Pamela

Pamela

by

Samuel Richardson

Pamela: Letter 20 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Pamela writes to her father and mother, letting them know that the recent delay in her letters is because Mr. B has sent the footman John to Lady Davers’s house. She continues her story from her last conversation with Mrs. Jervis. After that talk, Pamela got the idea for a “project.” She wants to make herself suitable clothes for when she returns home that will be nice but not too extravagant, so she went around to get some supplies. She ends the letter by reassuring her parents not to worry about repaying the four guineas.
Pamela’s behavior gets stranger still, as she puts off returning home again and again. This could raise the question of whether the version of the story that Pamela is writing for her parents is in fact the “true” version, or if Pamela is actually presenting things in a way that she feels her parents will approve of. Pamela’s clothes continue to be an important symbol of her current status in the story.
Themes
Class and Morality Theme Icon