Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Joseph Andrews, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Hypocrisy
Lust vs. Chastity
Social Class
Religion and Charity
Summary
Analysis
Joseph Andrews buys his new friend a pint of wine to thank him for lending him the horse, and then they part ways. Joseph is nearly to Fanny when two men jump out and rob him. They take everything, even his clothes, leaving Joseph beaten and nearly dead.
This passage shows how vulnerable lone travelers are on the road. More broadly, it presents a cynical view of the world where people are always looking to take advantage of the vulnerable.
Themes
A coachman comes by and believes Joseph Andrews is dead. But then Joseph recovers and begs the coachman for mercy, saying that he’s been robbed. The coachman wants to help him, but there’s a lady in the coach who doesn’t want to ride with a naked man. Ultimately, a lawyer who is also in the coach warns that ignoring Joseph could be breaking the law.
This section illustrates how superficial and uncaring the upper classes can be. The people in the coach are so selfish that they won’t accept even the smallest inconvenience in order to help alleviate Joseph’s suffering.
Themes
Despite the other passengers’ reluctance, they allow Joseph Andrews inside the coach. None of the rich people in the coach offer him any of their extra clothes. As the lawyer asks Joseph about the robbery, the robbers themselves appear and hold up the coach, emptying everyone’s pockets. Finally, the coach reaches an inn and drops Joseph off there; a maid (Betty) puts him to bed.
One recurring idea in the story is that the richest people, who theoretically have the most to give away, are often also the stingiest. The sudden re-appearance of the robbers provides a visual illustration of one of the problems of being stingy—nothing material lasts in the end anyway.
Themes
In the morning, Betty tells Mr. Tow-wouse, the innkeeper, about Joseph Andrews’s situation. Betty asks to give Joseph one of Mr. Tow-wouse’s shirts, but Mrs. Tow-wouse refuses for her husband. Mr. Tow-wouse feels bad for Joseph but says he can’t afford to provide for every poor wretch he comes across. At last, Betty borrows a shirt from one of her sweethearts to give to Joseph.
Betty, the maid, is more concerned about Joseph’s well-being than any of the other characters. The landlord Mr. Tow-wouse refuses to give Joseph one of his many shirts, so Betty gets creative to find one for him.
Themes
Literary Devices
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