The End(s) of Richardson's Sir Charles Grandison

Many innovations in Samuel Richardson's final novel, Sir Charles Grandison, set it apart. I argue that the ways in which Richardson innovated in the final volume in particular altered his attitude toward closure. Richardson carried this modified way of thinking into the work of his late life, as self-editor and anthologizer. Grandison is a vital key to understanding his didactic project as a whole—and is, in many ways, the conclusion of that project. Moreover, Richardson's moves are far from unique, and examining the form of Richardson's ending begins to show us a more comprehensive understanding of the history of the novel.