Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded

An epistolary novel by British novelist Samuel Richardson, published in 1740. As the subtitle "The Wages of Virtue" suggests, the beautiful maid Pamela resists the advances of her young master through her faith and strong will to maintain her chastity, eventually reforming him and becoming his wife. The story progresses through the letters she writes to her father and the diary she keeps of her time under lock and key. The writing style is simple and full of detailed descriptions, but it was heavily criticized at the time for preaching a moral message that chastity should be sold for as high a price as possible.

[Teruo Oka]

"Pamela" translated by Ebiike Toshiharu (World Literature Series 76, 1966, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの小説家サムエル・リチャードソンの書簡体小説。1740年刊。副題「美徳の報酬」が示すように、美しい小間使いパミラが、その信仰と貞操を守る強い意志によって若主人の誘惑をはねつけ、ついに彼を改心させて地主夫人となるという話。彼女が父親に書く手紙や、閉じ込められたときの日記という形式で物語が進行する。飾り気のない文体で細かな描写が生きているが、貞操をなるべく高く売りつけよという道徳を説くものとして、当時かなり激しく批判された。

［岡　照雄］

『海老池俊治訳『パミラ』（『世界文学大系76』1966・筑摩書房）』

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