This blog is part of Thinking Activity given by Professor Prakruti Bhatt ma'am.
Realism in Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded and the Use of Letters in the Narrative
Realism in literature is a genre that attempts to depict life as it truly exists, focusing on everyday people, their challenges, and the issues they face in their respective environments. It rejects the romanticized, fantastical elements of earlier literature and instead reflects real human emotions, struggles, and social contexts. Realism is particularly concerned with portraying the complexities of social classes, relationships, and morality as they exist in the real world, without idealizing them.
In Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded, Samuel Richardson’s novel represents the beginnings of the realist tradition in English literature. The story of Pamela, a young servant girl, is grounded in the everyday struggles and moral dilemmas of real life. As Pamela tries to preserve her virtue in the face of repeated attempts by her master, Mr. B, to seduce her, the novel delves into the realities of social class and power structures. Pamela is a servant, and her low status makes her vulnerable to exploitation. Richardson doesn’t create a fictionalized, perfect heroine Pamela is an ordinary young woman who faces a constant internal battle between her duty and her desires, which adds to the realistic portrayal of her life. The novel does not elevate her beyond reality, but instead shows her as an ordinary woman struggling to protect her virtue, an act that was deeply valued in the 18th century.
The social dynamics in the story are realistic, too. Pamela’s struggle is not just internal, but also social. She is constantly battling the reality of her class position, her gender, and the powerful desires of Mr. B. The power imbalance between Pamela, a poor servant, and Mr. B, a wealthy aristocrat, mirrors the everyday struggles of lower-class individuals during that time. Pamela’s moral decisions, which are based on preserving her virtue and integrity, also reflect the values of her time. Her eventual reward ln marriage to Mr. B is a realistic outcome of a time when marriage and virtue were often intertwined for women, and virtue itself was highly prized, especially in the context of the servant-master relationship.
The Role of Letters in the Narrative
One of the most distinctive features of Pamela is its structure: the novel is written in an epistolary format, meaning the narrative unfolds through letters that Pamela writes to her parents. This choice of format gives the novel an intimate, personal feel. Pamela’s letters, written over the course of the novel, offer the reader a window into her emotions, thoughts, and daily experiences as she navigates the complicated moral landscape imposed by her social position and Mr. B’s advances.
The epistolary format allows readers to directly experience Pamela’s voice and perspective, as the letters are written in first-person. This intimacy allows the reader to engage deeply with her character and share in her inner turmoil. Pamela is not just a passive character; through her letters, she becomes an active agent in narrating her own story. The letters provide a personal and emotional connection to Pamela's trials, triumphs, and moral reasoning, making her struggle more immediate and vivid. As Pamela writes to her parents, we gain access to her thoughts in real time, enabling us to understand her reactions and emotions as they unfold. For example, when Pamela faces Mr. B's advances, her letters are filled with a mixture of fear, confusion, and hope. These letters serve as evidence of her moral character, showing her commitment to virtue despite the challenges she faces.
However, while the epistolary format offers this unique perspective, it also limits the reader’s view of the other characters in the novel. Because we are seeing everything from Pamela’s viewpoint, we miss the deeper motivations and emotions of other characters, such as Mr. B, Mrs. Jewkes, or even Mrs. Jervis. Pamela’s perceptions of these characters may be colored by her emotions, creating a biased view of the events and people around her. For example, Pamela’s portrayal of Mr. B is often influenced by her feelings of fear and distrust, and while these feelings are understandable, they may not fully capture the complexity of Mr. B’s character, especially as he undergoes a transformation from antagonist to her eventual husband.
While some readers may appreciate the directness of this first-person format, others might find it limiting. A third-person narrator would provide a more objective view of the events, revealing the motivations of all characters involved. With a third-person perspective, the reader could see not only Pamela’s thoughts and feelings but also the reasons behind Mr. B's actions and how the other servants, such as Mrs. Jewkes or Mrs. Jervis, fit into the larger social and moral picture. This more rounded perspective might give a clearer, more balanced view of the characters and their development.
The Servants in the B Household
The servants in Mr. B’s household Mrs. Jervis, Mrs. Jewkes, and John play critical roles in shaping the narrative and understanding the social dynamics of the time. Each servant represents a different facet of servitude, from loyalty and kindness to cruelty and manipulation. Their relationships with Pamela highlight the novel’s exploration of class, power, and morality.
Mrs. Jervis: Mrs. Jervis is a sympathetic and moral character, who plays a motherly role in Pamela’s life. She treats Pamela with kindness and tries to guide her in maintaining her virtue. She serves as a contrast to other, less sympathetic characters in the household. Mrs. Jervis is loyal to Mr. B, but her loyalty to him is not blind. Unlike Mrs. Jewkes, she does not condone his actions toward Pamela and tries to protect her from him. Critics often view Mrs. Jervis as a moral figure, representing the traditional, more honest values of the servant class. Her kindness and care for Pamela give the novel an emotional depth, showing that not all servants are corrupt or complicit in the injustices of the upper class.
Mrs. Jewkes: Mrs. Jewkes is the novel’s primary antagonist, a woman hired by Mr. B to keep Pamela under control. She is cold, calculating, and completely loyal to Mr. B, even when his actions are morally questionable. Mrs. Jewkes embodies the darker side of servitude, where loyalty to the master overrides ethical considerations. She plays a crucial role in attempting to prevent Pamela from escaping Mr. B’s advances, and her cruelty shows how the servant class could be complicit in the exploitation of others, especially when it served the interests of those in power. Mrs. Jewkes is often seen by critics as a representation of the negative side of servitude, where the desire for status and power can corrupt a person’s moral values.
John: John is a more passive servant who doesn’t play as active a role as Mrs. Jervis or Mrs. Jewkes but still contributes to the dynamics of the household. His role in the story is mostly one of obedience. He follows orders but does not engage in the manipulation or cruelty that other servants, like Mrs. Jewkes, exhibit. John’s character reflects the ordinary, lower-class servants who have little agency in the larger social structure. While not actively malicious, John still represents the passive complicity of the servant class in maintaining the status quo.
These characters’ roles help to underline the central themes of the novel: the relationship between master and servant, the morality of the class system, and the way power dynamics shape individuals' actions. Mrs. Jervis’s kindness contrasts sharply with Mrs. Jewkes’s cruelty, and John’s passivity highlights the ways in which the servant class could be trapped in a system that denied them agency.
Conclusion:
In Pamela: Or Virtue Rewarded, Richardson uses realism to portray the moral and social struggles of a young woman navigating the complexities of class and power. The epistolary format, through Pamela's letters, creates an intimate connection with her character but limits the broader perspective on other characters' motivations. The servants, particularly Mrs. Jervis, Mrs. Jewkes, and John, represent different facets of servitude and loyalty, adding depth to the social dynamics of the story. Overall, the novel explores the tension between virtue, class, and power, offering a realistic portrayal of 18th-century life.
References:
Image :https://www.amazon.in/Pamela-Virtue-Rewarded-Samuel-Richardson-ebook/dp/B06X9D9Z93
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