| The stories of Le Joueur, the obsessive Gambler popularized by Jean-Francois Regnard, and of Pamela, Samuel Richardson's virtuous domestic-turned-noblewoman, circulated widely in 18th-century Europe. In an era in which social, cultural, literary, and esthetic traditions were being questioned and transformed across Europe, these two characters captivated the collective imagination of a widespread public and agitated the pens of a diverse lot of authors. As the stories of Pamela and the Gambler moved through England, France, and Italy, dozens of theatrical adaptations of their stories were created, each playwright in turn reinventing the character, reworking the story, and reinterpreting the social problems associated with the fiction.;The creation of literary adaptations in the 18th century, what I call literary recycling, allowed authors to engage in critical public discourse about important social, cultural, and moral issues and to reevaluate traditions. One of the most consequential traditions being reevaluated by writers of adaptations was, in fact, the tradition of literary adaptation itself. Debates about literary appropriation, originality, plagiarism, copyright laws, and author's rights, punctuate each series of adaptations, revealing the fundamental preoccupation of 18th-century authors: the definition of authorship. A study of dozens of plays about the characters of Pamela and the Gambler, in conjunction with supplementary materials from prefaces, essays, correspondence, and memoirs, provides a unique view of the cultural and literary history of 18th-century Europe. Ultimately, the study reveals 18th-century authors caught between the forces of possessive individualism and civic humanism--seeking personal gains from the establishment of copyright laws, but also still clinging to the tradition of literary adaptation and its potential to contribute to the greater good of society. |
