Is Humor Part and Parcel of Human Nature?

Critics define humor in different ways: 1, humor is the faculty of perceiving what is ludicrous, 2; commentary on ordinary actions and passions of life, 3; humor is a sympathy with the seamy sides of things; 4. Humor means to awaken direct your love, your pity, your kindness and scorn for truth. Thackeray.

Humor dominates the whole novel. Therefore john Henry says, “Humor is the soul of Fielding novels.” Actually Fielding’s humor is a beautiful blend of four humors; periodical humor, ironical humor, satirical humor and humor in characters. In Joseph Andrews farcical humor may be seen in book 3, chapter 4…the story of Leonara. Joseph bruised by falling from the horse sitting by the fireside and the hostess rubs his knees. Picking up a pan of pig’s blood she hits Adam. At the same time Mrs. Slipslop enters the room and starts beating the hostess.

The second fine example of farcical humor is in book 4, chapter 14; where Beau didapper would like to rape Fanny but he enters mistakenly in the room of Mr. Slipslop. At the same Mrs. Slipslop make hue and cry where upon Parson Adam awakes sleeping in the next room. It is very comic that he sleeping in night shirt peacefully.

He mistakenly beats Mrs. Slipslop but after fight all go to their room but Parson Adam enters in Fanny’s bed to sleep. Discovery of Betty the Chamber maid in Mr. Two Wouse’s bed is also a fine example of farcical humor.

Besides, ironical humor is also found is the novel. It is in book2, chapter 1;when Adam comes across a patriot who says that those who cannot sacrifice their lives for bounty such persons are deserving of gallows. But when in chapter 9 they hear a pitiful shriek of wounded person the patriot turns face from the scene. The injured is moaning there bitterly.

Adam tries to comforts Joseph by preaching to be patient but does not himself know how to have patience in difficulty. When the report is to Adam that his son has drown in water So listening to this news he becomes upset like a hungry dog.

According to Adam those who collect wealth are greedy and foolish. But at present he does not have money to pay the bill of the Inn. Here Dr. Johnson says, “Fielding portraits the characters of manners while Richardson portraits the nature of characters in the novels.

Satirical humor is less than ironical humor in the novel. It is polite but is not bitter like Swift. Fielding produces humor on the ground of manners of characters and morals of contemporary society.

Humor in characters in also present in the novel; Adam’s absent mindedness provokes laughter. He leaves for London to sell his sermons but he forgets his sermons to carry with him. Besides, he also forgets his personal horse in the Inn and takes another horse. Finding his own horse he dances in glee in the room.

On the other hand, Mrs. Slipslop physical description is also humorous. She is small and bulky, her face full of acnes and pimples, her eyes are small but lanky is her nose. Adam’s belly is small and but his body is bulky. His voice is loud like owl and harsh like ass.

Beau Didapper has also narrow shoulders. Joseph is also ridiculed in the novel several times.

To sum up, Joseph Andrews is the novel that teaches the readers how to preserve chastity in life. It is a moral problem, the central theme of the novel. He exposes it with a bit humorous touch to correct Richardson’s Pamela’s concept of chastity. Fielding refines the concepts in the best way.

Joseph Andrews protects his virtues from lustful Lady Booby. Fanny also preserves her chastity from Parson. So we may call it the novel of preserving chastity. Like Joseph, Fanny and Adam, these persons may be seen in every society. Like Adam there are many priests all over the world; simple, sincere, innocence, merciful, forgetter.