Pamela: Or, Virtue Reworded: the Texts, Paratexts, and Revisions That Redefine Samuel Richardson’S Pamela

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Pamela: Or, Virtue Reworded: the Texts, Paratexts, and Revisions That Redefine Samuel Richardson’S Pamela Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations (2009 -) Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Projects Pamela: Or, Virtue Reworded: The exT ts, Paratexts, and Revisions that Redefine aS muel Richardson's Pamela Jarrod Hurlbert Marquette University Recommended Citation Hurlbert, Jarrod, "Pamela: Or, Virtue Reworded: The exT ts, Paratexts, and Revisions that Redefine aS muel Richardson's Pamela" (2012). Dissertations (2009 -). Paper 194. http://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/194 PAMELA: OR, VIRTUE REWORDED: THE TEXTS, PARATEXTS, AND REVISIONS THAT REDEFINE SAMUEL RICHARDSON’S PAMELA by Jarrod Hurlbert, B.A., M.A. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin May 2012 ABSTRACT PAMELA: OR, VIRTUE REWORDED: THE TEXTS, PARATEXTS, AND REVISIONS THAT REDEFINE SAMUEL RICHARDSON’S PAMELA Jarrod Hurlbert, B.A., M.A. Marquette University, 2012 This dissertation is a study of the revisions Samuel Richardson made to his first novel, Pamela, and its sequel, Pamela in Her Exalted Condition, published within his lifetime. Richardson, who was his own printer, revised Pamela eight times over twenty years, the sequel three times, and the majority of the variants have hitherto suffered from critical neglect. Because it is well known that Richardson responded to friendly and antagonistic “collaborators” by making emendations, I also examine the extant documents that played a role in Pamela’s development, including Richardson’s correspondence and contemporary criticisms of the novel. Pamela Reworded, then, is an explanation, exhibition, and interpretation of what Richardson revised, why he revised, and, more importantly, how the revisions affect one’s understanding of the novel and its characters. While studies of Pamela’s composition history have been thoroughly discussed in Richardson biographies, and the influence of Richardson’s contemporaries on the novel’s revisions has been examined, a comprehensive study of the variants and their impact on the narrative has remained in a scholarly limbo between textual and literary criticism. My collation is supported by documentary evidence about the text, including relevant contemporary conversations, in an attempt to illustrate the evolution of the novel through its different editions, and an exhibition of the variants is further supported by literary analysis. This exploration of why Richardson emended Pamela and what he changed informs how the revisions impact the novel and its characters. The results indicate that he typically revised in similar ways in subsequent editions, but at different times he had different intentions, and the changes he made serve different purposes. As a result, I contend that new and even contradictory perspectives of the novel’s hero and heroine emerge. Consequently, this dissertation opens up additional opportunities in the study of Pamela and, perhaps, the eighteenth-century novel as well. i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Jarrod Hurlbert, B.A., M.A. I am particular thankful for the direction, encouragement, and input of my committee: Drs. Albert J. Rivero, Stephen Karian, and Tim W. Machan. I am especially grateful to Al Rivero who shared with me his unpublished work on Pamela as well as the resources to acquire two rare editions of the novel so that I could complete my collations. Additional thanks to Stephen Karian for sharing his extensive knowledge of eighteenth- century print culture and taking time to meet with me and discuss my work between sessions at two very busy meetings of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies. And a special thank you is due to Tim Machan for agreeing to be a part of this committee, for his valuable feedback, and for his patience with the strangeness of Pamela. There are others who are equally deserving of thanks for sharing their time, intellect, and patience with me while I completed this study. In particular, my wife Leah, and my long-term mentor and friend, Dr. Ann Campbell, both of whom have had a lasting impact on my writing and were kind enough to temper their criticism with compassion while commenting on early drafts of this dissertation. They both listened attentively as I obsessed over this project and they responded, in turn, with thoughtful commentary and helpful advice. Leah’s unfaltering aid and encouragement has especially driven me to succeed. Thank you, finally, to everyone who has supported me throughout my life, academic and otherwise, including my parents, extended family, and close friends to whom I owe many intellectual, emotional, and financial debts. My brevity here is no way indicative of the degree of my gratitude, which is immeasurable. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................... i LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER ONE: VIRTUE IN A STRONGER LIGHT .............................................................. 14 CHAPTER TWO: EDITING UNDER THE INFLUENCE ......................................................... 45 CHAPTER THREE: PARATEXTS AND TEXT IN PAMELA I: A “STRANGE MEDLEY OF INCONSISTENCE” .............................................................................................. 80 Paratexts ............................................................................................................................ 80 Text ................................................................................................................................. 131 CHAPTER FOUR: TEACHING NOT PREACHING ............................................................... 160 CHAPTER FIVE: CONVERSION BY THE WORD ................................................................ 200 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 200 Revisions to Volume III .................................................................................................. 211 Pamela ................................................................................................................. 211 B. ......................................................................................................................... 261 Lady Davers ........................................................................................................ 278 Polly Darnford .................................................................................................... 286 Revisions to Volume IV .................................................................................................. 297 Pamela ................................................................................................................. 297 B. ......................................................................................................................... 344 Polly Darnford .................................................................................................... 355 The Editor ........................................................................................................... 365 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 369 iii CHAPTER SIX: FALLING SHORT: PAMELA II’S PARATEXTS, TEXT, AND THE “SPIRIT” OF THE PASSAGES ................................................................................................. 373 Paratexts .......................................................................................................................... 373 Text ................................................................................................................................. 438 CHAPTER SEVEN: VIRTUE “MORE CONVERSANT IN HIGH LIFE” .............................. 468 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 502 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................................... 509 iv LIST OF FIGURES The following plates are from Hubert Gravelot and Francis Hayman’s illustrations of the 1742 octavo edition of Pamela. Each image is listed beginning with its location in the octavo followed by the name of the designer, a brief description of its subject, and its location in this dissertation. Each plate was engraved by Gravelot. 1 Vol. I. p. 4.: Hayman Mr. B. reads Pamela’s letter 100 2 Vol. I. p. 123.: Hayman Pamela shows Mrs. Jervis her bundles 102 3 Vol. I. p. 151.: Hayman Goodman Andrews pleads with Mr. B. 104 4 Vol. I. p. 214.: Hayman Pamela at the pond 107 5 Vol. I. p. 290.: Hayman Pamela in the woodhouse 109 6 Vol. I. p. 358.: Hayman Pamela pleads with Mr. B. 111 7 Vol. I. p. 373.: Gravelot Pamela and the fortune teller 113 8 Vol. II. p. 32.: Gravelot Pamela enters Mr. B.’s coach 116 9 Vol. II. p. 89.: Gravelot Pamela reunites with her father 118 10 Vol. II. p. 175.: Gravelot Pamela and Mr. B. are married 120 11 Vol. II. p. 249.: Gravelot Jackey taunts Pamela 122 12 Vol. II. p. 267.: Hayman Pamela flees from Lady Davers 125 13 Vol. II. p. 305.: Gravelot Pamela pleads for Lady Davers 127 14 Vol. II. p. 404.: Gravelot
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