Concetti Chiave
- Tom Jones, a foundling raised by Mr. Allworthy, faces challenges due to his impetuous nature and is both loved and resented, especially by Mr. Blifil.
- The love story between Tom and Sophia Western faces familial opposition, but through various adventures, they ultimately find happiness together.
- Fielding's satirical works, including Shamela Andrews and Joseph Andrews, critique superficial morality and draw inspiration from picaresque narratives and Cervantes' Don Quixote.
- Tom Jones is structured into 18 books, offering a rich depiction of 18th-century English life, with a focus on moral growth and a narrative style that emphasizes classical virtues.
- Fielding's comic style incorporates irony, elaborate descriptions, and circumlocutions, establishing him as a pioneer in defining the novel as a genre with roots in classical epics.
Henry Fienlding - Tom Jones
Tom Jones and His Story
Tom Jones is a foundling who has brought up by the country gentlemen Mr. Allworthy as if he was his son. Tom is strong, generous and intelligent and loved by everybody. He often runs into trouble because of his impetuous nature; he is attracted by women as they are to him. He is also hated bu Mr. Blifil, Allworthy’s nephew, a mean young man. The two boys are educated together; their tutors are a philosopher,( mr. Square) and a priest.
Love and Adventures of Tom and Sophia
Tomfalls in love with Sophia Western, a daughter of a country squire. Their relationship is opposed by the families, since Tom is illegittimate. But the love between the two young people is strong . When Tom is thrown out of the house of Mr. Allworthy because offalse accusations of blifil, Sophia runs away from home to join Tom. They have many adventures but finally the intricate plot is resolved ; Tom is cleared of all accusations and turns out to be Allworthy’ legitimate nephew and he is now able to marry Sophia.
He was born in
Fielding and His Satire
In the great debate that followed the appearance of this novel Fielding sided with the anti-pamelists and he reacted agaist the superfical morality of Pamela;so he wrote a satire of Pamela called Shamela Andrews ( shame-Pamela):in it a seires of bawdy letter were attributed to shamela.
Then he wrote the novel Joseph Andrews:it was in part a parody of Pamela but then develops into a picaresque story. This novel shows analogies with Cervantes’ Don Quixote, whiche Fielding greatly admired. In it Fielding created the pattern of his next major novel: Tom Jones. Both these works are comic stories centred on generous young man who makes several mistakes before he attains maturity. There are comic incidents and a variety of situations set in the country, in London and on the road.The characters grow up thamks to their love for beautiful and intelligent girls.
Fielding’s final yeaars were marked by illness and suffering. He kept working as judge and writing others novels. Then he moved to Lisbon for the better climate but died soon after his arrival.
Structure and Themes of Tom Jones
The novel Tom Jones is carefully constructed according to the augustan principles of harmony and balance:it’s divided into 18 books, exactly half-way of classic epics ( 12 aeneid; 24 iliad and odissey). Each book is introduced by a chapter of critical and philosophical reflections. These 18 books are divided into three-part scheme: in the first six the story is set in the english countryside; the nexy six describe Tom’s picaresque wanderings across England; the final six take place in London. The novel has a wide range because it’s a complete and rich picture of 18th century English life as in William Hogarth’s paintings. All aspects of contemporary english life are represented in Tom Jones, but unlike Defoe, Fielding doesn’t give us realistic descriptions or journalistic reports. Instead he chooses a classical narrative style to indicate moral progress in the main character. Tom Jones is a novel of growing up . at hte end of the story Tom has become a responsible and reliable young man. The novel’s happy ending has also a moral meaning: in this world there is a providence and evil doesn’t triumph over good. Under comic style of the novel, Fielding celebrates aristocratic and christian vitues: courage, generosity and benevolence.
Style and Contribution of Fielding
Fielding’s comic style is due to long elaborated and ironical descriptions, circumlocutions, understatements and comic metaphors. Irony is due to the comments of the all-knowing, or onmiscent,narrator, but also is implicit in the words and actions of the characters.
He was the first to write a theory of the novel as a genre, in the Preface he wrote to Joseph Andrews.In his desire to find antecedents in the classic epic for his work he defined it as a comic epic poem in prose, because the 18th century criticism accepted that a piece of well-written literary prose was also poetic.
Domande da interrogazione
- What is the central plot of "Tom Jones" by Henry Fielding?
- How does Fielding's "Tom Jones" reflect the structure and themes of classic epics?
- In what way did Fielding's work respond to the novel "Pamela"?
- What narrative style does Fielding employ in "Tom Jones," and what virtues does he celebrate?
- How did Fielding contribute to the development of the novel as a literary genre?
"Tom Jones" follows the story of a foundling raised by Mr. Allworthy, who falls in love with Sophia Western. Despite familial opposition and false accusations, Tom's adventures lead to the revelation of his true lineage, allowing him to marry Sophia.
The novel is divided into 18 books, mirroring the structure of classic epics like the Aeneid and the Iliad. It presents a comprehensive picture of 18th-century English life and emphasizes moral growth, with Tom maturing into a responsible young man by the end.
Fielding reacted against the superficial morality of "Pamela" by writing a satire called "Shamela Andrews" and later "Joseph Andrews," which began as a parody but evolved into a picaresque story, setting the stage for "Tom Jones."
Fielding uses a classical narrative style with irony and comic elements, celebrating aristocratic and Christian virtues such as courage, generosity, and benevolence, underlining the moral progress of the protagonist.
Fielding was the first to write a theory of the novel, defining it as a "comic epic poem in prose" in the preface to "Joseph Andrews," thus establishing a framework for the novel as a respected literary form.
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