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  • Essay / Tomorrow Will Be Worried About Itself: A Close Reading of the Devotion and Allusions in “Pamela”

    On page 496 of Samuel Richardson's Pamela, the young woman reflects on her account of the mysteries of God. The strange circumstances of his story reveal the two characters of Mr. B___: a filthy one, a noble one. Her successful endurance through frightening displays of his physical control over her fuels a burgeoning understanding of the role absence of worry plays in self-preservation. A reading of the scene contextualized by Matthew 6 allows the reader to grasp the ways in which Richardson might have used Scripture to support the exposure of the residual anxiety that haunts Pamela in the marriage; at the very least, we see that his inability to accept the happiness offered to him is allegorical rather than boring. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essaySamuel Richardson held religion in high esteem, particularly as a reason to write. He was looking for “an easy and natural way” rather than that of the “improbable and marvelous” novels of his time (Dobson). The unrealistic nature of Pamela's romance suggests that the author wanted more meaning than directly expressed feelings. Rather, it seems that he wanted to emphasize his confusion and natural reservations regarding Mr. B___'s new state as a kind partner, to emphasize Matthew 6, a chapter that might, to a hesitant reader, seem more like the birds than to personal freedom. Pamela spends pages on these worries: just after her husband has allayed them, she starts again. To the reader, these concerns seem repetitive and unnecessary. For an eternal God, they must be even more so. The simplicity of Pamela's joy demonstrates that her problems meant less than they did at the time. Her letters create a narrative of hardship, and although she escapes the compulsion to present herself as a victim (well-intentioned verse aside), they represent the human need to cultivate a record of wrongs. Richardson shifts the message to that of Matthew 6. In doing so, he supports the reality that humans, like birds, are not created to store or put away anything. Here we see that Pamela is not able to contain her feelings, so much so that Mr. B____ “would [only] allow [her] to say: That I was not unhappy with him! — Dissatisfied with you, my dear sir! I said: Let me thus testify to my obligations and to the force that all your commandments will have on me” (496). The reflexivity of her excited lyrics extends from boring lyrical phrases to the moment of truth, and she embraces it, seeing it as freedom. Neither of them can handle the intensity of their love, but she accepts the fear almost immediately. . She walks away and writes “but yet my spirit was sometimes grieved, and it has been until this hour.” She receives a gift, but imposes constraints on the emotion. Pamela expresses thoughts centered on Mr. B___'s death, concluding that she "can't bear to suppose – [she] can't say more on such a profound subject!" » She starts from the idea that human life is a “poor thing… subject to imaginary evils” and loses sight of what pushed her to begin with. This method of thinking is treacherous because of the speed with which it leads one off track. Throughout this, she considers her concerns to be beneath her "superficial mind". While this may be true, the connection to his God takes up hundreds of pages; throughout these, she often dismisses what matters in a misguided attempt to feel free in her own way. Then, when she is surprised by what is happening, itregisters as something distinct, accepted within its parameters rather than something that can be witnessed. Richardson unpacks the qualities of her experience, exploring the series of disruptions and how it addresses the realities, hopes, dreams and fears of an ever-changing life. In passages like this, he plants sentences that show his state of mind; here she thinks of death as the end of "this Benefactor of excellent generosity" and buries her feelings in worry. Here, as before, she prays what she wants. This act frees her from the brutal words that pin down the experience of her incidentally tumultuous life. In doing so, she achieves the acuity and focus necessary to take her to another era. Pamela maintains a posture of adoration while fending off her sneaky master, who attempts to exert himself on her. Despite the threat of violent rape, Pamela worships the Lord; her eyes hold the light and she avoids the expression of darkness. She remains pure. Ultimately, she sees the futility of “the apprehension of distant contingencies” because of the joy that actually abounds (Richardson 496). The institution of marriage prompts Pamela to lean on Mr. B____ as she begins to free herself from the burden of distrust. Her life soon becomes peaceful, as Pamela witnesses Mr. B___'s ardent love for her. The discourse of this passage with the sixth chapter of Matthew highlights Pamela's new maturity. The anxiety she experiences is born from worries of instability and sequestration. From attempting to escape through a window to hiding letters, she continually turns to devices appropriate for the girl under duress that Richardson so disdains. However, she persists with a determined spirit and dedication to her personal achievements. The reward for his hope is found in Heaven, safe from the theft that threatens the treasures of Earth. The implicit presence of the Bible in Pamela warrants an examination of the implicit parallels between Jesus' teachings and Pamela's beliefs, which values ​​the power of language. Additionally, the textual evidence seems particularly significant in light of Richardson's biblical references throughout the novel, as documented in the footnotes. Pamela's constant use of the nickname "Master" to refer to Mr. B____ helps the reader understand the nature of Pamela's ordeals. She cannot prevent Mr. B____'s will even if she sequesters herself, but she gets out without any problem; her life being in flux, the prospect of being subjected to matrimonial constraints frightens her, to the point that she displays it as a desire to be reassured. Mr. B____ occupies a position from which it could be destroyed externally or scarred internally, but God persists. This means that Mr. B____ never shakes Pamela's faith, even though she herself feels nothing. His position as a husband shows that Pamela has no reason to escape: she is safe. Before marriage, her salvation lies in a man's actions. Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other, or he will devote himself to the one and despise the other. » Pamela overcomes her disgust with Mr. B____ without displacing the importance of God in her life. Her openly Christian marriage solidifies the hierarchy of duties in which Pamela places herself. Her devotion to her husband serves as worship to the Supreme Master, while Mr. B____ cultivates his own religious devotion. Pamela's scene has strong parallels with the themes of Matthew 6, and closer attention only strengthens the basis for a biblical comparison. On the one hand, Richardson's contemporaries knew the Book well, whether for its literary value or its status.