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 Key Themes
This work aims to analyze Henry Fielding's Shamela as a parody of Samuel Richardson's Pamela, focusing on the differing biographical backgrounds of the authors and how these influenced their writing styles and moral perspectives. The analysis will explore how Fielding critiques Richardson's portrayal of virtue, morality, and social class within the context of 18th-century English literature.
- The contrasting biographical backgrounds of Richardson and Fielding and their impact on their literary approaches.
- A comparison of the narrative structures and thematic concerns of Pamela and Shamela.
- Fielding's critique of Richardson's depiction of female virtue and social mobility.
- The social and literary context of 18th-century English novels and the rise of the novel as a genre.
- An examination of the role of class and morality in both novels.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: This chapter introduces the central focus of the work: an analysis of Henry Fielding's Shamela as a parody of Samuel Richardson's Pamela. The author explains the choice of Shamela due to its popularity and close adherence to the plot of Pamela, highlighting the contrasting backgrounds and perspectives of the two authors as a key area of investigation. The decision to focus solely on Shamela, rather than also including Eliza Haywood's Anti-Pamela, is justified based on scope and length considerations.
The different biographical backgrounds of Richardson and Fielding and its consequences on their approaches on writing: This section delves into the biographical contexts of Richardson and Fielding, contrasting their social classes and upbringings. Richardson, from the lower middle class, reflects the moral values of his time in his novels, emphasizing chastity and virtue, particularly within the context of conduct books popular at the time. Fielding, hailing from the landed gentry, adopts a different approach, focusing more on plot and incorporating the values and norms of the upper classes, thereby offering a critique of Richardson's overly moralistic perspective. The differences in their backgrounds directly influenced their distinct writing styles and moral viewpoints, leading to contrasting portrayals of virtue and societal norms.
The subject matters of the novels: This chapter summarizes the plot similarities between Pamela and Shamela. It outlines Pamela's narrative as a virtuous servant girl resisting the advances of her master, eventually gaining his proposal and marriage as a reward for her virtue. This sets the stage for understanding Fielding's parody in Shamela, where the same plot is used to highlight Fielding's critique of Richardson's work and his own contrasting views on morality and social conventions.
Keywords
Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Pamela, Shamela, parody, 18th-century English novel, virtue, morality, social class, conduct books, epistolary novel, satire, class critique.
Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of Fielding's Shamela as a Parody of Richardson's Pamela
What is the main focus of this analysis?
This analysis focuses on Henry Fielding's Shamela as a parody of Samuel Richardson's Pamela. It examines the contrasting biographical backgrounds of the authors and how these influenced their writing styles and moral perspectives, specifically focusing on Fielding's critique of Richardson's portrayal of virtue, morality, and social class within the context of 18th-century English literature.
Why was Shamela chosen for analysis, and not other Anti-Pamela novels?
The analysis centers on Shamela due to its popularity and its close adherence to the plot of Pamela. This allows for a direct comparison and highlights the contrasting perspectives of Richardson and Fielding. The decision to exclude other works like Eliza Haywood's Anti-Pamela was made to maintain a manageable scope and length for the analysis.
How do the biographical backgrounds of Richardson and Fielding influence their writing?
Richardson, from a lower middle-class background, reflects the moral values of his time, emphasizing chastity and virtue, aligning with the popular conduct books. Fielding, from the landed gentry, adopts a different approach, focusing more on plot and incorporating the values and norms of the upper classes. These contrasting backgrounds led to distinct writing styles and moral viewpoints, resulting in differing portrayals of virtue and societal norms.
What are the key plot similarities and differences between Pamela and Shamela?
Both Pamela and Shamela share a similar plot: a virtuous servant girl resists the advances of her master. In Pamela, this leads to marriage as a reward for virtue. Shamela, however, uses this same plot to highlight Fielding's critique of Richardson's work, presenting a contrasting view on morality and social conventions.
What are the key themes explored in the analysis?
The key themes explored include the contrasting biographical backgrounds of Richardson and Fielding and their impact on their literary approaches; a comparison of the narrative structures and thematic concerns of Pamela and Shamela; Fielding's critique of Richardson's depiction of female virtue and social mobility; the social and literary context of 18th-century English novels; and an examination of the role of class and morality in both novels.
What are the keywords associated with this analysis?
The keywords are: Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, Pamela, Shamela, parody, 18th-century English novel, virtue, morality, social class, conduct books, epistolary novel, satire, class critique.
What is the overall objective of this work?
The overall objective is to analyze Shamela as a parody of Pamela, exploring the authors' differing biographical backgrounds and how these shaped their approaches to writing, their moral perspectives, and their portrayal of virtue, morality, and social class in 18th-century English literature.
- Citar trabajo
- M. A. Alisa Westermann (Autor), 2008, The Criticism of Richardson’s novel "Pamela" by Henry Fieldings’ "Shamela“, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/173354
