ABSTRACT For historians, the occupation of “servant” in the eighteenth century has provided an important site to understand evolving concepts of work, class relations, social mobility, family and identity. Servants in Bloomfield’s poetry may be seen as part of a depiction of the realities of rural life, since service was a major sector of the labor market in rural and urban areas. The circumstances of Bloomfield’s servants, however, may strike modern readers as less realistic. From Rural Tales to May Day with the Muses, we see repeated a plot that mirrors the narrative of “virtue rewarded” made famous by Pamela, with its exceptionalism for deserving poor. On the one hand, they nostalgically affirm a regressive paternalist and patriarchal social order. On the other, they affirm the inherent dignity and value of all individuals, regardless of rank. This essay argues that Bloomfield’s servants are rewarded with situations as independent artisans, able to have control over their own work lives. This control over their own work and work time stands as a powerful critique of both old (service) and new (factory) systems for controlling and surveilling laborers’ time. Bloomfield’s social commentary, as always, is subtle but powerful.

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“我不知道如何看待他的男人”：布卢姆菲尔德诗歌和戏剧中的仆人

摘要 对于历史学家来说，18 世纪“仆人”的职业为理解不断发展的工作、阶级关系、社会流动、家庭和身份等概念提供了一个重要的场所。布卢姆菲尔德诗歌中的仆人可能被视为描绘农村生活现实的一部分，因为服务是农村和城市地区劳动力市场的主要部分。然而，布卢姆菲尔德仆人的情况可能会让现代读者觉得不太现实。从《乡村故事》到《五一与缪斯》，我们看到重复的情节反映了由帕梅拉 (Pamela) 出名的“美德得到回报”的叙事，其对穷人的例外主义。一方面，他们怀旧地肯定了一种倒退的家长式和父权制社会秩序。另一方面，他们肯定所有个人的内在尊严和价值，无论等级如何。这篇文章认为，布卢姆菲尔德的仆人作为独立的工匠获得了奖励，能够控制自己的工作生活。这种对他们自己的工作和工作时间的控制是对控制和监视劳动者时间的旧（服务）和新（工厂）系统的有力批判。布卢姆菲尔德的社会评论一如既往地微妙而有力。