Joseph Andrews in Review

Joseph Andrews takes us on a deeply-rooted parody of 18^th century individuals and cycles through drama, satire, and mystery as our main character is challenged on his walk of life and quest to marry his true love, Fanny.

Joseph Andrews and Fanny Goodwill are found later in the novel to be children switched at birth. This is a saddening twist in their plans to marry, since they are thought to be siblings. In the novel, Fanny is thought to have lost her parents and her family lineage is unknown until book three, when her mother steps into the picture, naming her daughter because of a special birthmark. (Book III). Joseph is acquainted with his father as well in Book III, Mr. Wilson and Joseph is finally restored to him later in the story, specifically when the lineage of Fanny and Joseph is questioned and tested. Mr. Wilson is present to testify that Joseph and Fanny are not true relatives and are in fact able to wed (Joseph Andrews). The reader is led to believe that their parents aren't essential influential individuals in their lives. Joseph and Fanny neither seem close to their parents and are infatuated with each other and the quest to have their pure love united in marriage.

Parson Adams is a unique fellow -- a minister that is journeying along with Joseph on his quest to find his true love, Fanny. From the moment Joseph has been relieved of his job with Lady Booby, he and Parson Adams acquaint themselves and travel together to London. Parson Adams is a man with little common sense, but intelligent when it comes to religious elements and being acceptable to minister to others. While I cannot choose to solidify him as the specific hero of the story, he is always present when issues arise with Joseph and he is available to provide advice to his predicaments that are suitable and influential according to God's word. He holds true to his biblical foundations while giving advice to others and mentoring to Joseph. He helps shape Josephs character along the way and is a very good friend to him.

The reader-response method is to assume based on the information that we are given at the time in the story, not knowing the context of the entire novel to come to our own conclusions. The fault in this method is that we do not know twists or turns in the story and are left with our own thoughts as a device for exploration rather than the words of the author of the story at hand. The worst problem that arises from this scenario is that the reader could be completely wrong and we will get the wrong impression of the situation because we are relying not on the author to provide details to the story, but our own perception of the story. I do not believe this is the most beneficial way for a reader to come to conclusions about the final character of an individual or representation of the story.

References

Fielding, Henry. (2001). Joseph Andrews. Dover Publications. USA.