A Literary Analysis of the Preface of Pamela by Samuel Richardson Essay

Samuel Richardson writes in the Preface of Pamela Or Virtue Rewarded that the novels main purpose lies in its ability to give practical examples, worthy to be followed in the most critical and affecting cases, by the virgin, the bride, and the wife (Richardson, 31). I would argue that underneath Richardsons seemingly innocent novel of moral instruction lies a political instruction book for advancing the middle class. As a member of the middle class, Richardson wants to reduce the rights of the aristocracy and to advance the rights of the middle class. In order to advocate the promotion of the middle class, Richardson writes Pamela. In Pamela, Richardson portrays the middle class as pure virtue and the aristocracy as the epitome of amoral. Pamela, representing the middle class, proves through her virtue and mettle that she deserves the privileges of the upper class more than Mr. B., who only obtained the aristocratic rights through birth. Pamela instructs her readers on how to rise in social status by describing her personal journey from servant to aristocrat. By rebelling against the aristocracys unrighteous behavior, Pamela gains the admiration of Mr. B. and a position in society. Through Pamela, Richardson demonstrates that rebelling against the aristocrats proves both virtuous and rewarding. In Letter XI, Pamela describes to her parents the situation in the summerhouse where Mr. B. forces sexual advances upon Pamela. After Mr. B. forces several kisses onto Pamela, she cries, I wont stay (55). Mr. B. then asks, Do you know whom you speak to? (55). Pamela replies that yes, she does know to whom she speaks, and she will step out of her social class through her speech because he stepped out of his social class when he forced his kisses on her. In the summerhouse scene, Pamela uses language in order to place herself in a higher social class. While still keeping the language of...