Discuss Fielding's treatment of the theme of charity and good nature in Joseph Andrews.
Or,
Do you agree with the view that charity is one of the recurring themes of the novel Joseph Andrews? Give logical support to your answer.
Or,
How far is it true to say that the principal theme of Joseph Andrews is the need for charity in this world? Give reasons for your answer.
Or,
How is the theme of charity and good nature treated in Joseph Andrews?
Answer: In Joseph Andrews, Fielding seeks to uphold the Christian ideology through the characterization of Parson Adams, Joseph, and Fanny. There are a couple of other themes in the novel, for instance, male chastity and female incontinence. However, the idea of charity seems to be one of the most conspicuous issues that figure out once again in the course of the story. In Joseph Andrews, Fielding tries to summarize different attitudes of people towards this idea of charity from a broader perspective.
Charity is certainly one of the most conspicuous themes of the novel, Joseph Andrews. Of course, there are a couple of other themes in the novel also; for instance, the contrast between male chastity and female incontinence. But the theme of charity figures again and again in the course of the story. In the very beginning, we find that, when Joseph lies naked and badly wounded in a ditch after having been robbed and beaten, none of the passengers in the stage-coach, which stops there, is prepared to give Joseph any garment to cover his nakedness. He refuses to enter the carriage in his naked condition and, besides, a lady passenger objects to his being brought into the carriage in the state. At this time it is the coachman's assistant who gets down from the coach and gives his own overcoat to Joseph, saying that he would rather die than allow a fellow human being to go naked. Here we find a contrast between the attitude of the rich passengers and that of the poor assistant of the coachman. Evidently, Fielding's purpose here is to show that there is a greater spirit of charity in the poor than in the rich. The same thing happens when Joseph arrives at the inn to which he has been brought in that stagecoach. At this inn, Betty the maid feels deeply concerned about the condition of the wounded Joseph; and she immediately sends for the social surgeon, though he refuses to come at the first summons because he is not certain that he will get any fee from a poor man like Joseph. Thus the surgeon too is a hard-hearted, uncharitable man. Here the inn-keeper's wife, Mrs. Tow-Wouse also proves to be a very callous woman because she forbids her husband to give the half-naked Joseph any of his shirts. The innkeeper himself is a sympathetic kind of man but his wife is hard-hearted. By contrast with the prosperous wife of the innkeeper, the poor servant-maid, Betty, is a human person.
At another inn, when Adams and his companions are unable to pay the bill and when Adams has failed to obtain a loan from the local parson, it is a poor pedlar gives some money to Adams to enable him to make the payment to the inn-keeper. At yet another inn, Adams meets a squire who makes all sorts of promises which he does not intend to keep. Adams feels deeply disturbed to find that there are such people in the world; and that the inn-keeper acquaints Adams with the true character of a great gentleman who has ruined many people by not keeping his promises to them. The innkeeper himself has been a victim of this evil propensity of that gentleman who believes only the making false promises and commitments, thus giving rise to certain hopes in the minds of other people who naturally feel deeply disappointed when those promises and commitments are not kept. Here, the inn-keeper proves very helpful to Adams because, when Adams says that he would make the payment at some later date, the inn-keeper says that he can trust Adams because he honors the clergy and can surely trust one of them in such a case. In fact, the innkeeper offers another drink to Parson Adams before Adams leaves the inn with his companions.
Squire Booby is another example of a kind-hearted man. He proves to be the greatest benefactor in this novel. He is the supreme example of Christian benevolence. He not only serves Joseph and Fanny from imprisonment but also takes necessary measures to have them married. At the same time, he procures a decent living for Adams who has been feeling the pinch of poverty because of this meager income. In addition, even he secures a good job as an excise official for the pedlar. Thus, Squire Booby appears as an embodiment of Christian benevolence in the story and wins our sympathy.
But it is Adams who appears as the most ardent advocate of the spirit of charity. He is not only charitable and generous himself, but also keeps urging other people to develop the spirit of charity. On arriving at the inn where Joseph lies wounded, he discontinues his journey in order to stay at the inn and look after Joseph. He then shares all his money with Joseph because Joseph is at that time penniless. Later he rescues Fanny from dishonor, risking his own life and subsequently facing the degradation of a trial on false charges. His rushing to Fanny's help when she is about to be ravished by a villain certainly shows his spirit of chivalry and also the spirit of charity in him. In other words, Adams is not just theoretically charitable but charitable in deeds. Later, he feels deeply disappointed when Parson Trulliber refuses to give him a small loan. Trulliber tells Adams that he knows what charity means but that he is not going to give any money to vagabonds like him. Adams on this occasion that Trulliber does not know what charity is. He reminds Trulliber that the Christian scripture prescribes charity as the most important duty of a human being. Whoever is devoid of charity, says Adams, is not Christian. Later, Adams says very much the same thing to Lady Booby's steward, Peter Pounce. Here Adams says that riches without charity is worth nothing. Riches are a blessing only to him who makes them a blessing to others, Adams says further. Peter Pounce says that he has different notions of charity from Adams's.
In fact, Peter Pounce Fells Adams that he does not like the word 'Charity". Adams points out that charity consists in relieving the misery of other human beings, but Peter Pounce expresses the view that there is no actual misery in the world. Peter Pounce further says that the worst feature of the English constitution is the provision that it makes for the poor. The argument between Adams and Peter Pounce becomes so heated but ultimately Adams feels compelled to jump out of Peter pounce's carriage. Adams never deviates from the principle of charity which he is always preaching. Even when urged by Lady Booby not to publish the banns of marriage between Joseph and Fanny, he does not budge from the position that he has taken in that context. In fact, he even keeps Fanny in his house as a guest though both his wife and his eldest daughter are opposed to keeping her in the house when they hardly have enough money for their own needs. Throughout the story, Adams's attitude towards Joseph and Fanny is that of a parent towards his children. And he treats his other parishioners also as his own children... In this respect, he offers a refreshing contrast to parsons like Trulliber and Barnabas who are wholly materialistic and self-centered.
Therefore, we may come to the decision that one of the major intentions of Fielding behind writing this novel is to preach the importance of charity. He has demonstrated this idea through a depiction of Parson Adams. However, people like the Squire and his wife, Peter Pounce carry different notions about charity, and Parson Adams has the double role of espousing the cause of charity and has exposed its lack in others.
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