Biblical Archetypes In Joseph Andrews

Henry Fielding is one of Britain’s most distinguished novelists in the eighteenth century, as well as the founder of the British realist novels. His novel Joseph Andrews represents the highest achievement of the novels in the eighteenth century. This novel has long been studied as a parody work by the critics; however, not enough critical attention has been paid to the biblical influence on it. As a matter of fact, the Bible has exerted far-reaching impact on Fielding’s literary creation, and many biblical archetypes are included in the novel. The author of this thesis will apply Northrop Frye’s archetypal criticism to focus on three biblical archetypes in the novel:biblical archetypal characters, biblical archetypal themes, and biblical archetypal structures.Apart from reviewing the relevant literature and introducing the research purposes and questions, and the theoretical framework, the present thesis puts its first concentration on the analysis of the biblical archetypal characters in the novel. In terms of the similar experiences of being sold to be servants and resisting the sexual temptation, Joseph in the Bible is the biblical archetype of Joseph in the novel; while from the aspects of the similar identity and obedience and loyalty to God, Abraham in the Bible is the biblical archetype of Parson Adams in the novel. Then the author of this thesis studies the biblical archetypal themes in the novel, holding that Fielding’s description of the theme of Paradise Lost stems from the theme of Paradise Lost in the Bible, the theme of Charity is best reflected in the Postillion’s attitude towards strangers, and the destinies of the characters in the novel reveals the theme of Providence. The destinies of Joseph, Adams, and Fanny are believed to be planned by God. Finally, this thesis explores the biblical archetypal structures of this novel. It is concluded that the structure of the whole story follows the biblical U-shaped structure with the protagonists starting with happiness and peace in their hometown, suffering catastrophes in their adventures, and finally returning to happiness in their hometown. The biblical U-shaped structure is also manifested in the marriage of Joseph and Fanny, in a narrative mode of being together at first, being separated afterwards, and ending with union and happiness.Such a study on the biblical archetypes in Joseph Andrews by the author of the thesis will hopefully help to deepen the understanding of Joseph Andrews and Fielding’s other novels.