SOURCE: Johnson, Maurice. “The Art of Parody: Shamela.” In Fielding's Art of Fiction: Eleven Essays on Shamela, Joseph Andrews, Tom Jones, and Amelia, pp. 19-45. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1961.

In the following essay, Johnson considers Shamela, besides being pure, humorous fun, to be a prelude to Fielding's more serious, realistic works.

The Pamela, which he abused in his Shamela, taught him how to write to please, tho' his manners are so different.

—Samuel Richardson.¹

Few parodies can withstand more than one rereading. But the energetic fun that went into the composition of An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews (1741) keeps it fresh even after it has become familiar. Fun, though it may be abusive or finally at the expense of the reader himself, is the distinguishing characteristic of successful parody. Laughter, the reader's first reaction, issues from recognition and is succeeded by appreciation for the...