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Letter 5
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, telling them of how Mr. B has given her several articles of old clothing from Lady B. Personally, Pamela would have preferred for Mr. B to sell the clothes—that way, Pamela could send more money to her parents and reassure them that Mr. B doesn’t have any “design” on her. Nevertheless, she accepted the gift gratefully and was pleased to hear from Mr. B that Mrs. Jervis has complimented her for doing her job well so far. Later, Pamela heard from Mrs. Jervis that Mr. B asked if Pamela keeps men at a distance, and Mrs. Jervis assured him that Pamela does.
Pamela’s preference for receiving money instead of clothes makes sense, given her decision to send the four guineas to her parents at the beginning of the novel. Nevertheless, it’s also possible to read between the lines and see that perhaps Pamela is beginning to realize that Mr. B’s attention might not be so innocent after all, but she doesn’t want to tell her parents and make them worry about her.
Themes
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