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 writes a letter to his sister Pamela, informing her of the death of Sir Thomas Booby. He says he doesn’t like gossip, but if he didn’t know better, he would think that Lady Booby was trying to seduce him. He asks if it would be possible to get a job as a clerk for a parson, which would help him leave the Booby house.
Joseph’s letter to his sister reveals early on that despite his seeming naivete, sometimes he does understand more than he lets on, as he does here with Lady Booby. He understands that rejecting Lady Booby earlier might jeopardize his future as her footman.
Themes
After finishing the letter, he runs into Mrs. Slipslop, the chambermaid. Mrs. Slipslop is 45 years old, and she made a “small slip” when she was younger but has been a good maid ever since. She is short and full of pimples, but she looks on Joseph Andrews with affection and is annoyed at him for not returning it. Mrs. Slipslop feels she’s reached the point in her life where she can be a little looser around men, since there’s no danger of getting pregnant.
Mrs. Slipslop’s “small slip” was probably having sex outside of marriage. She seems to have avoided extramarital sex for several years out of fear of getting pregnant, but menopause has made her feel free to be bold around men. This passage emphasizes how her morality is shaped by her own selfish wants. Her married name “Slipslop” calls back to the “slip” that caused her to get married in the first place.
Themes
Mrs. Slipslop corners Joseph Andrews by the stairs and accuses him of being ungrateful with her affection. Joseph says he loves her like a mother, which offends Mrs. Slipslop, who feels that it makes her sound old. She is ready to pounce on him, but he’s saved when Lady Booby rings the bell to call for Mrs. Slipslop.
This passage shows how Joseph Andrews’s innocent nature makes people want to take advantage of him. Despite his seeming naivete, however, Joseph doesn’t allow himself to be manipulated by people like Lady Booby and Mrs. Slipslop.
Themes
