Pamela: Logos 2 key examples

Pamela's parents have faith in the moral character they have instilled in her. They have taught her, according to their Christian beliefs, that she must not lose her "virtue" by having sex before marriage. But they have nonetheless urged extreme caution with Mr. B. in their letters to her because they are afraid that she is too naive to recognize signs that he plans to take advantage of her. In this response, Pamela tells her parents that they have nothing to worry about. Mr. B., she explains, is of a high enough socioeconomic status that he "may expect one of the best Ladies in the Land." By "best," Pamela means "richest" and "most reputable." She, on the other hand, is "a poor Girl." To seduce her, she argues, would ruin Mr. B.'s "credit" as well as her own. His reputation would fall, and he would not be able to marry a good prospect either.

Pamela's logic of "mutually assured destruction" is reasonable, except that she fails to see that there is a way in which she herself is "one of the best Ladies in the Land." She is not rich, but she does have admirable moral character. The fact that her parents used to be wealthier means that even according to prejudiced beliefs about class and morality, Pamela occupies an ambiguous position on the social ladder. Mr. B.'s credit being ruined will only affect him if he wants to pursue someone other than Pamela. Likewise, Pamela's credit being ruined will only affect her if Mr. B. casts her aside and she needs to pursue someone else.

Mr. B. has repeatedly assaulted Pamela. Most recently, he disguised himself as Nan so that he could wait in Pamela's room for her to go to bed. He then got Mrs. Jewkes to help him attack her. As Pamela reports it, this attack was deeply traumatic for her and has made her even more afraid to sleep in her own bed. Rather than apologize for it, Mr. B. maintains that he has done nothing wrong. He tells Pamela to think about the fact that she is still "as inviolate a Virgin as you was when you came into my House." By this, he means that he has never penetrated Pamela's body when he has assaulted her. It does not seem that this is for lack of trying; thus far, Pamela has always managed to fight him off before he can do more than grope her. But Mr. B. twists this fact into evidence that he respects her and has shown her "remorse and compassion." He tells her that if he had "utterly given up to [his] Passions," she would have lost her virginal status by now. He thus makes himself out to be an upstanding man who is interested in her well-being.

Mr. B.'s argument may seem very weak to today's readers, but it is convincing to Pamela. This is when she starts to believe in Mr. B.'s integrity. In fact, the book treats this as a major turning point for Mr. B. and his relationship with Pamela. He may not demonstrate real respect for her boundaries, but he does demonstrate that he understands how important it is for her to remain an "inviolate virgin." As long as she can still call herself a virgin, Mr. B. suggests, he has not done any real damage to her. In today's world, it is clear that this is a false conclusion. But in the 18th century, such a premium was placed on virginity that it could make or break a woman's entire future. This moment in the novel demonstrates that Mr. B., Richardson, and maybe even Pamela herself are interested in just how far sexuality and sexual violence can go without destroying a woman's imagined status as a "virgin."