Morality and Ethics in Fielding's Joseph Andrews

Introduction

When reading Joseph Andrews, one needs to be very careful in order to fully comprehend the messages that exist between the lines and are not put forth in obvious terms. In this book — which Henry Fielding described as an epic written in prose form — the plot and structure are very similar to Greek and other ancient heroic tales, with one key difference: the author attempts to dispel the notion that morality is strictly connected with chastity and religion. This is a fascinating aspect of Fielding's work and one that made his writing stand out among the considerable body of similar literary production during the eighteenth century. In order to understand clearly what happens in Joseph Andrews and how its characters represent morality or its absence, it is important first to have some background regarding the conception of morality in early eighteenth-century England.

While most readers assume that eighteenth-century English society was obsessed with morality and connected it with religion, some critics argue that this was not entirely the case. They maintain that while we today view that society as a highly religious one, this is a flawed description that has entered our thinking through shallow reading and analysis of the works of that period. In reality, English society in those days was affected by immoral desires and unchaste impulses much as it is today. The key difference is that whereas people today are generally open about their behavior and do not seek to associate morality strictly with religious teachings, in the eighteenth century it was considered blasphemous to abandon religion, and being moral meant being religious.

Morality and Ethics in 18th-Century England

Some critics go further and offer their own account of morality in eighteenth-century England. They argue that the very reason people adhered to chastity or morality in those days was a desire to be considered legal heirs to property. This may appear to be a strange theory at first, but on closer examination it contains a valid argument. Morality was considered a prized possession of the upper class, while the lower class was not bound by such restrictions — perhaps because property was simply not a major concern for those of lower social standing.

In this connection, Bernard Mandeville is an apt spokesman for the social and moral values of the period. Writing in 1723, he was among the first to establish a connection between morality and property, arguing that politicians and moralists had deliberately impressed upon people the idea that religion was closely connected with morality, but that it was actually "a Chimera…an Invention of Moralists and Politicians" that "signifies a certain Principle of Virtue not related to Religion" (Bernard Mandeville, p. 212).

This gives a clearer picture of the eighteenth century, and Fielding offers an even deeper insight into the subject of morality and ethics when he deliberately ridicules various writers, thinkers, and ancient heroic stories in Joseph Andrews to show just how shallow the prevailing concept of morality was. Joseph Andrews was a direct parody of Samuel Richardson's Pamela, containing several references to ancient writings and biblical stories. In this novel, Fielding explored and questioned the subject of morality with reference to the view advocated by Mandeville.

Fielding's Views on Morality in Joseph Andrews

From the first few lines of Chapter Two, it is clear that the author wants his readers to recall Richardson's Pamela when he introduces Joseph Andrews: "Mr. Joseph Andrews, the hero of our ensuing history, was esteemed to be the only son of Gaffar and Gammer Andrews, and brother to the illustrious Pamela, whose virtue is at present so famous" (Book 1, Chapter 2). Throughout the epic, Fielding repeatedly highlights the significance of Andrews' relationship with Pamela. At another point, Joseph claims that he "is the Brother of Pamela, and [thus] would be ashamed, that the Chastity of his Family, which is preserved in her, should be stained in him" (I, ch. 8, p. 36). This was done primarily to satirize the definition of morality that Richardson had suggested through his character Pamela. The primary aim of such satire was to "hold the Glass to thousands in their Closets, that they may contemplate their Deformity, and endeavor to reduce it, and thus by suffering private Mortification may avoid public Shame" (Fielding, pp. 168–9).

Fielding created his own standard for judging morality in the prominent character of Abraham Adams, whose active sense of morality constantly urges readers to question the passive moral values of Pamela. In the novel's first half, Andrews is presented as the male counterpart of Pamela, while Lady Booby represents Mr. B. Andrews is repeatedly placed in situations where he could have succumbed to Lady Booby's charms and sexual advances, had he not remained steadfast in his devotion and loyalty to Fanny. In Book 1, Chapter 5, Lady Booby is shown lying in bed, her mind possessed by her usual designs, as she addresses Joseph: "I have trusted myself with a Man alone, naked in Bed; suppose you should have any wicked Intentions upon my Honor." Joseph simply fails to grasp her true motive and almost naively declares "that he never had the least evil Design against her" (Ch. 5, p. 25).

The author maintains an almost comical connection between Pamela and Andrews and was clearly amused by the idea of a "male virgin." At some points, Fielding appears to be questioning Richardson's implication that the responsibility for keeping family honor rests on female members alone. In Chapter 8 of Book I, Lady Booby angrily objects to Andrews' persistent refusal to respond to her advances: "Did ever Mortal hear of a Man's Virtue! Did ever the greatest or the gravest Men pretend to any of this Kind!" (I, ch. 8, p. 36). Such instances make it evident that the author was not only satirizing English society's moral standards but also considered it ridiculous and unjust to connect family honor solely to female chastity and virtue. As he asserts elsewhere: "Chastity is as great a Virtue in a Man as in a Woman" (I, ch. 10, p. 41).

In addition to the many references to Pamela, Fielding also incorporates biblical figures and teachings. The two main characters, Joseph and Abraham Adams, are paralleled with the biblical figures who share their first names. As Maurice Johnson observes: "Like the biblical Joseph he exemplifies patience and chastity; like the biblical Joseph he is a 'goodly person, and well-favored.' He has been kidnapped by Gypsies (Egyptians), and has been employed in a great house, has rejected the sexual advances of his master's wife, and has suffered from her resulting fury. He is finally revealed in his true identity, is reconciled with his family, and weeps while embracing his father from whom he has been so long separated" (Johnson, p. 74). The seduction attempts by Lady Booby are similarly identical to the advances of Potiphar's wife in the Bible, and in almost biblical fashion, Joseph remains intensely faithful to Fanny.

Dr. Beth Swan writes: "Fielding's Joseph is to be partly interpreted in a scriptural context and is clearly reminiscent of the biblical Joseph and his temptation by Potiphar's wife, whom he resisted. Adams, whose first name is Abraham, like his biblical namesake, expresses his faith in good works, as opposed to empty words. Abraham's faith manifested itself in works such as preparing to sacrifice his beloved son in obedience to God. Joseph and Adams are of course comic figures, but there are vestiges of the dignity of the biblical figures, and the very fact that we inevitably think of such figures in the same context as Fielding's characters gives them at least a degree of moral weight."

Fielding has not only questioned morality in general; he has also raised arguments concerning society's twisted sense of virtue. He observes that in English society, if a man refused the sexual advances of a woman, his masculinity was often doubted, whereas if a woman chose to take a lover, she was shunned and considered immoral. At one point in the novel, Lady Booby is vexed at Andrews' resistance and angrily demands: "I must have reason to suspect you. Are you not a man?"

Conclusion

After analyzing Fielding's definitions of morality and ethics from every possible angle, it becomes clear that though his sense of virtue was more developed than that of the targets he attacked in his novel, there are some minor flaws in the way he presented his views. For one, the author focused almost exclusively on the subject of chastity in the first half of the book — a choice that seems at odds with the novel's real purpose of attacking the flawed moral thinking of English society. Secondly, Fielding gives most situations a comical flavor, which leads many readers not to take the character of Joseph Andrews entirely seriously. Though these situations often generate spontaneous laughter, the deeper meaning can be lost amid the comic treatment of events.