Character Sketch of PARSON ADAMS | 'Joseph Andrews'

Henry Fielding's novel 'Joseph Andrews' is one of the most popular and widely read novels. In this novel, Fielding has created a very fantastic and wonderful character namely Parson Adams. Parson Adams is such an interesting character as can never be forgotten or ignored by the readers. His outward appearance, his physical abilities, his classical learnings, his forgetfulness and his little trivial follies - all these things combine to make him the centre of interest. That is why, the learned critics are bound and compelled to say that Joseph may be the centre of the plot but Parson Adams is the centre of interest.

Parson Adams is a poor Parson. He holds three chapelries in his charge. He lives in the parsonage of Sir Thomas Booby. He looks at his parishioners as his children. He is an honest and dutiful Parson. He performs his duties very seriously. He preaches his parishioners and delivers lectures in his churches on Sundays. He takes delight in performing his duties.

Parson Adams is an honest and dutiful Parson. But it is a matter of great pity that his salary is very small. He is a man with a large family of six children and a wife. It is very difficult for him to make both ends meet. He lives from hand to mouth. He gets a meagre salary of only 23 pounds. But he is an honest man and his poverty has not made his ideas and ideals corrupt. Despite his poverty and miserable condition, he is trustworthy and honest.

His outward appearance provokes laughter. He has a comical face. He possesses a shabby appearance. He does not seem to be a Parson. He wears dirty clothes. His legs are so long that they touch the ground when he is on his horseback. His fists are;

 

“Rather less than a knuckle of an ox.”

 

 He has a bearded chin. He wears periwig on his head. At night, he turns its inside out and ties it with a kerchief. His hat is tattered to match his dress. He does not possess the appearance of a Parson and therefore, Parson Trulliber mistook him as a pig-dealer.

Parson Adams was a strong and healthy man. He was ever ready and ever willing to fight for a right cause. He fearlessly jumps into the midst of danger whenever the occasion demands it. He rescues Fanny and knocks the attacker down. He shows bravery on a number of occasions. He uses his fists very frequently. He gives a ducking to the squire of fools. When a patriot runs away out of fear, Parson Adams faces the situation. A worth-mentioning point here is that;

 

“Parson Adams does not fight for a wrong cause.”

 

He jumps into the midst of danger just in order to rescue the poor and down trodden. He never uses his fists for a wrong cause.

He has read thoroughly great books of classical learnings. He has a full command of classical books of Ancient Rome and Greece. He has been educated at Cambridge University. He is ever-ready to give references from the classical books to strengthen his statements. However, he is somewhat proud of his classical knowledge.

He is just like "Don" created by Cervantes. Don was also an imaginative character created by a Spanish writer Cervantes. ‘Don’ and ‘Parson Adams’ live in a world of their own. They are not aware of the cruel and bitter facts of the real and actual life. Don used to live in an illusory world of Medieval chivalry and Adams used to live in the world of Ancient Rome and Greece. Don created his world out of romances and Adams created his world out of classical books. Both the characters become indifferent to their personal safety whenever they are to rescue some oppressed and persecuted person. They try their best to help others.

Parson Adams is a simple-hearted person. He does not believe that a man can deceive his fellow beings. That is why, he is deceived by other characters. He does not agree to this view that a man and woman can live together without the sacred bond of marriage. When he comes to know such things happening in the actual world, he says with surprise and amazement;

 

“Good Lord! what wickedness is there in the Christian world. I profess almost equal to what I have read of heathens.”

 

This statement clarifies the main point that he is such a simpleton that he compares everything to what he has read in the classical books.

It is a matter of common observation that a man who is accustomed to live in a world of imagination or in a world of books, he becomes forgetful. Same is the case with Parson Adams. He thinks that all that has been stated in the books is true. He does not know the difference between theory and practice. He is forgetful and absent-minded. He sets out on a journey to London to sell his sermons to get money. But he forgets to bring the sermons with him. He comes to know about his folly when he has covered more than half of the distance. He leaves an inn without paying his bill.

He forgets to take his horse with him. He forgets his hat and coat at Trulliber house. He gets himself wet by wading through a pond. He might have been able to avoid it if he had looked around him. On an occasion, Mrs. Slipslop screams and shouts that she is being attacked. Parson Adams runs to her rescue. He mistakes Mrs. Slipslop as the vagabond and gives her a thorough beating. When he returns from there, he takes a wrong turn and enters Fanny's room. He jumps into her bed and sleeps besides her.

 

"He enjoys a sound sleep without being aware of the fact that young girl is sleeping beside him."

 

Although he is a good man yet he is not free of trivial follies. He is in a habit of snapping his fingers. He wants to know even the minutest details of a story. He jumps happily in a jolly mood. He begins to mourn when he comes to know that his child has been drowned.

To sum up the discussion, we can say that Parson Adams is the centre of interest. He is the possessor of manifold qualities. He has become an unforgettable character. He engages our attention and excites our laughter. He is not free of little follies and vanities. Fielding has created him to create laughter. He has not been presented as a caricature. Fielding does not ridicule him. Rather, he touches him with humour. He has not presented a Puritanical Parson. The little and trivial follies lend him a colour of a human character. As a whole, he is the most attractive character.