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Letter 23
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Pamela, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Value of Virtue
Class and Morality
Religion and Marriage
Sexual Politics
Summary
Analysis
Pamela writes to her father and mother to tell of when she went to dinner in some of the new clothes she’s just finished making. Mrs. Jervis didn’t even recognize her at first in the new clothes. Mr. B passed through the room, and he too didn’t recognize Pamela. Mrs. Jervis really like the new clothes, although she was sad that Pamela made them in preparation for going home. Later, Mr. B asked Mrs. Jervis for the name of the lady she was speaking to earlier. Mrs. Jervis said that instead, she’ll introduce Mr. B to her in person.
When Mrs. Jervis and Mr. B both fail to recognize Pamela in her new clothes (or at least pretend not to), it suggests how important clothes and external appearances in general are to a person’s identity. The passage suggests that in the right clothes and with people who don’t know her, Pamela could easily pass for someone from the upper class, and this raises the question of how important and valid such class distinctions are in the first place.
Themes
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Pamela continues the letter. She went to greet Mr. B, and he said she was even prettier than Pamela. When Pamela replied that she was Pamela, Mr. B started to kiss her, saying that it wasn’t possible because she was so much lovelier than the Pamela he knew. Later, after Pamela got away, Mr. B accused Pamela of using a disguise to seduce him. Once again, Pamela protested. At last, Mr. B told Mrs. Jervis that Pamela should stay at least long enough to see if Lady Davers needs her. But later, Pamela heard a rumor from Mr. Jonathan that on a different occasion, Mr. B said, “by G—d I will have her!”, referring to Pamela.
At some point in this passage, Mr. B seems to clearly realize that he’s kissing the real Pamela, but he feigns ignorance because he knows that the situation gives him the benefit of the doubt. The conflict between Mr. B’s public face (where he at least pretends to need an excuse to kiss Pamela) and his private face (where he declares his intention to “have her,” a loaded euphemistic phrase that can imply rape) shows once again how he is a hypocrite.
Themes
Literary Devices
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