Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Shamela - More Believable Than Pamela
Thank God for Fielding's Shamela. It was such a relief to read after Pamela. What I could not comprehend was Pamela herself. Reading through it, I kept saying to myself, "O.K. Mr. B made some passes at you, has tried to rape you, twice, and you are not running away. You are procrastinating, either with his clothes or because of Mrs. Jervis. Go to the police or something." And what happens in the end? She marries the man, who, it must be repeated, attempted rape. Twice. You can imagine me screaming at the book at that point. Why, Pamela? I cannot understand you, and indeed question your sanity. It is the very lack of this question that makes Shamela so much more enjoyable than Pamela. I understand Shamela from the get-go because she is so upfront about everything. She enjoys Booby's advances very much. Everyone, not just Shamela, we can see clearly for who they really are. Why is it so important to keep one's virtue? According to Shamela, the longer you wait, the bigger the monetary payoff. I understood Pamela's protectiveness of her virtue, up until a point. She kept her virtue intact but ends up married to Mr. B at the end anyway. I think the importance of virtue was shattered in the end because she ends up with Mr. Rapist. What is great about both novels is how virtue is rewarded. Pamela moves up from poverty and gets riches, while Shamela does the same, but also with the important lesson that she has no love for the nobleman and prefers the priest in bed (that was so wonderfully humorous). There is no living among two worlds for Shamela either; she moves up and cannot go back, and shuns even being seen with her mother. Fielding condenses many pages of inane dialog into clear points and everything is so funny; from the priest who believes sins will be forgiven no matter how many times he drinks as long as he repents, to the mother who values virtue as long as money is involved. I could not understand Pamela loving such a detestable man as Mr. B, but I can understand Shamela manipulating Booby and getting rich off of him, knowing love is not even part of her equation.
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3 comments:
I agree that Shamela was extremely enjoyable. It was clever throughout and even made some valid points. Overall, it was a solid satire. However, I personally question its believability in comparison to Pamela. As you say, Shamela's motives are upfront while Pamela's are often disguised. If anything this makes Shamela a flat character and gives Pamela depth. It is rare in life to know a person's full motives. It's even hard to know your own complete motives sometimes. Internal conflict is real.
Also, as far as the rape you have to remember the context of when this story is taking place. Pamela didn't have to act as helpless as she did, but women had very little power within society and she definitely could not "go to the police or something." At best, maybe she could have run away as you said.
Great comment Arthur--just a short note; Jacob is right about the police; B. is the police, or rather the magistrate. He has a warrant for her arrest if she escapes, and as the chief judicial power in his estates, he could easily enforce it, no matter how corrupt, and there is nothing anyone could or would do, given that she is of no family. He could not get away with the same thing with a "person of fortune."
I could not agree more with this blog! While reading Pamela i too could not help but yell at loud "Wow this girl is dumb!" I mean she keeps going on and on about how she wants to escape her environment yet she ends up marrying the man who consistently ruins her life. I also agree that Shamela was more entertaining and easier to read because she was more of a rebel who told it like it was. I love the role reversal in Shamela; instead of the Master ordering around the servant; Shamela orders around Mr. Booby and gets everything she wants in the long run.
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