Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding | Characters, Summary, Analysis
Henry Fielding was one of the most influential dramatists and novelists of the 18th century. Fielding chose a pseudonym H. Scriblerus Secundus as he was a Tory supporter and continued to criticize and ridicule the corrupt government of Prime Minister Robert Walpole. Ideally, he linked himself with the Scriblerus Club of literary satirists founded by Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and John Gay. He also contributed several works to journals including the periodical The Craftsman criticising the policies of Robert Walpole. Just like the members of the Scribelerus Club, Henry Fielding not only satirized the corrupt political system of his time, but he also satirized the literary trends of his time and this was evident in his first novel Shamela which was published in 1741. He continued to satirize the the sexual hypocrisy, corruption, and pretentious writing style of Samuel Richardson’s popular novel Pamela and wrote another full-length novel titled Joseph Andrews which was published in 1742. The full title of the novel was ‘The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams.’ The subject of Joseph Andrews, as of all of Fielding’s novels, is human nature, which he considered fallible but perfectible. The mode is comical or satirical and the novel is written similar in style to Cervantes’s Don Quixote, as the main characters embark on a journey full of slapstick comedy and meet several upper- and lower-class characters along the way. The novel is divided into four books.
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