The Virtuous Pamela of Rewarded Virtue Samuel Richardson began his literary career when two booksellers offered him the opportunity to amass a publication for unqualified letter writers. During the preparation of this volume, a small sequence of letters from a young woman asking her father for advice when endangered by her master's advances fascinated him. His charm caused a change in his work. The result was the tome Pamela; Or virtue rewarded. The book has been the subject of much investigation. One such question critics ask is whether the protagonist, Pamela Andrews, is truly virtuous or a convincing hypocrite. Understanding Pamela's character, one must conclude that Pamela is a truly virtuous young woman. First, Pamela considers her virtue very high. In her parents' first letter, they write, "...the loss of our dear daughter's virtue would be a pain we could not bear (46)." In many of their subsequent letters, her parents continue to warn her to beware of her virtue. Furthermore, being a poor girl, Pamela's virtue was all she had to offer her future groom. In a letter, he tells of a tale with Mr. B. In this tale he says: "For heaven's sake, your honor, have mercy on a poor creature, who knows nothing but how to love his virtue and his good name: I have nothing else to trust (62)." After escaping from captivity, she considers taking her own life before giving up her virtue. Furthermore, Pamela's virtue comes from her being a devout Protestant Christian. In her letters Pamela refers to Scripture more than thirty times. He also calls upon God numerous times in prayer. Furthermore, after kidnapping Pamela, Mr. B. holds her for six weeks. During her captivity, Pamela laments... middle of paper... the marriage bed is a gift from God. She looks at the prospect of such an accomplished man with joy and happiness. In conclusion, Pamela's virtue is a very high virtue. She thinks very highly of him. Second, his virtue is rooted in his Protestant Christian heritage. Therefore, the Bible would guide his ethics. This high ethical standard manifests itself in Mr. B's attacks. His attacks upset Pamela to a great extent. Outside of marriage, Pamela will never be able to give up her innocence. Furthermore, marriage seems impossible. However, when Mr. B. humbles himself by confessing his faith, Pamela becomes excited at the idea of ​​marriage. Once married, she will no longer have any virtues to protect. She will marry like an immaculate bride. Work Cited: Richardson, Samuel. Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded. 1740. Ed. TC Duncan Eaves and Ben Kimpel. Boston: Houghton, 1971.