Chapter I. A major representative of English enlightenment literature

2.2 Bestseller novel of Henry Fielding. Tom Jones

Tom Jones

In Tom Jones, Fielding moved beyond the limited aims of each of his previous works into a more comprehensive moral and aesthetic vision. No longer bound by the need to attack Richardson nor the attempt to define a specific fictional form, such as the moral fable or the comic epic-poem in prose, Fielding dramatized the positive values of the good man in a carefully structured narrative held together by the guiding voice of the narrator. This narrator unifies, in a consistent pattern, Fielding’s concern for both the truthfulness of his moral vision and the best way to reach the widest audience. The structure of Tom Jones, like that of Joseph Andrews, is based on the secularization of the spiritual pilgrimage. Tom must journey from his equivocal position as foundling on the country estate of Squire Allworthy (Paradise Hall) to moral independence in the hellish city of London. He must learn to understand and control his life. When he learns this lesson, he will return to the country to enjoy the plenitude of paradise regained that providence allows him. He must temper his natural, impetuous charity with the prudence that comes from recognition of his own role in the larger social structure. In precise terms, he must learn to control his animal appetites in order to win the love of SophiaWestern and the approval of Allworthy. This lesson is rewarded not only by his gaining these two goals, but by his gaining the knowledge of his parentage and his rightful place in society. He is no longer a “foundling.”
Unlike the episodic journey of Joseph Andrews, Tom Jones adapts the classical symmetry of the epic in a more conscious and precise way. The novel is divided into eighteen books. Some of the books, such as 1 and 4, cover long periods of time and are presented in summary form, with the narrator clearly present; others cover only a few days or hours, with the narrator conspicuously absent and the presentation primarily scenic. The length of each book is determined by the importance of the subject, not the length of time covered.
The books are arranged in a symmetrical pattern. The first half of the novel takes Tom from his mysterious birth to his adventures in the Inn at Upton; the second half takes him from Upton to London and the discovery of his parentage. Books 1 through 6 are set in Somerset at Squire Allworthy’s estate and culminate with Tom’s affair with Molly. Books 7 through 12 are set on the road to Upton, at the Inn, and on the road from Upton to London; the two central books detail the adventures at the Inn and Tom’s affair with Mrs. Waters. Books 13 through 18 take Tom to London and begin with his affair with Lady Bellaston.
Within this pattern, Fielding demonstrates his moral thesis, the education of a “good man,” in a number of ways: through the narrative (Tom’s behavior continually lowers his moral worth in society); through characters (the contrasting pairs of Tom and Blifil, Allworthy and Western, Square and Thwackum, Molly and Lady Bellaston); and through the voice of the narrator.
Fielding extends the role of the narrator in Tom Jones, as teller of the tale, as moral guide, and as literary commentator and critic. Each of these voices was heard in Joseph Andrews, but here they come together in a unique narrative persona. Adopting the role of the stagecoach traveler, the narrator speaks directly to his fellow passengers, the readers. He is free to digress and comment whenever he feels appropriate, and there is, therefore, no need for the long interpolated tales such as appeared in Joseph Andrews.
To remind his readers that the purpose of fiction is aesthetic as well as moral, the narrator often comments on literary topics: “Of the Serious in Writing, and for What Purpose it is introduced”; “A wonderful long chapter concerning the Marvelous”; “Containing Instructions very necessary to be perused by modern Critics.” Taken together, these passages provide a guide to Fielding’s literary theory as complete as the preface to Joseph Andrews.
Characters in the novel Tom Jones.
Tom Jones is a lengthy novel with many characters and subplots. Only the most significant characters will be listed here, divided into major and minor characters necessary to understand the plot. The main characters of the book are the families of two neighboring estates in Somersetshire. The major character is Tom Jones. Found abandoned by Allworthy as a baby, Tom grows up to be handsome and athletic. Despite his good heart, he often acts impulsively. His fighting and extramarital sex get him kicked out of Allworthy’s house until his mother is revealed to be Allworthy’s sister. The son of Bridget and Captain Blifil, Blifil is raised thinking he is the only rightful inheritor of the estate and sees himself as Tom’s superior. Despite being Tom's brother, he has an entirely opposite personality. Mean and selfish, Blifil plots to have Tom kicked out of the house for his own benefit and persists in trying to marry Sophia even though she hates him. The daughter of Allworthy’s neighbor, Sophia Western is the picture of beauty, innocence, and high moral standards. She falls in love with Tom, and while it breaks her heart to disobey her father, she refuses to marry the match he chooses for her and runs away. A wealthy landowner, Allworthy acts as a father to both Tom and Blifil. He is a philanthropist, freely giving large amounts of money to people in need. Allworthy has good intentions but is easily deceived by those who do not. Sophia’s father and Allworthy’s neighbor, Squire Western’s sole interests are hunting and drinking. He adores his daughter but believes that he has an absolute right to arrange her marriage. He flies into a rage whenever this is questioned.
Tom Jones is divided into 18 books. The book-by-book summary below is not exhaustive but provides an outline of the basic plot developments and the subplots that are necessary to appreciate or understand it. The novel opens with a description of Paradise Hall, an idyllic rural estate in 18th-century Somersetshire inhabited by Allworthy and his sister. One day, after returning from an extended trip to London, Allworthy discovers that a baby has been left in his bed. He calls his maid and, despite her objections, has the baby taken care of and begins to love it as though it were his own. A short investigation in a nearby village produces a mother in Jenny Jones, who does not deny her guilt and is sent out of town, and a teacher named Partridge, who denies everything but is denounced by his own wife. He loses his job and leaves town. Allworthy’s sister, Bridget, marries an angry, conceited man and has a son with him shortly before he dies of a stroke. The abandoned baby, Tom Jones, grows up in the Allworthy household with Blifi, Bridget’s son. They are educated by two private tutors, Thwackum and Square, with Allworthy supervising. The tutors, along with Bridget and Blifil, often show disdain for Tom because he is an illegitimate child. Tom tends to get into fights and other kinds of trouble, but is a kind and genuine person. In contrast, Blifil has the outward appearance of virtue but is often sneaky and malicious.Tom spends increasingly more time hunting with Squire Western, who admires his skill and courage. He becomes close to Western’s beautiful daughter, Sophia, who soon falls in love with him. Tom, thinking that his illegitimacy and lack of wealth make him an unsuitable match, is oblivious to her love for him. Tom has meanwhile developed a relationship with Molly Seagrim, the beautiful but poor daughter of an erstwhile gamekeeper. Molly is pregnant, and Tom is certain he’s the father. He slowly realizes that Sophia is in love with him but feels obligated to marry Molly until he finds Square, his philosophy tutor, in bed with her and learns that she has yet a third lover who is the real father of the baby. Tom breaks it off with Molly but still feels unable to pursue Sophia because of his low social position. Shortly after, Allworthy gets sick. His doctors fear that his life may be in danger. As Tom, Blifil, Square, and Thwackum are gathered around the sick bed, a lawyer comes with urgent news for Allworthy. Hearing that he is on his deathbed, he delivers the letter to Blifil. The letter contains the news that Blifil’s mother has died suddenly and unexpectedly while out of town. Against all advice, Blifil insists on delivering this news to Allworthy immediately. Allworthy is upset, but his condition does not worsen. After Allworthy begins to recover, Tom gets drunk in order to celebrate and blow off steam. In his drunken state, he gets into a fight with Blifil, storms off, finds Molly, and is about to make love to her in the forest when he is discovered by Thwackum and Blifil, who he proceeds to fistfight. Blifil, Square, and Thwackum present these actions to Allworthy as a drunken rampage in celebration of his impending death. Allworthy kicks Tom out of the house but gives him a 500-pound check, instructing him never to contact him again. Squire Western’s sister notices that Sophia is in love, incorrectly identifying Blifil rather than Tom as her beloved. She brings this to her brother’s attention, and he is delighted by the idea that his daughter marry Blifil, combining the two largest and wealthiest estates in Somersetshire.