ABSTRACT
In May 1744, some twelve months after her biography of Anna Boleyn was published in the Miscellanies and twenty-seven months after her letter "From Leonora to Horatio" appeared in Joseph Andrews, Fielding's first novel, The Adventures of David Simple, was published anonymously in London by Andrew Millar. It is possible that Fielding wrote her novel at the same time Henry wrote Joseph Andrews. Similarly, Sarah's depiction of the Royal Exchange evidences her distrust not only of urban life but also of Britain's emerging capitalist economy. The degree to which Fielding distrusts market economies becomes especially clear when we examine her treatment of family, one of the novel's central concerns. More specifically, Fielding's retelling of the Genesis narrative raises fundamental questions about traditional family structures, especially in terms of their compatibility with an emerging modern economy. Fielding's departure from her brother's example is initially discoverable in the distinctions between their protagonists.
