Literature of the Neo-Classical Periods

1. Character
Analysis of
Pamela
“Indeed I am Pamela, her own
self!”
Quote by Pamela Andrews

2.  Presented By: Divya Sheta
 MA Sem : 1
 Paper No:102
Literature of the Neo-classical Period
 Roll No: 09
 Enrollment No: 4069206420210033
 E-mail ID : divyasheta@gmail.com
 Submitted to :
S.B.Gardi Department of English,MK
Bhavanagar University.

3. Basic Information About
Pamela
A lively, pretty, and courageous maid-servant, age
15, who is subject to the sexual advances of her
new Master, Mr. B.
Long-suffering heroine of “Pamela or Virtue
Rewarded” (1740) by Samuel Richardson.

4. Gender and the character of
‘Pamela’
There is a power imbalance between the two sexes in
the 18th century and it’s reflected in Pamela and Mr.
B’s relationship in the novel. Due to their different
social classes in society.
“If he can stoop to like such a poor girl as me, what
can it be for? He may, perhaps, think I may be good
enough for his harlot; and those things don’t disgrace
men, that ruin poor women”-quote by Pamela.

5. Psychological Change in
Pamela
Pamela’s first impression of her new master
Mr.B is not bad, because later Pamela wrote to
her parents: “In deed he is the best of
Gentlemen, I think!” But, Pamela noticed the
ominous intimacy from his behavior. Here, the
readers could easily find out that Pamela is a
little confused but overall she believes in her
master.

6. Continue…
After reading her parents letters, she became a
little annoyed and troubled because of her
parents accused Mr.B is suspicious and fearful.
However, she still did not believe that her
master will act unworthy of
his character.

7. Continue…
In the sixth letter, Pamela said that she always
thought her young master is a fine gentleman as
everybody says he is, he gives these good things
to all the servants with such graciousness and he
looks like an angel. So far, all the evidences
suggest that Pamela is lucky enough to have a
decent new master.

8. Continue…
In Pamela’s eyes, Mr.B is a master of confusing
right and wrong, confounding black and white.
In the fifteenth and sixteenth letter, Pamela
wrote to her parents that Mr.B slandered her as
an artful, hypocritic liar: “She has all the arts of
her sex; they’re born with her...She makes
herself an angel of light, and me, her kind
Master and Benefactor, a devil incarnate!”

9. Inner World of Pamela
Critics recognized that Pamela is the most
profound psychological portrait which arises
from the depiction, in the heat of the moment
and of spontaneous and unfiltered thoughts.
The country wardrobe Pamela has selected
manifests to the world her choice of honest,
cheerful poverty over corrupt luxury. However,
there is a controversy over Pamela’s hypocrisy
and duplicity.

10. What we learnt from Ending…
The character of Pamela is somewhere very
complex to understand but yet, At the end of the
novel Pamela receives things that everyone is
longing for: Love, money, social status and
recognition. Although this is only a silver lining
in the dark reality, the whole book is fulfilled
with optimism and idealism.
It tells an inspiring truth, an ordinary people
who dares to fight against the power and stick to
his or her believes is somewhat heroic and
extraordinary

11. Helen. "Classy Coquettes." An analysis of Pamela -or virtue rewarded by Samuel Richardson. 30
October 2017. 7 December 2021.
Helene. "An analysis of Pamela -or virtue rewarded by Samuel Richardson." n.d. 7 December
2021.
Theory and Practice in Language Studies,. Vol. 05. Academic Publiction, 2015. 7 December 2021.
References