Pamela

How do other female characters (Mrs. Jervis, Mrs. Jewkes, and Lady Davers) play a role in Pamela’s exploitation? Why does Pamela trust or mistrust other women, and how does this trust sometimes render her vulnerable? What motivations do these other women have for disregarding or colluding with Mr. B’s sinister intentions?

A number of characters, including Pamela’s father and Mr. Williams, are aware of the danger and precarity Pamela faces. What do they do to assist her, and why do they fail? What might their failure say about privilege and the class system in 18th century England?

Is Pamela a reliable narrator? Identify instances where her narration might be subjective or open to debate. Does she ever seem to be deceiving herself or the reader? Why or why not?

Pamela is a lower-class woman, and yet she also has qualities that make upper-class characters respect and admire her. What characteristics distinguish Pamela from a typical servant girl in the eyes of the elite? Do Pamela’s intelligence, beauty, and charisma protect her, or are they the root cause of all her problems?

Is Pamela in love with Mr. B all along? When does he shift from merely wanting to sleep with her to being in love with her? How do their feelings for one another gradually change and emerge over the course of the plot, and what events precipitate these changes?

Compare the reaction of different characters (Pamela’s father, the other servants, Mr. B’s wealthy friends, Lady Davers) to the news that Pamela and Mr. B are married. How does the way that characters are established early in the novel foreshadow or contrast with the way they behave once Pamela and Mr. B decide to marry?

How does the novel’s structure (being composed of letters and journal entries) support or undermine the themes and moral message it conveys? How would the novel change if the perspective of a wider range of characters was included? If you could add letters or journals from one additional character to the novel, who would you most want to hear from?

What is the significance of the subplot around Sally Godfrey and Miss Goodwin? What does this backstory reveal about Mr. B’s character, and what opportunities does it create to develop Pamela’s character? How might the novel’s plot have changed if Pamela had known about this relationship and illegitimate child sooner?