How does Joseph Andrews imitate Don Quixote?

Henry Fielding’s novel Joseph Andrews (1742) is explicitly described on its title page as being "Written in Imitation of the Manner of Cervantes, author of Don Quixote."12

Fielding utilizes this imitation to structure his work as a "comic Epic-Poem in Prose," moving beyond simple parody. While the novel begins as a burlesque of Samuel Richardson’s Pamela, it evolves into a broader work of irony and social criticism. The imitation of Cervantes is most evident in the relationship between the protagonist, Joseph Andrews, and his companion, Parson Adams. Much like the pairing of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Joseph and the parson embark on a series of adventures that serve to expose the hypocrisy and affectation of the society they encounter. Through their innocence and guilelessness, these characters function as vehicles for Fielding’s satire, mirroring the way Cervantes used his protagonists to navigate and critique the realities of his own time.213