Pamela: or Richardson's Rewarded Virtue is an epistolary novel by Samuel Richardson, published in 1740 and set in the first half of the 18th century. It is said that this novel went against the aristocratic dimension of the typical romantic themes to which the majority of readers were accustomed (Virtue, Gender, and the Authentic Self in Eighteenth-Century Fiction, 1, Christine Roulston, 1998). It is of all importance that the main character of this novel is the beautiful and fulfilled Pamela. Her gender and social standing in society play a key role in the unfolding of this story and are precisely the factors that lead her to become the sexual target of her employer. We witness this controversial story of seduction and virtue through the thoughts and words of a young woman who was preyed upon by someone who had great power over her. Gender is one of the main themes of this novel, and Pamela's gender in particular plays a key role in this tale. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Pamela's gender was not as important when her master was a woman, MB's mother Although they occupy different positions on the social ladder, they are also women. However, after her death, Mr. B had control over Pamela. Not only was he considered more valuable in the eyes of society, but he was also a man. At that time, in the early 18th century and arguably even today, men were considered the more dominant sex. Regardless of his position as an employer, if they had been of the same social class, people would probably have seen him as having the upper hand anyway, simply because of his gender. Gender also plays a key role not only because Pamela is a woman, but also because of the incident where Mr. B took it upon himself to dress like a woman similar to Pamela. After his many unsuccessful attempts to seduce his beautiful young servant, he decides to lower himself to the rank of his workers and disguise himself as one of Pamela's colleagues, Nan. After the rejection he had received previously, this act showed how desperate this man was to be with this young girl. In this disguise scene, Pamela not only undresses her body but also speaks with emotion, which in effect amounts to undressing in front of Mr. B, her employer (Virtue, Gender, and the Authentic Self in Eighteenth-Century Fiction, 14 , Christine Roulston, 1998). Because Pamela is a woman, it is perfectly normal in this novel to take off her clothes and think honestly about her thoughts in front of other female colleagues, including Mrs. Jewkes, but not in front of Mr. B or any other man. In order for Mr. B to take a closer look at Pamela's body and gain a more intimate understanding of her mind, it was necessary for him to become a "woman", even if only for a short time, this worked. Pamela's entire identity presents her as an easy target. Her undeniable youthful beauty attracts her sexual predator. If the protagonist had not been such a young character, she would not have seemed such a naive and vulnerable character in MB's eyes. Her youth is a clear reason why she maintains her chastity so strongly, in the honor of his poor parents. The fact that Pamela comes from a much less fortunate family than Mr. B's family is very important in this play. This immediately places Mr. B above Pamela in the reader's mind, even if we don't realize it. Pamela herself even places Mr. B above her, due to his wealth and lack of it. She is,, 1998).