Pamela

Introduction

Pamela is an epistolary novel (told through letters), written by Samuel Richardson and first published in 1740. It is considered one of the first novels written in English, and significantly contributed to the development of this genre. Richardson, a 51-year-old printer when the novel was published, began the project to provide moral instruction to young women who might find themselves vulnerable to seduction while employed by wealthy men. The novel advocates for the importance of maintaining virtuous and honorable conduct in the face of temptation, and explores themes of class, gender, and inequality. The novel was incredibly popular on publication, leading to the famous parody Shamela (1741) by renowned satirist Henry Fielding. Richardson is also the author of Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady, published in 1748.

This guide references the Penguin Classics edition.

Content warning: This novel includes references to attempted rape, sexual harassment, and thoughts of death by suicide.

Plot Summary

Pamela Andrews is a 15-year-old maidservant in Bedfordshire, England. The novel is narrated primarily through the letters she writes to her parents and a journal she keeps. Pamela has been employed by the kind Lady B, an elderly woman who dies at the start of the novel.