Joseph Andrews

Joseph Andrews

by

Henry Fielding

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Hypocrisy Theme Icon
Lust vs. Chastity Theme Icon
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LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Joseph Andrews, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Hypocrisy Theme Icon

Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews is full of characters who act one way on the surface—but who are often very different on the inside. The novel is a comedy, with most of the humor coming from satire, where the characters’ flaws are exposed for humor and as a commentary on how people act in the real world. Perhaps the most important character for setting the satirical tone is the narrator, who maintains a sarcastic style throughout the story. The narrator rarely calls the characters hypocrites directly, but he often presents information in a way that highlights how a character’s outward appearance differs from their true nature.

The main character, Joseph Andrews, is not himself particularly hypocritical: his love for Fanny is simple and direct. By contrast, many of the characters that Joseph meets on his travels have hidden motivations, making for a humorous contrast with the naïve Joseph. Parson Abraham Adams, for example, is one of Joseph’s companions, and he constantly fails to live up to his own ideals. While he fancies himself a man with a well-rounded education, he seems to have wide gaps in his knowledge, and so he keeps returning to familiar subjects like the Greek playwright Aeschylus to hide how many things he doesn’t know. Another hypocrite is the landlord Mr. Tow-wouse, who pretends to be a good host—but who is so inconsiderate that his maid Betty has to do many parts of his job for him, all while Mr. Tow-wouse harasses her. Even the famously virtuous Pamela reveals a hypocritical side when she advises Joseph not to marry a former chambermaid (even though Pamela herself is a former chambermaid who married a gentleman). In Joseph Andrews, Fielding explores how people deceive themselves and others, making fun of this tendency and suggesting that perhaps these deceptions aren’t so effective after all.

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The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Hypocrisy appears in each part of Joseph Andrews. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
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Hypocrisy Quotes in Joseph Andrews

Below you will find the important quotes in Joseph Andrews related to the theme of Hypocrisy.
Book 1, Chapter 1 Quotes

It is a trite but true observation, that examples work more forcibly on the mind than precepts: and if this be just in what is odious and blameable, it is more strongly so in what is amiable and praiseworthy. Here emulation most effectually operates upon us, and inspires our imitation in an irresistible manner. A good man therefore is a standing lesson to all his acquaintance, and of far greater use in that narrow circle than a good book.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Joseph Andrews, Pamela Andrews
Page Number: 61
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 3 Quotes

He was generous, friendly, and brave to an excess; but simplicity was his characteristick: he did, no more than Mr Colley Cibber, apprehend any such passions as malice and envy to exist in mankind; which was indeed less remarkable in a country parson than in a gentleman who hath passed his life behind the scenes [...]

His virtue, and his other qualifications, as they rendered him equal to his office, so they made him an agreeable and valuable companion, and had so much endeared and well recommended him to a bishop, that at the age of fifty he was provided with a handsome income of twenty-three pounds a year; which, however, he could not make any great figure with, because he lived in a dear country, and was a little encumbered with a wife and six children.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Joseph Andrews, Abraham Adams, Lady Booby
Page Number: 65
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 5 Quotes

“Don’t pretend to too much modesty,” said she, “for that sometimes may be impertinent: but pray answer me this question. Suppose a lady should happen to like you; suppose she should prefer you to all your sex, and admit you to the same familiarities as you might have hoped for if you had been born her equal, are you certain that no vanity could tempt you to discover her? Answer me honestly, Joseph; have you so much more sense and so much more virtue than you handsome young fellows generally have, who make no scruple of sacrificing our dear reputation to your pride, without considering the great obligation we lay on you by our condescension and confidence? Can you keep a secret, my Joey?”

Related Characters: Joseph Andrews (speaker), Lady Booby (speaker), Fanny (Frances Goodwill), Thomas Booby
Page Number: 69
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 6 Quotes

As soon as Joseph had sealed and directed this letter he walked downstairs, where he met Mrs. Slipslop, with whom we shall take this opportunity to bring the reader a little better acquainted. She was a maiden gentlewoman of about forty-five years of age, who, having made a small slip in her youth, had continued a good maid ever since. She was not at this time remarkably handsome; being very short, and rather too corpulent in body, and somewhat red, with the addition of pimples in the face.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Joseph Andrews, Lady Booby, Mrs. Slipslop
Page Number: 72
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 12 Quotes

Joseph complained he was dry, and desired a little tea; which Barnabas reported to Mrs Tow-wouse, who answered, “She had just done drinking it, and could not be slopping all day;” but ordered Betty to carry him up some small beer.

Betty obeyed her mistress’s commands; but Joseph, as soon as he had tasted it, said, he feared it would increase his fever, and that he longed very much for tea; to which the good-natured Betty answered, he should have tea, if there was any in the land; she accordingly went and bought him some herself, and attended him with it.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Joseph Andrews, Betty, Mr. Barnabas, Mr. Tow-wouse, Mrs. Tow-wouse, The Surgeon
Page Number: 96
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 1, Chapter 17 Quotes

As soon as he had seated himself, the stranger began in these words: “Sir, I do not care absolutely to deny engaging in what my friend Mr Barnabas recommends; but sermons are mere drugs. The trade is so vastly stocked with them, that really, unless they come out with the name of Whitefield or Wesley, or some other such great man, as a bishop, or those sort of people, I don’t care to touch.”

Related Characters: Abraham Adams, Mr. Barnabas, Mrs. Adams
Related Symbols: Aeschylus
Page Number: 111
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 1 Quotes

There are certain mysteries or secrets in all trades, from the highest to the lowest, from that of prime-ministering to this of authoring, which are seldom discovered unless to members of the same calling. Among those used by us gentlemen of the latter occupation, I take this of dividing our works into books and chapters to be none of the least considerable. Now, for want of being truly acquainted with this secret, common readers imagine, that by this art of dividing we mean only to swell our works to a much larger bulk than they would otherwise be extended to. These several places therefore in our paper, which are filled with our books and chapters, are understood as so much buckram, stays, and stay-tape in a taylor’s bill, serving only to make up the sum total, commonly found at the bottom of our first page and of his last.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Joseph Andrews
Page Number: 119
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 2 Quotes

Adams was now gone some minutes, having insisted on Joseph’s beginning the journey on horseback, and Joseph had his foot in the stirrup, when the hostler presented him a bill for the horse’s board during his residence at the inn. Joseph said Mr Adams had paid all; but this matter, being referred to Mr Tow-wouse, was by him decided in favour of the hostler, and indeed with truth and justice; for this was a fresh instance of that shortness of memory which did not arise from want of parts, but that continual hurry in which parson Adams was always involved.

Related Characters: Joseph Andrews, Abraham Adams, Mr. Tow-wouse
Page Number: 122
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 4 Quotes

Leonora was the daughter of a gentleman of fortune; she was tall and well-shaped, with a sprightliness in her countenance which often attracts beyond more regular features joined with an insipid air.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Abraham Adams, Leonora, Bellarmine, Horatio
Page Number: 130
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 12 Quotes

For as soon as the first tumults of Adams’s rapture were over he cast his eyes towards the fire, where Aeschylus lay expiring; and immediately rescued the poor remains, to wit, the sheepskin covering, of his dear friend, which was the work of his own hands, and had been his inseparable companion for upwards of thirty years.

Related Characters: Joseph Andrews, Abraham Adams, Fanny (Frances Goodwill)
Related Symbols: Aeschylus
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 175
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 14 Quotes

Trulliber are heartily, but scarce put anything in his mouth without finding fault with his wife’s cookery. All which the poor woman bore patiently.

Related Characters: Abraham Adams, Trulliber
Page Number: 183
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 2, Chapter 17 Quotes

“Sir,” said the host, “I assure you you are not the first to whom our squire hath promised more than he hath performed. He is so famous for this practice, that his word will not be taken for much by those who know him.”

Related Characters: Abraham Adams
Page Number: 195
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 1 Quotes

Notwithstanding the preference which may be vulgarly given to the authority of those romance writers who entitle their books “the History of England, the History of France, of Spain, &c.,” it is most certain that truth is to be found only in the works of those who celebrate the lives of great men, and are commonly called biographers.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Joseph Andrews
Page Number: 201
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 10 Quotes

Before we proceed any farther in this tragedy we shall leave Mr Joseph and Mr Adams to themselves, and imitate the wise conductors of the stage, who in the midst of a grave action entertain you with some excellent piece of satire or humour called a dance. Which piece, indeed, is therefore danced, and not spoke, as it is delivered to the audience by persons whose thinking faculty is by most people held to lie in their heels; and to whom, as well as heroes, who think with their hands, Nature hath only given heads for the sake of conformity, and as they are of use in dancing, to hang their hats on.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Joseph Andrews, Abraham Adams, Fanny (Frances Goodwill), The Squire
Page Number: 260
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 12 Quotes

Peter, being informed by Fanny of the presence of Adams, stopt to see him, and receive his homage; for, as Peter was an hypocrite, a sort of people whom Mr Adams never saw through, the one paid that respect to his seeming goodness which the other believed to be paid to his riches.

Related Characters: Abraham Adams, Fanny (Frances Goodwill), Lady Booby, The Narrator, Peter Pounce
Page Number: 269
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 4, Chapter 3 Quotes

“The laws of this land are not so vulgar to permit a mean fellow to contend with one of your ladyship’s fortune.”

Related Characters: Scout (speaker), Joseph Andrews, Abraham Adams, Fanny (Frances Goodwill), Lady Booby
Page Number: 282
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 4, Chapter 8 Quotes

“Now, believe me, no Christian ought so to set his heart on any person or thing in this world, but that, whenever it shall be required or taken from him in any manner by Divine Providence, he may be able, peaceably, quietly, and contentedly to resign it.” At which words one came hastily in, and acquainted Mr Adams that his youngest son was drowned.

Related Characters: Abraham Adams (speaker), Joseph Andrews, The Pedlar, Dick
Page Number: 303
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 4, Chapter 13 Quotes

“I despise, I detest my passion.—Yet why? Is he not generous, gentle, kind?—Kind! to whom? to the meanest wretch, a creature below my consideration. Doth he not—yes, he doth prefer her.”

Related Characters: Lady Booby (speaker), Joseph Andrews, Fanny (Frances Goodwill), Mrs. Slipslop
Page Number: 318
Explanation and Analysis: