Tobias Smollett's final novel, 'The Expedition of Humphry Clinker', utilizes an epistolary format. How does the title character, Humphry, fit the traditional picaresque profile when he is first introduced?
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Correct answer: A ragged, impoverished country lad taken on as a servant after being found destitute.
Humphry Clinker is introduced as an awkward, shabby, and impoverished ostler who is hired by the Bramble family out of pure charity. While the novel focuses on a family's travel letters, Humphry's adventures, misfortunes, and ultimate discovery of his true parentage mirror classic picaresque trajectories. His simple piety and clumsy good nature subvert the typical cynical persona of the picaro.
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