Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded

Perrault's "Cendrillon" clearly depicts a virtuous, chaste female protagonist who, through her moral purity and suffering, is ultimately rewarded with a royal marriage, directly prefiguring the core mechanism of "Pamela."

Both novels feature heroines navigating societal expectations for marriage and status, where a 'good' marriage elevates their social standing.

Both protagonists, Pamela and Jane, are women of humble origins whose virtue, intelligence, and moral fortitude ultimately lead them to a better life and a suitable marriage.