Questions on Joseph Andrews

.Comment on the character of Joseph Andrews and his role in the novel .1

J.Andrews is the hero after whom the novel is named. He is the chief protagonist of the novel. His
physical appearance fascinates Lady Booby and also Mrs. Slipslop, and later, Betty the servant-maid
at an inn. Lady Booby becomes infatuated with him only on account of his handsome appearance,
.because socially speaking he was greatly inferior to her
Joseph possesses many qualities of head and heart also. It is his intelligence which first arouses
Adams's interest in him. In spite of his good looks and intelligence, Joseph takes no interest in
women even though he can take advantage of it. He is by no means a rake. In fact, his chief concern
in life is the purity of his moral character. He refuses to be drawn into a sexual relationship with
Lady Booby, and also Mrs. Slipslop. Joseph does not also fall a prey to any of the other vices of the
.day
After being dismissed from the service of Lady Booby, Joseph takes a journey looking for Fanny for
whose sake he would be willing to make any sacrifice. His love for her does not diminish at any
.point. Neither threats nor persuasion can hinder his love
The character of Joseph has not elaborately been drawn by Fielding because Fielding had to pay
more attention to his portrayal of Adams. The result is that we do not feel sufficiently impressed by
Joseph who appears to us colorless. He is not a very dynamic kind of man; and he does not show
much initiative or the spirit of enterprise. But he is certainly a faithful lover and would make an
.excellent husband for Fanny

.Write about the traits that make of Parson Adams an admirable and lovable character .2

Adams is introduced to us as an excellent scholar, and as a perfect master of Greek and Latin
languages. He is also described as a man of good sense and good nature, though he is ignorant of the
ways of the world like an infant who has just made its appearance on this earth. He never shows any
intention to deceive anybody; and at the same time he never suspects that anybody would deceive
.him. He is generous friendly and brave

Adams is an exceptionally good man. He is full of kindness and sympathy. When he finds Joseph lying
badly wounded at an inn, he discontinues his journey to London and stays by Joseph's side in order
.to look after him
Adams is a most unworldly kind of man. He is neither ambitious nor greedy. He is satisfied with he
has got, and his highest ambition is to acquit himself as a pastor. He cannot understand how
.clergymen acquire palaces, rich furniture, and big fortunes

Adams is a fearless man, always ready to help those who are in trouble. He saves Fanny from being
ravished by an attacker. At one of the inns he fights against a landlord who has shown cruelty
.towards Joseph

In addition to his physical courage, Adams possesses plenty of moral courage. He refuses Lady
Booby's wish when she urges him not to perform the ceremony of marriage between Joseph and
.Fanny

Adams is a devoted clergyman and a hospitable person. He keeps Fanny as a guest in his house even
.though against the wishes of his wife and eldest daughter

Even though Adams has his own faults, he emerges like as a hero worthy of high respect from all
.who come into contact with him

.Analyse the character of Lady Booby and her significance in the novel .3

The most striking trait of Lady Booby's character is her sensuality. She seems unable to control over
her desire for the pleasures of the flesh. She is over forty while Joseph is just seventeen when she feels
sexually attracted to him. She dismisses Joseph after a painful conflict between her passion for him
.and her resentment against him over his rejection of her advances
Lady Booby's passion for Joseph revives when she returns from
London. However, she finds Fanny to be a great obstacle in her way. She tries to intimidate Parson
.Adams and utilizes the services of Lawyer Scout to prevent the couple from getting married
Lady Booby is essential to the story as representing one aspect of the upper-class social life of
.eighteenth-century England

?Do you accept the view that Parson Adams is the real hero of the novel .4
In a sense, Joseph is the hero of the novel. We become interested in him at the very
beginning of his career. But this novel has another hero too. This hero is Parson Adams, and he is a
comic hero. This hero eclipses Joseph in many of the situations and episodes which occur in the
course of the story. There are situations and episodes in which Adams appears alone because he has
been separated from Joseph; and there are situations in which Adams appears in Fanny's company.
In such situations it is he who is the focus of attention. Taken all in all, it would not be wrong to say
that Adams pushes Joseph to the shade. After reading the novel, we find that Adams's character is
.the most memorable one

?What impression have you formed of the character and role of Parson Barnabas .5
Parson Barnabas is a worldly-minded clergyman who has little interest in the spiritual welfare of
the people of his parish. In this respect he resembles Parson Trulliber, and offers a contrast To
Parson Adams. While Parson Adams has his own weaknesses, he is a sincere clergyman who takes a
genuine interest in the spiritual welfare of his parishioners. But both Trulliber and Barnabas are
men whose worldly interests leave them with little time or inclination for their spiritual functions.
Fielding' portrayal of both Barnabas and Trulliber is intended to expose the hypocrisy of the
.majority of the clergymen of his times

?To what extent is Joseph Andrews a picaresque novel .6

A picaresque novel means a novel which contains the adventures of a rogue in the course of a
journey on which he goes. The first picaresque novel appeared in the sixteenth century in Spain. In
England the term began to be used for all those novels which described the adventures of a lively
and a resourceful hero in the course of a journey he undertook. Thus from our point of view a
picaresque novel is one which describes the adventures of a man who has set out on a long journey.
.The character setting out on a journey need not be a rogue or a trickster
Joseph Andrews is certainly a novel in which the hero sets out on a journey. In this novel
it is not just one person who sets out on a journey. It may be stated in clear terms that it would be
wrong to designate Joseph Andrews as a picaresque novel. It is only in a limited sense that it can be
considered so. In fact, only two aspects of this novel connect it with the picaresque tradition—the
.journey, and the element of adventure
SHORT ANSWER STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS - A Tale of Two Cities

I(1-4)
Dickens describes England and France in 1775. How does he compare them? (1) .1

Both kings are described as having large jaws; what is Dickens telling us about them? (1) .2

Why are the Dover mail drivers and passengers so apprehensive of each other? (2) .3
How does Dickens describe human beings? (3) .4

Explain the meaning of "recalled to life." (4) .5

Identify Jarvis Lorry. (4) .6

Why does Lucie faint upon hearing Mr. Lorry's story? (4) .7

I (5-6)
Dickens uses the broken cask of wine's spilling in the street to foreshadow what future event?(5) .1

What is the significance of so many "Jacques" in Defarge's wine shop? (5) .2

Who are seen peeping through a hole in the wall at Dr. Manette? (5) .3

Why has Defarge allowed them to look in? (5) .4

What is Dr. Manette doing when Mr. Lorry and Lucie first see him? (5) .5

Describe Madame Defarge. (6) .6

What is Dr. Manette's mental state? (6) .7

Identify One Hundred and Five, North Tower. (6) .8

How does Lucie react to Dr. Manette? (6) .9

II (1-4)
What does Jerry Cruncher object to his wife doing? (1) .1

Who is Charles Darnay? (2) .2

Identify Mr. Stryver. (3) .3

Who is Mr. Carton? (3) .4

Why is Darnay acquitted? (3) .5

How does Mr. Carton feel about himself? (4) .6

II (5-8)
What name does Stryver call Carton? (5) .1

What words does Dickens use to describe Stryver and Carton? (5) .2

What does Carton actually do for Stryver? (5) .3

How does Dickens describe the privileged class in France? (7) .5

What feelings does Monsieur the Marquis have toward the child his carriage has run .6
down? (7)

What is the countryside of France like? (8) .7

II (9-12)
Charles visits his uncle the Marquis and informs him that he renounces his name and property. .1
Why does Charles Darnay do this? (9)

In the conversation between the Marquis and Charles, Dickens gives a hint that at one time the .2
Marquis was able to have someone imprisoned. Who? (9)

Why was the Marquis killed? (9) .3

Why doesn't Dr. Manette want Charles to reveal his true name? (10) .4

How does Stryver view his marriage to Lucie? (11) .5

Describe Carton's responses to Stryver's self-flattery. (11) .6

How does Stryver react to the certainty that his suit will fail? (12) .7

II (13-16)
What promise does Sydney Carton make to Lucie? (13) .1

What "fish" does Cruncher go fishing after? (14) .2

Why are Cruncher's fingers always rusty? (14) .3

Who was the doomed man the road-mender told the Jacques about? (15) .4

What register does Madame Defarge keep? (15) .5

Why does Madame Defarge wear a rose in her hair? (16) .6

Why is it ironic that John Barsad should come that particular day? (16) .7

Who else's name is Madame Defarge knitting? (16) .8

II (17-21)
Why does Dr. Manette cobble for nine days after Lucie and Charles are married? (18) .1

What does Dr. Manette allow Lorry and Miss Pross to do? (19) .2

Why does Lucie ask her husband to speak kindly toward Carton? (20) .3

Lucie's fanciful thought years ago of the echoes of a multitude of footsteps becomes a reality in .4
France. What has occurred? (21)
?What metaphor does Dickens use to describe the mob .5

Who is The Vengeance? (21) .6

II (22-24)
Why was grass put in Foulon's mouth? (22) .1

Why does Mr. Lorry have to go to Paris? (24) .2

Why does Darnay go to France? (24) .3

Why is it foolish of Charles Darnay to go to France? (24) .4

III (1-4)
Why is Charles imprisoned? (1) .1

Why does the crowd at the grindstone take up Dr. Manette's cause to free Charles? (2) .2

Why does Madame Defarge wish to see Lucie and the younger Lucie? (3) .3

What change has occurred within Dr. Manette? (4) .4

III (5-8)
What is the Carmagnole? (5) .1

What caused the jury to acquit Charles? (6) .2

How must Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher perform the household shopping? Why? (7) .3

Why is Charles arrested again on the day of his release? (7) .4

Where does Miss Pross find her brother? (8) .5

Who identifies Solomon Pross as John Barsad? (8) .6

What does Carton want from Solomon Pross (Barsad)? (8) .7

III (9-11)
?Why is Mr. Lorry appalled at Cruncher .1

What arrangement has Carton made with Barsad? (9) .2

Dr. Manette worked to free Darnay during the first imprisonment. Who appears to be .3
quietly working now? (9)

Who is the other person that the court claims has denounced Darnay? (9) .4
Who is Madame Defarge in Dr. Manette's letter? (10) .5

Why is Charles condemned to die? (10) .6

How has Carton changed since he landed in France? (11) .7

III (12-15)
Where does Madame Defarge plan to end her vengeance? (12) .1

Why does Carton have Darnay write the letter? (13) .2

How does Cruncher change? (14) .3

Why is Miss Pross in a "queer condition"? (14) .4

Sydney Carton said he would die young because of a dissipated and wasted life. How was he both .5
right and wrong? (15)

How is Madame Defarge cheated? (15) .6

What words about the future are attributed to Carton at the end of the novel? (15) .7