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Book 2, Chapter 12
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Joseph Andrews, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Hypocrisy
Lust vs. Chastity
Social Class
Religion and Charity
Summary
Analysis
Mrs. Slipslop doesn’t recognize Fanny at first, despite having worked in the same house as her for several years. The narrator remarks that there are “high” people and “low” people, and that these two terms don’t necessarily refer to quality: “high” just means fashionable, and “low” means unfashionable. Mrs. Slipslop is not the sort of person who believes in acknowledging people below her.
Mrs. Slipslop illustrates how class isn’t as simple as “high” and “low.” Even within a class there are hierarchies and different attitudes, meaning that two people might not get along despite coming from a similar background. Perhaps Mrs. Slipslop has learned her high attitudes from working for Lady Booby for so long.
Themes
Literary Devices
Abraham Adams is surprised that Mrs. Slipslop doesn’t seem to recognize Fanny. He believes Fanny is one of the most chaste people in the world and much better than her lower social class would suggest.
Although Adams respects upper-class people like Lady Booby, he is one of the few characters who attempts to see beyond class and judge characters by their own virtues (or lack thereof).
Themes
Finally reunited, Joseph Andrews and Fanny are eager to get married at once. Abraham Adams warns them not to rush things. The next morning, they get a bill, and although it’s reasonable, given how much ale Adams drank, they can’t pay it. Adams offers to go see an associate from his parish to borrow money.
The hypocrisy of Abraham Adams is that he urges patience to Joseph Andrews and Fanny, but he himself doesn’t seem to exercise much patience when it comes to drinking ales and racking up a bill.
Themes
