The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams

Fielding uses comedic situations and characters throughout the novel. Why does he use satire rather than a different literary style, such as romance? What purpose does humor serve in the novel?

How would a typical 18th-century reader have responded to this novel versus a reader today? Which religious principles and cultural norms have changed since then, and which have not?

What makes Parson Adams unique from the novel’s other characters? Why do you think Fielding chose to make him a parson rather than a different profession, such as a lawyer, doctor, or judge? How does his character teach the reader how to live and how not to live?

Compare and contrast Lady Booby and Mrs. Slipslop. How are these characters similar, and how are they different? What is Fielding revealing through their similarities and differences? Why did Fielding include both of them in the story rather than choosing one or the other?

Joseph’s sister Pamela is mentioned several times in the novel but only appears at the end. What does Pamela’s character symbolize, and why is she described as an example of virtue that Joseph must live up to? How is Fielding responding to Samuel Richardson’s popular novel Pamela by writing his own novel about her brother?

Who is the narrator supposed to be? Why do they digress to address the reader directly? How does this point of view allow Fielding to successfully instruct the reader?

How are the characters’ names significant? What do they tell the reader about each character’s personality or role in the story?

Joseph, Adams, and Fanny are generally shown help and kindness from lower-class people, but they are treated rudely or are manipulated by upper-class people. What lesson is Fielding trying to communicate through this paradox?