In Joseph Andrews, Henry Fielding has a moral aim, for which he has exposed vanity, hypocrisy,

follies, and vices through the depiction of different characters. Moreover, there is a number of
female characters representing different themes and values.

Lady Booby:

She is Sir Thomas Booby’s widow. Lady Booby represents the theme of hypocrisy and vanity.
Through the depiction of her character, Henry Fielding has exemplified and portrayed the
traditional flaws and ridiculous antics of the upper class, such as snobbery, egotism and lack of
restraint.

Lady Booby represents the Augustan era’s falsely advertised assertions that superior moral
merits are contained by and are associated with higher ranking classes, only. However,
authenticity and nobility of one’s true nature can only be tested in the absence of the public
eye. Therefore we observe that Lady Booby lives a double life; the public image and her private
identity. This suggests hypocrisy in her character as in public she has presents her honorable
behavior due to the Class conventions, whereas, in contrast, behind the closed doors she acts
differently, keeping the notion that her vices and predatory pursuits of her footman Joseph are
protected. For instance, she”being in bed, called Joseph to her room … laid her hand on his”
(p.43) and trying to tempt and persuade him by saying “the world will never know anything of
this matter” (p.49), suggests her lustful and vice nature. However, Joseph denounces her lustful
attempts for the sake of virtue, which damaged Booby’s vanity and pride. Here, conflict arises in
her mind, for instance,”…opposite passions distracting and tearing her mind in different ways”
(p.62). Her “mental dilemma is, in fact, a satire against the hypocrisy of the 18th century where
reputation achieves an interesting connotation” (Nissa, p.25). Moreover, Joseph refusal makes
her conscious of and concerned about her reputation,” her dear reputation is in power of her
servants”(p.7).

In the wake of jealousy and grudge, she places hurdles in the way of Joseph and Fanny. Being
selfish and mean person, Booby has no respect for her servants, as she scolds them and says,
”Thou art a low creature of the Andrews breed, a reptile of a lower order, a weed that grows in
the common garden of the creation”(p.280).
Hence, Lady Booby is a repulsive and dissolute character, deviating from moral values and
conduct. It is because her rationality and passions are contrary.”From the discovery of …
affection arises the ridiculous which always strikes the reader with surprise and pleasure”, says
Fielding in his Preface of Joseph Andrews, therefore the character of Lady Booby is an
illustration of aforementioned assertion.

Mrs. Slipslop:

Mrs. Slipslop is a humorous character and is a chambermaid of Lady Booby. Henry Fielding used
her character as a satirical device as she is the symbol of unreasonable lust and vice. It is noted
that ”She is usually praised by critics as the well-rounded foil to Lady Booby. But she is
sometimes more than this, since her lust for Joseph and for all manner of men, is more natural
and appealing than Lady Booby’s hot and cold passion” (Paulson , p.63). Through her character,
Fielding depicted hypocrisy, selfishness, and vanity. She considers herself superior to rest of the
servants, as, ”She always insisted on a difference to be paid to her understandings; as she had
been frequently at London, and knew more of the world” (p.45). Her sense of superiority is
portrayed through her talkative nature and “ her adaption of high-flown words”, which
indicates her aspiration to be considered educated and knowledgeable even though she makes
blunders, about this Ronald Paulson, states,” Mrs.Slipslop speaks in a ridiculous jargon,
distorting many words, especially the scholarly vocabulary which she effects to use without
understanding it and from time to time…”(p.276).

“As when a hungry Tygress, who long had traversed the Woods in fruitless search, … she
prepared to leap on her Prey…of immense Size, …opens them wide to swallow the little Fish: so
did Mrs. Slipslop prepare to lay her violent amorous Hands on the poor Joseph.”(p.74), here
Feilding creates a comparison between Mrs. Slipslop with “hungry Tygress”, which reflects the
lustful advances of Mrs. Slipslop upon Joseph Andrews. Here, Fielding has used a satirical
version of Homer’s smilie, to mock his characters.
The trait of jealousy can also be observed in her character, as she meets Fanny at an inn, she
gets jealous and disappointed of her beauty. Also, she curses Fanny in front of Lady Booby, “
She (Fanny) is a little ugly minx, cries Slipslop, leave her to me” . There are hypocrisy and
element of diabolical duplicity in her character as well. It is noted that after Joseph refusal, she
tries to attack his reputation by accusing him of drinking and swearing, “he games, drinks,
swears… he is lewd a rascal …he is as ugly as a scarecrow.”(p.54).
Mrs. Slipslop is presented as a parallel to Lady Booby because she is as vain and proud as
Booby, but her passion for Joseph is more violent than that of Booby.
Hence, it is concluded that Fielding “has intended to moralize human beings by stripping the
veil from their hypocritical faces”. He tried to depict those who “show trial of vanity and
hypocrisy”, as Lady Booby and Mrs. Slipslop. Also, these characters reflect the picture of 18th-
century society and human nature. Dudden remarks, “(Fielding) provides a peculiarly vivid
representation of the life and manners, the interests and pursuits of the people who lived in the
country”.

Fanny Goodwill:

Fanny Goodwill is presented as female equivalent of Joseph Andrews, in terms of her Christian
moral values, manners, sensibility, beauty and modesty, “she had a natural Gentility, superior
to the Acquisition of Art, and which surprised all who beheld her”(p.173). Like Joseph, she also
has to protect her chastity from lustful advances made by male predators because her beauty
was taken as,“charms were the Gifts of Nature” (p.333). Fanny is always in need of rescuing
from advancing men. However, she managed to remain virtuous and ended up marrying her
love interest Joseph with “extraordinary and unaffected Modesty” (p.332). Her character is
depicted in contrast to Lady Booby, because Fanny remains modest through the novel instead
of being lustful as Booby. She represents a true Christian girl who protects her chastity and
moral values. She is represented as beautiful inside out, even with her imperfection caused by
sunburn,” Her Complexion was fair, a little injured by the Sun, but overspread with such a
Bloom, that the finest Ladies would have exchanged all their White for it: add to these, a
Countenance in which tho’ she was extremely bashful, a Sensibility appeared almost incredible;
and a Sweetness, whenever she smiled, beyond either Imitation or Description.” (p.173).
Sensibility and modesty in her character adds appeal to her personality.

Citation:
1. Nissa,Niazun. The treatment of women by S.Richardson and H. Fielding with special
reference to Pamela and Joseph Andrews.2004.
2. https://www.gradesaver.com/joseph-andrews