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Unit 7: Joseph Andrews: Character Analysis Comic Epic in Prose and Plot Construction

primarily on a moral plane, it is so designed as to reflect credit or discredit upon them or upon Notes
their professed views. The limited imaginative appeal of such a rendering, together with a
strong rhetorical element, considerably reduces the function of the chain of cause and effect
and gives the story an essentially non-dramatic character.
The role of the plot is also weakened by a tendency to reveal theme through juxtapositions of
differing attitudes. In order to make these juxtapositions especially prominent and conducive
to the reader’s involvement in the problem, events leading to the encounter of the bearers of
these attitudes as well as events resulting from their confrontation are usually rendered in a
very low key or reduced to a bare minimum. As a thorough investigation of a problem requires
many such encounters to take place, the story has to supply secondary characters in profusion
and let them disappear as soon as they are no longer needed.

7.1 Character Analysis of Joseph Andrews

Joseph, the hero, is described in a style that sounds more like the introduction to a play than
a novel. His entire history (as far as the author claims to credibly know it) is provided,
beginning with lineage. This herald back to the classic works that Fielding sought to emulate.
He is described as arising from a dunghill’ (very ironic considering the high regard in which
he is held), just as the Athenians sprang from the earth.
Indeed, he seems almost to be one of their demigods: the lyrical description depicts a beautiful,
tender, virtuous youth. He is both humble and hard working, and appears as almost an
encapsulation of the author’s ideal Christian.

Mrs. Slipslop sharply contrasts this beautiful image. The diction in her section is courser and
more prosaic. she is old, ugly, scheming, the antithesis of all that Joseph represents. She is also
a somewhat humorous character: she is ridiculous and amusing. She thinks that because she
has been a maiden (which is her qualification for considering herself virtuous) for so long that
she can commit any sin she pleases now. Contrastigly, Joseph’s dearest possession is his
virtue, and he upholds it throughout many temptations.
By giving his character Biblical names, Fielding has instantly created associations between his
characters and their Biblical counterparts. These names can reveal characteristics and background
without being explicitly explained in the text. It connects the work to something familiar and
traditional that is part of our collective consciousness. Without even realizing it, we link the
characters to their namesakes.

Task Explain about the character of Joseph.

Joseph’s character is aligned with the Old Testament Joseph most famous for his coat of many
colours. Yet the differences between the two are as important as the similarities in this case.
Both Josephs are separated from their homes and families and work as servants, where both
distinguish themselves through their outstanding character. Yet the Biblical Joseph is sold into
slavery by his jealous brothers, whereas the novel’s Joseph has only a sister. She is famous for
her virtue, and he repeatedly thanks her for her excellent example. Yet his name foreshadows
an unfortunate event in Andrew’s life: the wife of his master (in the novel’s version she is
recently widowed) takes a fancy to him and tries to seduce him. When he refuses her, she
strips him of his livery (although Fielding later contradicts himself on this point by repeatedly
mentioning his livery) and turns him out (in the Bible, he is imprisoned on fake charges of
trying to rape her). Both are reduced to the humblest circumstances (Andrews is robbed and

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