Some thoughts on Joseph Andrews

Next class, we've got quite a few things to take care of--three presentations being the most significant of that to-do list. I'd also like to be able to tie up a few remaining issues relevant to our discussion of Joseph Andrews.

Last class, we briefly considered the role of gender in Fielding's work, and I'd like to take that idea up again--especially insofar Fielding's narrator characterizes women (Mrs. Slipslop, Mrs. Tow-wowse, Lady Booby, Fanny Goodwill, and the several incidental characters who seem inevitably to represent the height of vanity and affectation, which Fielding's narrator describes as the chief concern of the novel).

I'd also like to discuss the way the narrator treats coincidence and the conventions of romance, and if possible, get your thoughts on the important metaphors of travel and dress in Joseph Andrews. You might like to compose your post around one of those topics, which will help kickstart our discussion.

For those of you presenting next class, you might also consider how these ideas could be incorporated informally into your presentations. This last is not necessary, but it might help keep our discussions on point.