Pamela Or Virtue Rewarded Analysis

The two texts that I will be discussing through the course of my essay are Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson and The Rape of the Lock by Charlotte Smith. Both of these authors use the structure and conventions of their chosen genre to enhance their writing’s. Pamela by Samuel Richardson is a novel that takes the form of an epistolary novel. The term epistolary novel means a novel which is written as a series of documents. In the case of Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded, the form is a series of letters from the main character Pamela to various other characters detailing the events as they occur. There are many reasons why an author would choose to write an epistolary novel, of course because the novel is written as a series

The novel takes the form of her letters to and from her parents; Elizabeth and John Andrews, who are of a low social standing. The first letter sees Pamela relaying to her parents that her employer Lady B has passed away. She also informs her parents that she has not however lost her job as Lady B’s son is taking over and is keeping on all previous staff. Along with the letter Pamela gives them the four guineas that Mr B gave her as a gesture of good will in exchange that she continues to work hard for him as she did for his mother. Mr B enters the room reads the letter and compliments her on her writing and her generosity. “I see my good Mothers care in your learning has not been thrown away on you”. Her parents respond to her letter thinking her for her generosity but warning her not lose her virtue in exchange for money or material goods it is their fear that Mr B may have “design” on their virtuous daughter. Pamela reassures her parents that she would never act without virtue and that the housekeeper Mrs Jervis treats her well and looks out for her. It seems that everybody thinks it inappropriate that Pamela remain as a servant in a house where a bachelor is her boss. Even Mr B’s sister Lady Devers thinks it’s an inappropriate living circumstances and says Pamela should live with her to which Mr B agrees. He continues to delay her going to Lady Devers

This poem falls under the genre of a mock-epic. The poem makes fun of the arrogance and stupor of high society in the 18th Century. The poem itself is based on a true incident, which occurred between families his family were friends with. He hoped that the poem would help to simmer tensions and inspire them to laugh at their own absurdity. Up to this point in history the epic was renowned for being one of the more serious forms of literature. Pope’s aim here however was not to mock the form, but rather he wanted to portray how his society had failed to live up to the standards portrayed in other such epic’s. While other literary epics portray the bravery and heroism of people of the time, Pope is trying to point out that they have lost all sense of what they should truly value. Pope makes it clear that his generation do not realise what they should truly value in life. Pope wishes to show just how far the culture has fallen. Every scene in “The rape of the lock” creates images from the tradition of the epic combined with gumption and proficiency, this mix makes the poem remarkable and alluring. What would have been the intense great victorious battles in the epic’s, in Pope’s epic are gambling and numerous quarrels. The images of weaponry and armour are replaced with clothes and beauty products and fine jewellery. The Rape of the Lock falls under the form of heroic couplet. This heroic