Pamela Pride Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #7

These Reflections occur'd to my Thoughts, made serious by my Master's Indisposition, and this proud Letter, of the lowly Lady Davers, against the high-minded Pamela. Lowly, I say, because she could stoop to such vain Pride, and high-minded I, because I hope I am too proud ever to do the like!—But, after all, poor Wretches that we be! we scarce know what we are, much less what we shall be!—But, once more, pray I, to be kept from the sinful Pride of a high Estate! (74.14)

Pamela plays with the notion of what makes someone "high" or "low" here, suggesting that Lady Davers's pride actually requires her to "stoop," whereas Pamela's desire to avoid that kind of bad attitude is the mark of a kind of "high-minded" pride. That's some tricky logic for a Poor, Pamela.

Quote #8

But now, if this should all end in the Sham-marriage!—It cannot be, I hope. Yet the Pride of Greatness and Ancestry, and such-like, is so strongly set out in Lady Davers's Letter, that I cannot flatter myself to be so happy as all these desirable Appearances make for me. (75.2)

Pamela is worried—completely reasonably, if you ask us--that Mr. B might still be too proud to marry her for reals, but not too proud to marry her for sham. And for a while, he is—until Pamela teaches him what real pride is.

Quote #9

But yet you see the Plea, my Girl, which I made to you before, of this Pride of Condition, and the World's Censure, which, I own, sticks a little too close with me still. (75.11)

Mr. B wants to put a ring on it, he really does, but he's still having trouble wrapping his mind around the fact that he's going to be marrying below his station. You can't shake off a couple decades of family pride over the course of a few months, after all.