The Anti-Pamela; or Feign’d Innocence Detected
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Anti-Pamela; or Feign'd Innocence Detected is a 1741 novel written by Eliza Haywood as a satire of the 1740 novel Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson.
Overview
The Anti-Pamela is one of several novels written in response to Richardson's 1740 novel, satirising the innocence of the character of Pamela Andrews. Much like the more popular Shamela by Henry Fielding, the female protagonist is portrayed as a social climber, although Haywood's character is much less licentious than Fielding's Shamela.
Plot
Haywood's novel follows the life of a Pamela-esque character, who attempts to use her seemingly innocent nature to become a prosperous noblewoman at the expense of her empty-headed master. However, the innocence of Haywood's Pamela is simply a mask for her devious cunning and deceit.
See also
- Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded - a 1740 novel by Samuel Richardson
- Shamela - a 1742 novel by Henry Fielding