T.Y.B.A. (ENGLISH)
SEM : 5
CCE : 14
✔ SAMUEL RICHARDSON (1689-1761)
👉 His
life.
Richardson
was born in Derbyshire. He was the son of a joiner and was hired as a London
printer. He became a great printer, produced the House of Commons journals, and
was appointed printer to the King. He was kind and well-liked. "Richardson
was the first English novelist," says Sir Edmund Gosse, while Henry
Fielding is "the greatest of English novelists." Hundreds of novels
of all genres were written between 1740 and 1800. The true "masters"
of the novel in the eighteenth century, however, were four men: Samuel
Richardson, Henry Fielding, Tobias Smollett, and Laurence Sterne. Which are
commonly referred to as the "four wheels of the English Novel."
👉 His
Novels.
Richardson
began writing fiction when he was thirteen years old. He penned love letters to
three uneducated young women. This practise served him well later on. When he
wrote his first novel, Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded (1740), he was over fifty
years old. The novel is written in the form of a series of letters and follows
the fortunes of Pamela, a poor and sacred maid who resists, then marries and
eventually reforms her evil lord. The work became instantly famous, and four editions
were released in the first six months after its release. The characters,
particularly the main female character, were gradually but precisely
constructed during the gradual construction of the simple plot, which was novel
to readers at the time.
Clarissa Harlowe (1747-1748), Richardson's next novel, was again written in the form of letters. Men's betrayal, as depicted in the tragedy of the heroine, who is persecuted by the malevolent Lovelace. Clarissa Harlowe exemplifies Richardson's personality throughout his masterpiece. Many of the smaller characters, including Clarissa, are finely depicted, with Richardson's typical attention to minute psychological study. The story has a great emotional appeal and is notable for how it establishes a sense of inevitability in its tragic conclusion.
Sir
Charles Grandison (1753-54), his third and final work, was also written in
letter form and dealt primarily with people from upper social classes.
Richardson considered naming the novel A Good Man, since he envisioned the hero
as a model of manly traits. The book was written in response to Henry
Fielding's 'The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling', which mocked Richardson's
earlier works' morals. This book, supposed to be his masterwork, is the most
hollow of the three.
👉 Features
of his Novels.
Richardson’s works are largely the reflection of the man itself, and in spite of their faults and limitations, are of immense importance in the development of the novel.
👉A) Moral Purpose.
His
virtue is utilitarian rather than fanatical, and its reward is material riches.
His epistolary works transformed everyday facts into grand dramas of moral
decision-making. Believing in God's direct intervention, Samuel Richardson
penned Pamela as an illustration of the value of moral behaviour.
👉B) Extremely Long.
Because
the epistolary method required several repetitions or slightly different
versions of the same incident, the books are extraordinarily extensive. The
stories are simple and weak to develop, and the novels are generally shapeless.
👉C) Use of minute details.
Richardson’s works are filled with minute details about both characters and incidents. He is an expert in the intimate examination of purpose and emotion, which gradually creates a complete and convincing character, and he fills in his sketch with plenty of little strokes.
👉D) Characterization.
Richardson's
biggest strength is his characterization. His psychological knowledge of human
motives and sentiments, particularly his understanding of the feminine heart.
Clarissa is his most memorable character, yet each of his novels features a
wider range and variety of people. His representation of lower-middle-class
characters, whom he creates with tremendous authenticity.
👉E) Sentimental.
Richardson's
writings have a genuinely sentimental appeal to the heart and occasions, as in
the lengthy narrative of Clarissa's impending death.
👉 LITERARY WORKS OF SAMUEL RICHARDSON.
👉Novels.
Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded (1740–1761)
Pamela in her Exalted Condition (1741–1761)
Clarissa, or, the History of a Young Lady (1747–61)
Letters and Passages Restored to Clarissa (1751)
The History of Sir Charles Grandison (1753–1761)
The History of Mrs. Beaumont – A Fragment
Work cited
Albert, Edward. History of English literature, Oxford University Press, 1979.
J Long, William. English Literature Its History and Its Significance for the Life of the English Speaking world. Rupa Publications, 2015.
Carter, Ronald and John Mcrae. The Routledge history of literature in English : Britain and Ireland. Routledge, 2016.
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