Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Shamela v. Pamela
Although I was tired of Pamela's repetitive thoughts on her virute and innocence in Richardson's novel, I have to say that I preferred that over Fielding's rendition of a cruel and calculated Shamela. From the conspiracy of snagging a rich husband to the scandal of the affair with Parson Williams, Shamela's actions were not at all pleasing to read. However, that may be because of my preference for the good over the evil. True, Fielding's version was a sharper and fast-paced read and yet, I felt as if such a cool and calculative person could not possibly exist. I'd rather be blinded by innocence and virtue than tricked by the ingenuations of the lower class mindset. Pamela's thoughts and letters were sometimes a bother to read yet I felt that I was directly in her mind. Shamela's trickery and "evil" thoughts were not at all pleasant to read- and I didn't want to be in her mind at all.
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1 comment:
I understand what you're saying because I too have a preference for good over evil. However, I still enjoyed reading Fielding's work. It's possible that I liked it so much simply because towards the end of Pamela, I was tired of hearing about virtue.
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