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 is the son of Gaffar and Gammar Andrews and the brother of Pamela. Despite Pamela’s fame, the family has no famous or illustrious ancestors, although the narrator supposes that at least Joseph has the same quantity of ancestors as any great man.
Joseph’s introduction mocks conventions that appear in other fictional works. While some stories start by describing how the protagonist comes from a distinguished background, Joseph Andrews starts with the claim that Joseph Andrews doesn’t have any quality ancestors in his background, but he does have the same quantity of ancestors as anyone else. In other words, Joseph is average, although the narrator uses flowery language to make it sound as if he's great.
Themes
Literary Devices
When he was 10 years old, Joseph Andrews became an apprentice to Sir Thomas Booby, where he was tasked with scaring away birds. But Joseph’s voice is so sweet that it attracts birds instead of repelling them. He gets a job working with hunting dogs instead, but the dogs all listen to him instead of their masters. Finally, he gets transferred to a stable, where he proves to be such a good rider that at horse races, all the gamblers ask about which horse “little Joey” will ride.
“Booby” means “idiot.” The last name “Booby” humorously contrasts with the dignified “Sir Thomas.” The character names challenge the idea that members of the nobility are smarter or more noble than members of the lower classes. Joseph’s ability to get along with animals is an early demonstration of his agreeable and sociable personality.
Themes
By age 17, Joseph Andrews’s success with horses attracts the attention of Lady Booby, who makes Joseph her personal footboy to run errands for her. He works so diligently in this position that he attracts the attention of Abraham Adams, the local curate.
This passage shows how Joseph Andrews’s likability extends not just to livestock but to humans too. It introduces Lady Booby and Abraham Adams, two characters who will each try to pull Joseph Andrews in different directions.
Themes
