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The document discusses Henry Fielding's novel Joseph Andrews and how it fits into the picaresque novel tradition. It outlines some key characteristics of picaresque novels like being episodic and featuring a wandering hero who encounters various adventures. It analyzes how Joseph Andrews incorporates these elements through Joseph's journey home where he faces misadventures and meets various characters, while also noting how the novel differs from the tradition in some ways. The summary focuses on describing the picaresque elements and traditions discussed in relation to Joseph Andrews.

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Al Haram
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85 views2 pages

Unknown

The document discusses Henry Fielding's novel Joseph Andrews and how it fits into the picaresque novel tradition. It outlines some key characteristics of picaresque novels like being episodic and featuring a wandering hero who encounters various adventures. It analyzes how Joseph Andrews incorporates these elements through Joseph's journey home where he faces misadventures and meets various characters, while also noting how the novel differs from the tradition in some ways. The summary focuses on describing the picaresque elements and traditions discussed in relation to Joseph Andrews.

Uploaded by

Al Haram
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Henry Fielding's

Joseph Andrews : A Picaresque Novel

The Picaresque originally involved the adventures or rather misadventures of the rogue Hero ,
mainly on the highway ,and often of a rather extravagant kind. The romances of the Picaresque
Tradition is marked by the two basic characteristics- they are episodic and comic. The first
characteristics is the result of the action ,which is invariably that of a journey ,or wandering through
the countryside.The comic elements lay in the nature of the hero's adventures ,through which
,generally society was satirised .

The Picaresque novel, of all possible forms of the novel, is the loosest in plot. The hero is literally let
loose on the high road for his adventures. The writer gets the opportunity to introduce a large
variety of characters and events .The hero wanders from place to place encountering thieves and
rogue ,rescuing themselves in distress , fighting, falling in love, being thrown in prison ,and meeting
a vast section of society .

The central journey in Joseph Andrews is not mainly a quest of an adventure as it is in the Picaresque
Tradition. It is a sober return journey homewards. Joseph and Lady Booby are taken to London and
the readers are given a glimpse of the ways of that great society. Lady Booby's attempt to seducing
Joseph occurs which is closely followed by a parallel scene of Mrs. Slipslop attempted seduction of
Joseph. The scenes are made partly instrumental in the dismissal of Joseph that prepares the
situation for the journey and it's adventures.

It is in the chapter 10 of book (I) that the Picaresque elements enter the novel with Joseph setting
out in a borrowed coat towards home. The Picaresque Tradition is maintained until the end of Book
(III). Joseph meets with the first misadventures when he is set upon robber, beaten, stripped, and
thrown into a ditch. The incident gives ample scope to Fielding for satirising the affection of an
essentially in human society.

With the arrival of Parson Adam ,the Picaresque journey takes on a humorous tone, with plenty of
force thrown through the satire, motif also continues. Mrs. Tow- wouse is rescued by Adams in
proper picaresque romance style with mock trial. It is now Adam who assumes the role of hero, with
Joseph and Fanny Goodwill receding to the background. There are some amusing and interesting
disputes and debates, too; such as that between the poet and the player, which illustrates eternal
human follies, then comes the abduction of Fanny Goodwill the reintroduction of something more
serious. With Parson Adam jumping out of the carriage of Peter pounce, the Picaresque nature of
the novel comes to an end.
Joseph Andrews has a rather rampling and narrative which gives believable quality to the contention
that it is a Picaresque novel. The Picaresque motif helps Fielding to fulfil his aim of ridiculating the
affectation of human beings. Fielding satire is pungent as he presents the worldly and craftily priests
and vicious and inhuman squires . Malice , selfishness ,vanities ,hypocrisies ,lack of charity ,are all
the ridiculed as human follies.

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