Joseph Andrew Plot Structure

Novel A

Submitted to: Mr. Gulraiz Qadir Submitted by: Maryam Shabeer Ayesha Imdad Khalid Saleem Class: M.A. 2nd Semester Session: 2013 – 2015

Describe the plot structure of Joseph Andrews.

Joseph Andrews is a novel which has been written by Henry Fielding. It was written taking in account the Richardson’s novel “Pamela” which was based upon the chastity of the protagonist and her fight against odds that were threatening her life of virtue. Henry wrote this novel at first to ridicule Richardson’s version of female chastity but later on while writing he emphasized that not only women were to be found chaste, but male chastity also existed.

Plot and plot structure:

Plot is simply the events that comprise a story. In traditional storytelling techniques the plot elements, or events, are outlined in a linear fashion. This is the easiest story for an audience to follow because it relates the events simply. This type of story is unified by time. The first event occurred first, the second occurred second, etc. In standard construction, each event has cause and effect and the relationship between the cause and effect are evident. These events follow the traditional three-act structure. Three-act structure clearly describes exposition, conflict, and resolution. It is the one of the oldest and most common storytelling structures. Exposition: Exposition sets up the story’s trajectory. It provides the situation and provides the basis for the conflict. The exposition must reveal character, provide event background and propel the central characters toward the conflict. Conflict: Conflict is the key ingredient to effective drama. Stories need conflict to provide momentum. Without conflict, characters have little reason to do anything and

audiences have little reason to watch. Conflicts may come from external forces acting on a character, or from a character’s own internal struggle. Resolution: Resolution completes the story by providing the finishing events. Resolutions for a story are varied, but all resolutions should relate directly to the conflict. It is in the resolution that most themes are made apparent.

The novel Joseph Andrew is based upon the brother of Pamela, who is Joseph. The character of Joseph Andrew has been portrayed as handsome, exceptionally intelligent, a fast learner. These qualities of him make his personality ever so attractive in the eyes of females.

The novel starts with an exposition given by Henry Fielding as to why he is writing this novel. Fielding reinforces his opening argument and introduces his own work by remarking that it was by keeping his sister's excellent example of virtue before him that Joseph Andrews was able to preserve his own purity. The Plot in the novel is a culmination of actions performed by various characters in this novel which happen in a sequenced manner. The characters are expressed in great length to make familiar of the habits and the nature of theirs to the reader. In the second chapter of the book, we are told about the qualities of Joseph. When he was ten years old, Joseph Andrew served as bird-keeper and "whipperin" of the pack of hounds of Sir Thomas Booby. But due to his sweetness of voice and his failure to control the pack of hounds, he is assigned work at the stables. His skillful handling of the horses is brought to the attention of Sir Thomas who makes him Lady Booby’s Footman. One of his duties was to bear the lady's prayer book to church, and there his fine singing drew the attention of the curate, Mr. Abraham Adams which is another important character of the novel.

Adams is not only an excellent scholar, but a man of good sense, good parts, and good nature. Adams questions Joseph and is so impressed by his knowledge; he decides to approach Lady Booby about teaching the boy Latin. As Lady Booby looks on Adams as a domestic helper, she refuses Parson Adam’s request and takes Joseph to London. Now the test of Joseph character is brought into reader’s notice. Going to London with Lady Booby, Joseph is influenced by the fashions of the city, and Lady Booby begins to find him more attractive than ever. Her closeness to Joseph draws many people gossips of them. The death of Sir Thomas Booby confines Lady Booby to her house for a period of mourning, but she soon begins to pursue Joseph. Now the flashpoint or trigger starts in the novel by the following events which eventually set out the protagonist on a journey. Lady Booby Calling Joseph to her bedside, she cunningly tries to arouse his passions, but fails and gets angry with him. The head of all servants in the house Mrs. Slipslop also tries the same thing with Joseph but her attempts are stopped short when Lady Booby calls her in her room to discuss about Joseph Andrew. During their discourse it is decided that Joseph is to be fired from his job and will have to leave the premises immediately. Peter Pounce the Steward of the house is instructed to pay Joseph’s salary and so Joseph begins his journey back to the country. On his way to meet with fanny, Joseph is robbed by two ruffians, who take away from him all his money and also his clothes and dump his unconscious body in a ditch. From there a passing carriage notices him lying in the ditch and after some haggling between the passengers of the carriage as to what should be done with Joseph, it is decided in the best course of action by a lawyer, that they should help Joseph otherwise according to the law they will be liable for Joseph death as they didn’t help him. From there Joseph is taken to an inn which is operated by Mr. and Mrs. Tow-house where he is taken care of by betty (a servant) and a surgeon, who declares that Joseph chances of recovering seem less and that his last rites should be read to him by a priest. Here Mr. Barnabus comes to Joseph and tells him to repent his sins and ask for God’s forgiveness.

Now the long-term supporting role of Parson Adams character is infused with Joseph. Luckily, Parson Adam is passing by that place towards London to present his sermons and he stops by and finds Joseph. After the period of recovery, Joseph and Parson Adams set out towards their journey to meet fanny. This is another important element in a novel where the Protagonist goes on a quest to achieve his goals or things that he plans to do. A Funny incident take place as Parson Adams accidently forgets to pay for his horse bill at the stable and Joseph Andrew is left stranded at the inn’s stable. Here Parson Adams travelling on a coach is told about Leonora and Horatio story by an old lady. However during this time, Joseph is allowed to take the house and he meets Parson Adams at the next inn, where a battle ensues between Parson Adams and the host of the inn. From this point the conflict scenes in the novel start where things begin to take shape and Adam and Parson Adams set out towards Fanny’s place. After both of them leave the inn, Parson Adams sets out of foot and races with carriage in which Joseph is riding. Soon after sometimes he loses track of the carriage and comes on top of a hill and rests there. There he meets a sportsman, and a conversation takes place regarding courage of men. Parson Adams and the sportsman agree on their notions of courage but upon hearing the cries of a damsel in distress, sportsman soon apologizes to Parson Adams that he can’t help the lady and they shouldn’t interfere with it. But Parson Adams as courageous and right doer as he is, goes to help the lady and beats the man senseless who is trying to have his way with the lady. While Parson Adams is contemplating that he might have killed the man by landing hard blows, a group of men come over there. Upon seeing the men, the guy feigning death rises up quickly and blames Parson Adams and Fanny of robbing him. They are apprehended by the group and taken to the justice. The men are happy about the reward of 80 pounds on capturing robbers. Here for the first time, both the lady and the Parson recognize each other. Later someone at the justice place recognizes Parson Adams and vouches for his credentials of being a clergyman. On releasing of both Fanny and Parson Adams, they travel to the inn where Joseph is staying and when both Fanny and Joseph see each other they are, they are overjoyed and embrace each other. Now starts the element of surprise in a novel where the protagonist is

faced with obstacles, complications, conflict and trouble. Joseph wishes to get married but both Mr. Adams and Fanny prefer a more patient approach. In the morning the companions discover that they have another inn bill that they cannot pay, so Adams goes off in search of the wealthy parson of the parish. Parson Trulliber, who spends most of his time tending his hogs rather doing clerical duties, reacts badly to Adams’s request for charity. Adams returns to the inn with nothing to show for his efforts, but fortunately a generous Pedlar hears of the travelers’ problem and loans Adams the money he needs. After a couple more miles on the road, the travelers encounter a gregarious Squire who offers them generous hospitality and the use of his coach but then retracts these offers at the last minute. Adams discusses this strange behavior with the innkeeper, who tells him about the Squire’s long history of making false promises. Walking on after nightfall, the companions encounter a group of spectral lights that Mr. Adams takes to be ghosts but that turn out later to be the lanterns of sheep-stealers. The companions flee the scene and find accommodations at the home of a family named Wilson. After the women have retired for the evening, Mr. Adams and Joseph sit up to hear Mr. Wilson tell his life story, which is about the troublesome life that Mr. Wilson led which was changed by the love of a good woman. Wilson also mentions the loss of his elder son, who was abducted by a gypsy woman. After leaving Mr. Wilson’s place they begin their journey. After a while, they stop to rest and are attacked by a pack of hunting dogs. They tear Parson Adams clothes as he sleeps without knowing what is happening around him. Joseph and his cudgel come to the parson’s defense, laying waste to the pack of hounds. The owner of the hounds, a sadistic Squire is at first inclined to be angry about the damage to his dogs, but as soon as he sees the lovely Fanny he changes his plans and invites the companions to his house for dinner. The Squire and his group of friends taunt Mr. Adams throughout dinner, prompting the parson to fetch Joseph and Fanny from the kitchen and leave the house. The Hunter sends his servants after them with orders to abduct Fanny,

whom he has been planning all along to debauch. The servants find the companions at an inn the next morning, and after another epic battle they succeed in tying Adams and Joseph to a bedpost and making off with Fanny. Luckily for Fanny, however, a group of Lady Booby’s servants come along, recognize the milkmaid, and rescue her from her captors. They then proceed to the inn where Adams and Joseph are tied up, and Joseph gets to take out his frustrations on Fanny’s abductor before they all set off again on their journey. The companions finally arrive home in Lady Booby’s parish, and Lady Booby herself arrives shortly thereafter. At church on Sunday she hears Mr. Adams announce the wedding plan of Joseph and Fanny, and later in the day she summons the parson. She claims to oppose the marriage of the young lovers on the grounds that they will raise a family of beggars in the parish. When Adams refuses to cooperate with Lady Booby’s efforts to keep the lovers apart, Lady Booby summons a lawyer named Scout, who conjures up a legal problem for preventing the marriage. Two days later Joseph and Fanny are brought before the Justice of the Peace, who is perfectly willing to carry out whatever Lady Booby plans.

The arrival of Lady Booby’s nephew, Mr. Booby, and his new wife, who happens to be Joseph’s Sister Pamela, thwarts the legal proceedings and tries to dissuade Joseph from marrying Fanny. Here a critical choice is presented to Joseph whether he should or shouldn’t marry Fanny based upon the pressings of his sister, Pamela. Next day, Fanny taking a walk near Booby Hall endures an assault by a gentleman named Beau Didapper but when he fails to have his way with Fanny, he gives the task to a servant and walks off. Fortunately, Joseph intervenes before the servant can get very far. Joseph and Fanny arrive at the Adams home, where Mr. Adams counsels Joseph to be moderate and rational in his attachment to his future wife. Just as Adams finishes his recommendation of detachment, someone arrives to tell him that his youngest son, Dick, has just drowned in the river. Mr. Adams not acting on his own preaching of patience cries over the loss of his son, who miraculously comes running up to the house after been rescued from drowning by the same Pedlar

who earlier saved the travelers from one of their inns. Adams rejoices and whole heartedly thanks the Pedlar. Meanwhile, Lady Booby is plotting to use Beau Didapper to come between Joseph and Fanny. She takes him, along with Mr. Booby and Pamela, to the Adams household, where the Beau attempts to fondle Fanny and incurs the wrath of Joseph. When the assembled Boobys suggest to Joseph that he is wasting his time on the milkmaid, Joseph departs with his betrothed, vowing to have nothing more to do with any relations who will not accept Fanny. Until now the above mentioned plot is full of conflicts, but now the climax of the story takes place, where things seem to be at their outmost peril and the resolution of it becomes necessary. Joseph, Fanny, the Pedlar, and Parson Adam all dine together at an alehouse that night. There, the Pedlar reveals that he has discovered that Fanny is in fact the long-lost daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, which would make her the sister of Joseph and thereby not eligible to be his wife. Lady Booby rejoices to learn that Joseph and Fanny have been discovered to be siblings. Everyone then gathers at the booby Hall, where Mr. Booby advises everyone to remain calm and withhold judgment until the next day, when Mr. and Mrs. Andrews will arrive and presumably will clear things up. During the night various scenes take place where Beau didapper tries getting into fanny’s bed but mistakenly gets into Mrs. Slipslop’s bed while Parson Adams comes to Mrs. Slipslop’s rescue and then accidently sleeps over in Fanny’s bedroom. Joseph and Fanny vow that if they turn out really to be siblings, they will both remain celibate. Now comes the part where the reversal of climax takes place, pacifying the problems faced by the protagonist. Later that morning Mr. and Mrs. Andrews arrive, and soon it emerges that Fanny is indeed their daughter, stolen from her cradle and it also emerges that Joseph is not really their son but the changeling baby they received in place of Fanny. The Pedlar suddenly thinks of the Wilson family, who long ago lost a child with a distinctive birth-mark on his chest, and so it happens that Joseph bears just such a distinctive birth-mark. Mr.

Wilson himself is luckily coming through the gate of Booby Hall at that very moment, so the reunion between father and son takes place on the spot. The aspect of resolution is now occurring and the story is close to its ending as Joseph and Fanny are married and other characters return back to their lives, Pastor Adams is given back his clerical duties and Lady Booby returns back to London to her life of flirtations. Conclusion: Plot structure is highly important for a good novel. The novels of 18th century also known as early novels were based on loose plots where the plots weren’t systematically described to the reader. As the novel proceeded into 19th and 20th century, its plot structure became more cohesive, and started the era of modern novel. The portrayal of step by step sequences of the various happenings in a novel intermingled together to make a single compact well-composed plot. The plot of Joseph Andrews is made up of various scenes which gives it unity. This structure marks a great advance from the more basic sequences of events that can be found in Defoe's novels or more limited perspective of a single story presented by Richardson. Fielding’s novel contains variety of characters belonging to all classes, and his extensive depiction of societal workings constitutes a true, broad picture of the society that was found in the 18th century.