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
Fanny is happy to be reunited with her biological parents, Gaffar and Gammar Andrews. Squire Booby realizes that Fanny is now his sister-in-law, so he and Pamela wish her well. Everyone rides toward Squire Booby’s house. Wilson agrees to Joseph Andrews’s marriage to Fanny, on the condition that he see his mother first. They all finally arrive at Squire Booby’s house and stay overnight.
Squire Booby and Pamela, who previously thought Fanny unworthy of marrying Joseph Andrews, suddenly change their minds when they realize that Fanny is Pamela’s biological sister. Nothing has actually changed about Fanny, so this passage shows how much of the class system was simply superficial appearances and perception.
Themes
In the morning, Mr. Wilson and Joseph Andrews go to introduce Joseph to his mother, Mrs. Harriet Wilson. Harriet comes back with them to Squire Booby’s place.
Because Wilson is Joseph’s biological father, that means that Wilson’s wife, Harriet, must be his biological mother. This reveal gives new relevance to the story of Mr. Wilson’s life that appeared in Book III.
Themes
Finally, the day of the wedding comes. Abraham Adams conducts the ceremony at the church, then they go back to Squire Booby’s residence, where Adams has the biggest appetite of anyone. After dinner, Fanny takes off her wedding dress, and she and Joseph go to bed.
Although Joseph Andrews is known for his chastity, the book ends with him having sex. While the novel certainly condemns lust, it also praises moderation, and even in his passion, Joseph conducts himself sensibly.
Themes
After three days, Mr. Wilson and Harriet take Joseph Andrews and Fanny home with them. Squire Booby gives Fanny a fortune of two thousand pounds, she and Joseph live happily, and Fanny is soon pregnant with her first child. Squire Booby offers Adams more money as a curate, and Adams eventually accepts. Lady Booby goes to London and spends some time with a young captain who helps her totally forget about Joseph. Joseph remains happily married to Fanny and wants to be like his parents.
After several setbacks for Joseph Andrews and Fanny, they ultimately live happily ever after. Notably, the villain Lady Booby doesn’t receive any punishment for trying to stop Joseph’s wedding—in fact, she gets a sort of happy ending herself when she meets the young captain. The ending of the story drives home the message that while patience can be rewarded, evil doesn’t always get punished, particularly when the evildoer is wealthy.
Themes
Literary Devices
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