Pamela

Author: (English) Richardson Huang Yi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Samuel Richardson was born in Derbyshire, England in 1689. His father was a furniture manufacturer in London. In 1707, he became an apprentice in a printing shop and received little formal education. Thirteen years later, he established his own stationery store and printing shop, becoming one of the notable figures in London's business community. He married twice and had 12 children. When two booksellers, Riverton and Osborne, suggested that he compile a volume of model letters on various topics to guide readers with limited education in writing, Richardson began his literary career. This project captivated him; a small collection of letters written by a young housemaid to her father seeking advice on dealing with the abuse by her master were transformed by him into a novel, which became Pamela, also known as Pamela: Virtue Rewarded. The book was a huge success and became a fashionable novel. By May 1741, it had gone into its fourth edition, was adapted into a play by Gordon in Italy, and was also performed in England. Richardson's works brought him great reputation, and his masterpiece, Clarissa, also known as The History of a Young Lady—considered one of Europe's greatest novels—was published between 1747 and 1748. Samuel Richardson died in 1761. The revolutionary significance of the epistolary method lies in allowing Pamela to narrate her own story. Pamela is the first truly important female protagonist in British history who worked for survival, speaking with a rustic tone. She openly rebels against the prevailing social prejudice that girls from middle and upper classes are virginal, and she challenges the notion that girls from Pamela's class should be subjected to such values and not be alarmed by the idea of sacrificing their chastity to wealthy masters. Through Pamela's rebellion against this social code, Richardson critiques societal notions of class, property, and authority. Although it deals with serious themes such as sexual for power, Pamela is also a highly praised love story, often tinged with a comedic hue, featuring two young protagonists who frequently display ignorant naivety yet are deeply human.