Point of View

The point of view of this collection of Fielding's writing is third person. This point of view is omniscient and reliable, evidenced by the fact that the narrator is able to report the thoughts and feelings of the characters in addition to the events that transpire. This allows the reader to have access to the motives that cause the events which occur. The point of view varies slightly in "Shamela" since it is written in the epistolary style, thus limiting the characters to whom the reader is privy. Additionally, "Shamela" is less reliable as the letters between Parsons Tickletext and Oliver have already indicated that Shamela is immoral, making her less trustworthy. Fielding's essays are written in first person as his voice speaks in these opinion writings. The backgrounds and sources vary from one to the next, and the criticisms are all written in third person...