Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- Okay, so Fielding shows that he knows the difference between romance and burlesque novels in the Preface (and he's not talking about the Christina Aguilera movie). So where does that put Joseph Andrews, exactly? And why the heck is it so important that Fielding is making these distinctions in the first place?
- Even though Pamela Andrews was practically a literary celebrity in the 18th century, not much of the book is really about her. Why does her bro get all the attention in this book?
- Almost all of Joseph Andrews takes place on the road. Why doesn't everyone just stay in the same place? Is there something about setting the book on the road that helps Fielding tell a certain kind of story?
- Everyone in Joseph Andrews seems to be obsessed with education—either getting it, like Parson Adams, or pretending to have it, like Mrs. Slipslop. What's the deal with that? According to the book, what kind of education is an ideal one?
- Joseph Andrews is perfectly average in every way, and yet he's the hero of the book. Why choose an average Joe to be a hero?
- Is Parson Adams an idiot, a genius, or both? How does he seem to fit into each category?
- Fielding's first satire of Samuel Richardson's Pamela was called Shamela. Is Joseph Andrews about showing how Pamela is a total sham? How might you read this book differently if you didn't know about Shamela?