❖A Picture of 18th Century❖

Fielding is considered to be the pioneer of the realistic novel in England. He had a

variegated and intimate experience of life and he based all his dealings on actual
experiences of life. In his Preface to "Joseph Andrews", he declares:

"I believe I might aver (declare positively) that

  I have written little more than I have seen."

The vitality of all his writing derives from actual experience. He presents a very
realistic picture of the society in which he lived. Richard Church observes that "The
importance of Fielding from the historical point of view is that he focused the novel
in such a way as it brought the whole world as we see it."

In his novel "Joseph Andrews" , Fielding has depicted the diversified life of
the eighteenth century society: We meet all kinds of people so it is a faithful picture
of that time.
"Fielding creates only representative characters and not individual."

In his novel, Fielding invites us to travel along the highroads of England with him. He
invites us to laugh with him and to enjoy the infinite variety of human life.

In "Joseph Andrews", Fielding gives a very true picture of the clergymen of

his age. The religious climate of the eighteenth-century England was very depressing.
The clergymen, in general, were woefully ignorant of the spirit of Christianity as a
religion. The concept of Christian chastity, love and forgiveness were unknown to
them. They were as materialist and corrupt in their daily activities as any man of the
world. They were not devoted to their profession. Most of the people became
clergymen in order to enjoy the comfortable and easy life. We know all these facts by
the pictures of clergymen in "Joseph Andrews". They only preach Christianity in the
church and never in their daily life. Trulliber's chief interest is not religion but his
hogs. He is more a
pig-dealer and pushes him into the pigsty (place for keeping pigs) to handle his hogs.
There is no remorse even when he discovers the real identity of Adams. He is more a
business-man. He is such a miser that he does not help his fellow clergyman in the
time of need. On the other hand, Parson Adams is an ideal clergyman. He is
completely religious. He is a clergyman who is performing his duty honestly. His
concept of charity is praise-worthy.

Fielding himself was a magistrate and he knew all the weaknesses of justice
and law. The picture he depicts is again discouraging. There were several unqualified

1 Compossed by Saeed Qureshi, & Edited M.Arif MA English-2 Govt. College Civil Lines Multan
 ❖A Picture of 18th Century❖
justices of law who did not possess even the basic knowledge of law.  When Parson
Adams and Fanny are brought before the justice., he sends them to jail without any
proof of their identity. Pope, the famous poet of this age, in his satirical poem "The
Rape of The Lock", masterly describes the same condition of justice and law in the
18th century when he says:

"The hungry judges soon the sentence sign

  And wretches hang that jurymen may dine."

Similarly, in "Joseph Andrews" Scout is a typical lawyer of that age. He too has
limited knowledge and sends Joseph and Fanny to prison because Lady Booby
desired it. In fact, Scout was not a genuine lawyer in the country. They were the
pests of society. All these incidents clearly show the corruption and inefficiency of
the institution of law. We ought to have an act to hang or transport half of them.

Fielding also criticizes the professional insincerity of his clergymen. By the

picture of a surgeon in the Dragon Inn, we come to know that even the medical
profession was not free from such evil. There is a surgeon who claims that he carries
Galen and Hippocrates. He is so selfish and greedy that he refuses to leave his bed to
attend to Joseph 's wounds since he cannot pay the fee.
Moreover, the story of Mr. Wilson uncovers the existing evils in the city life
of that society. There are all the pleasures of the world, but for those, who have
enough money to buy them. There are plenty of theatres, inns and clubs but only the
rich people can get pleasure from these facilities. As long as Mr. Wilson has money to
spend, he has a lot of friends to accompany him. But as soon as, the money ends and
he become poor, all the fair-weather friends leave him. This shows the selfishness of
that society.

Fielding, in this novel, also shows the hollowness of his society. People do not
follow Christianity in their daily routine life. They pretend to be religious and pious
but actually they are not. For example, Lady Booby and Mrs. Slipslop pose to be
respectable and virtuous but inwardly they are corrupt. Both of them try to seduce
Joseph under the veil of respectability. One of the major aspects of Christianity is
charity. But the rich people are very miserly and unwilling to help the needy. When
poor Joseph is stripped naked by the robbers and thrown into a ditch, a coach
approach there. But nobody is ready to help him in such a critical condition on
various excuses.
The horse driver is to keep time; the lady cannot bear a naked man in the coach;
the old man has fear of robbers; the lawyer does not want to involve in the case.
Finally, it is only the poor postision who gives his coat to Joseph.

2 Compossed by Saeed Qureshi, & Edited M.Arif MA English-2 Govt. College Civil Lines Multan
 ❖A Picture of 18th Century❖

In "Joseph Andrews", we are also struck by the wideness of the gulf which
seems to be separate the classes: the high people from the low people, those who
have and those who have not, those who consume and those who produce. Lady
Booby does admit Adams to her dining table just because the Parson is not elegantly
dressed and when he declines to obey her order, she badly insults him.

Another aspect of the society seems to be the insecurity of young and

beautiful women. The chastity of Fanny is attacked many a time but luckily, she is
rescued either by Adams or Joseph or someone else. At that time, people could not
travel alone. There was so much danger on the way. People could be robbed
anywhere, their life, wealth and chastity were not safe.

In short, we may say that Fielding by this novel draws a full, complete and
realistic picture of the contemporary society. He shows courageously the evil
standards and immorality of his age. Like Addison, he wants to reform his society by
drawing its attention to some of its ridiculous aspects, and for this purpose, he draws
some generalized pictures. Although, Fielding was not merely the painter of his
society, by implication, he was its critic also. To conclude of all the novelists, he is the
only truly realistic. In real terms this novel proves that Henry Fielding is the father of
Modern English Novel.

3 Compossed by Saeed Qureshi, & Edited M.Arif MA English-2 Govt. College Civil Lines Multan