that you meant no good7.—I blush for you, I’ll assure you.
The girl was an innocent, good girl; but I suppose that’s over with her now, or soon
10 will. What can you mean by this, let me ask you? Either you will have her for a kept
mistress8, or for a wife. If the former, there are enough to be had without ruining a
poor wench that my mother loved, and who really was a very good girl: and of this you 1 am … uneasy. Sono molto in
may be ashamed. As to the other, I dare say you don’t think of it; but if you should, you pensiero.

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2 to interpose. Di parlare.
would be utterly inexcusable9. Consider, brother, that ours is no upstart10 family; but is 3 they … yourself. Hanno
15 as ancient as the best in the kingdom! and, for several hundreds of years, it has never a cuore il tuo onore più di
quanto l’abbia tu stesso.
been known, that the heirs of it have disgraced themselves by unequal matches11. And

alliance12. […]
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you know you have been sought to by some of the best families in the nation, for your
4

5
6
would … away. Sarebbe
fuggito meschinamente.
waiting-maid. Cameriera.
wench. Poveretta.
‘If I have written too sharply13, consider it is my love to you, and the shame you are 7 you … good. C’era qualcosa
sotto.
bringing upon yourself; and I wish this may have the effect upon you, intended by your
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20
8 kept mistress. Mantenuta.
very loving sister.’ 9 utterly inexcusable.
Assolutamente non scusabile.
10 upstart. Arricchita da poco.
This is a sad letter, my dear father and mother; and one may see how poor people are 11 unequal matches. Matrimoni
despised14 by the proud and the rich! and yet we were all on a foot originally15. And inadeguati.
for your alliance. Per
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12
many of these gentry, that brag of their ancient blood16, would be glad to have it as un’alleanza; qui: per offerte
25 wholesome, and as really untainted, as ours17!—Surely these proud people never think matrimoniali.
13 sharply. Duramente.
what a short stage life is; and that, with all their vanity; a time is coming, when they 14 despised. Disprezzata.
shall be obliged to submit to be on a level with us. And true said the philosopher, when 15 we … originally. Eravamo
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tutti uguali.
he looked upon the skull of a king, and that of a poor man, that he saw no difference 16 brag … blood. Parlano troppo
between them. Besides, do they not know, that the richest of princes, and the poorest del loro antico sangue.
17 as wholesome … as ours!
30 of beggars, are to have one great and tremendous judge, at the last day; who will not Sano e veramente puro come
distinguish between them, according to their circumstances in life?—But, on the il nostro!
18 their … greater. Le
contrary, may make their condemnations the greater, as their neglected opportunities opportunità che hanno
were the greater18? […] And, perhaps, such is the vanity, as well as changeableness19, of trascurato erano maggiori.
19 changeableness. Mutevolezza.
human estates, in their turns set up for pride of family, and despise the others! 20 lowly. Meschina.
35 These reflections occurred to my thoughts, made serious by my master’s 21 high-minded. Ambiziosa.
22 stoop. Cedere.
indisposition, and this proud letter of the lowly20 Lady Davers, against the
23 I … the like. Essere troppo
high-minded21 Pamela. Lowly, I say, because she could stoop22 to such vain pride; and superba per agire così (come
lei).
high-minded I, because I hope I am too proud ever to do the like23!—But, after all, poor 24 poor … be. Noi siamo delle
wretches that we be24! we scarce know what we are, much less what we shall be!—But, miserabili creature.
40 once more pray I to be kept from the sinful pride of a high estate.

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 Text Bank 21

VISUAL ANALYSIS

1 READ the text and divide it into four parts. Then write a heading to each section.

2 LOOK at the visual analysis of the text and write down what each highlight and colour represents.
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.............................................................................................................................................................................. But .............................................................................................................................................................................

3 DISCUSS the following questions in pairs.

1 From whose point of view are the events narrated?
2 What effect/s does the epistolary form create?
3 What aspects of Pamela’s personality are underlined here?
4 What was the reason for the great success Pamela had?

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4 COMPLETE the summary with the words from the box.

moral
contempt
brother
highlights
apparent
charity
EL honour
colloquial
parents
refusal
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The text includes two letters: Lady Daver’s letter to her (1) and Pamela’s to her
(2) . The former starts with the Lady’s affectionate apprehension for her brother and
(3) benevolence for Pamela. However, the proud exponent of the upper class is not
actually worried about her brother: she is afraid about her family’s (4) . Similarly her
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(5) towards Pamela turns out to be nothing but hypocrisy and (6)
for the poor who, according to her, may destroy the purity of the upper class.
Pamela’s letter (7) some of the most important beliefs of the Enlightenment: the
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destruction of any social barriers, the blame for the mentality of the upper class, the (8)
of the aristocracy’s arrogance and the (9) integrity of the poor considered inferior beings
by aristocracy.
Even the language of the two letters is different: Lady Daver’s language is linked to her social pride, while
Pamela employs a more spontaneous, (10) language.

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