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Book 3, Chapter 7
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
The servants at the squire’s house want to keep Fanny there, but Abraham Adams is determined to leave, and Joseph Andrews is equally offended on Adams’ behalf. It’s dark, but the group manages to make it to an inn seven miles away. At the inn, Adams gets some food and starts complaining about the sinfulness of rich men; another man joins him in agreement.
Adams has a complicated relationship with money. His comment about rich people being sinful is motivated by his recent encounter with the squire who played tricks on Adams, although sin seems to go along with wealth for many other characters in the story as well, like Lady Booby.
Themes
Abraham Adams and the man at the inn talk and eat for a while. Then, man asks Adams to lend him some money. Adams apologizes and says that while he would give all his money to any good Christian, he doesn’t have the money with him at the moment. The man says that’s unlucky and goes to bed. The host at the inn is surprised—he thought that as much as the man talked about charity, he must’ve had a lot of money in his pocket. Adams leaves and goes to bed.
Abraham Adams often enjoys receiving charity more than he enjoys giving it. Despite asking for help to pay off his debts at previous inns, he doesn’t help the man who now asks him to pay for a loan. Part of the reason why Adams can’t afford charity is because he spends money as soon as he gets it, sometimes on others, although often on himself.
Themes
