An Analysis on the Psyche of Richardson’s Pamela

Abstract

Pamela is Samuel Richardson's great masterpiece. Since the initial publication of Pamela in 1740, it has received extensive attentions. It's generally accepted that Samuel Richardson's Pamela is a prime example of the epistolary novel. However, the first rise of the psychological novel as a genre is said to have started with the sentimental novel of Samuel Richardson's Pamela. Many factors contribute to the success of Pamela, the most important one is the vivid description of heroine's psychological activities. It has profound impact on the later writers and played a significant role in the world literature. Pamela's inner world is incompatible, she suffered a lot from the upper class and she was longing for an independent life and social position. Also she could not cast off the shackle of the patriarchy society. Recently, most researches are focused on the novel's moral value, the epistolary form, feminism, history and religious perspective. However, this paper will mainly focus on the heroine's inner world and intend to conduct a psychological analysis of Pamela.