A Comprehensive Critical Analysis of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

 

Critical commentaries about Tom Jones

Samuel Taylor Coleridge praised Tom Jones as one of the three most perfect plots ever planned. He admired the novel's structural unity and its intricate, well-crafted storyline. He noted Fielding’s ability to masterfully handle the plot, character development, and the balance between humor and morality.

William Hazlitt regarded Fielding as a novelist who understood human nature better than most. He commented on how Tom Jones embodies the complexities of human behavior, describing the characters are verisimilitude in nature. Hazlitt highlighted Fielding’s use of humor, suggesting that the novel’s humor was integral in exposing human follies.

Sir Walter Scott was an admirer of Fielding’s talent for combining high and low comedy with moral instruction. He acknowledged that Tom Jones is a story not only of adventure and romance but also of moral reflection, he also remarks its inherent didactic quality. He appreciated Fielding's ability to present an entertaining yet instructive narrative.

 
E.M. Forster, in his work Aspects of the Novel, pointed out how Fielding's Tom Jones fits perfectly into the model of the picaresque novel. Forster noted that Fielding’s omniscient narration is essential in guiding the reader’s understanding of the characters and events.

A noted literary critic, George Saintsbury emphasized Fielding's contribution to the development of the English novel. He considered Tom Jones a significant work in shaping the modern novel’s form, praising Fielding’s style as straightforward, lively, and insightful. Saintsbury believed that Fielding combined realism with a sense of ethical responsibility, presenting an entertaining yet morally conscious narrative.

 

A Comprehensive Critical Analysis of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

Henry Fielding’s The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1749) is regarded as one of the greatest novels of the 18th century. It is a picaresque novel that blends adventure, romance, and social critique, all the while maintaining a comic tone…..

Tom Jones stands out for its well-organized structure and plot development. Fielding famously divides the novel into 18 books, following the classical structure inspired by Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Samuel Taylor Coleridge praised Tom Jones for having one of the most perfect plots ever conceived. Fielding’s use of the three-part structure such as departure, adventure and return, creates a well- crafted narrative frame.
The novel is a model of the well-made plot, with a beginning that introduces the central problem (Tom’s origin and adoption), a middle filled with action and complications (Tom’s expulsion, adventures, and love affairs), and an end that resolves all the conflicts and unveils the truth about Tom’s birth. The conclusion ties up the storylines.

Fielding's omniscient narrative voice is essential to the novel's tone and its balance of irony and moral instruction. The narrator frequently breaks the fourth wall, directly addressing the reader with comments on the narrative, on human nature, and even on the nature of the novel itself. This metafictional technique reveals Fielding’s reflections on the act of storytelling and his engagement with the genre of the novel at a time when it was still developing as a form.

From a narratological perspective, the omniscient narrator serves multiple functions. The narrator is not merely a storyteller but also a commentator, offering a moral and philosophical dimension to the story. This technique offers both psychological insight and irony, as the narrator can critique the characters' motives and actions while also creating empathy for them.

A psychoanalytic reading of Tom Jones would explore the psychological motivations behind the characters’ actions, particularly Tom’s relationships with women. Tom’s behavior, especially his sexual escapades, could be seen as the reflection of Id, to satisfy his basic instinct. His liaisons with characters like Molly Seagrim, Lady Bellaston, and Sophia Western reveal a desire to fill the emotional void left by his lack of a biological mother figure.

Tom Jones, can be well analysed through feminist perspective, focusing on how women are portrayed and the dynamics of power between the sexes. Female characters in the novel can be divided into two primary categories: the virtuous and the corrupt. Sophia Western is the embodiment of idealized femininity—beautiful, chaste, and morally upright—while characters like Lady Bellaston and Molly Seagrim represent sexual licentiousness and social transgression.

A feminist critique may point out that Tom Jones upholds traditional gender norms. Women’s worth is frequently evaluated based on their chastity and adherence to societal expectations, while men like Tom are granted greater sexual freedom. Tom’s immoral nature is excused or even celebrated as part of his development, while the sexual activity of women like Molly and Lady Bellaston leads to their marginalization or social punishment.

Remarkably, the novel highlights the patriarchal control over women’s lives. Sophia’s father, Squire Western, treats her as a mere commodity, attempting to marry her off for political or economic advantage, while ignoring her desires. The novel critiques this system to some extent, particularly through its portrayal of Sophia as a strong-willed character.

A Marxist reading of Tom Jones focuses on the novel’s exploration of class mobility, property, and economic power. Tom’s status as a foundling positions him as a marginal figure within society, lacking both wealth and a known family background. His journey throughout the novel can be seen as a struggle to attain social and economic stability, paralleling the upward mobility sought by many individuals in 18th-century Britain.

The novel critiques the rigidity of the class system but also reflects the ideology of the emerging middle class. Characters like Blifil, who represent inherited wealth and privilege, are portrayed negatively, while Tom’s virtues—honesty, generosity, and sincerity are eventually rewarded, despite his low birth.

 

Fielding also critiques the hypocrisy of characters like Thwackum and Square highlights the exploitation of moral authority for personal gain, a theme that resonates with Marxist critiques of ideology.

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Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones features a wide range of female characters, each representing different aspects of 18th-century English society and contributing to the novel's exploration of gender roles, morality and class.

 

Sophia Western

   Sophia Western is the novel's heroine and the love interest of Tom Jones. She is portrayed as virtuous, intelligent, and independent. Sophia is the epitome of the ideal woman of her time, embodies purity and moral integrity, but she also demonstrates a strong sense of agency, making her stand out as a progressive character for the 18th century. Sophia’s chastity and goodness contrast sharply with the unscrupulous nature of Tom and other characters. She resists the pressures of society, particularly from her father, Squire Western, to marry Blifil, thus emphasizing her strength of character. Unlike many female characters in the literature of the time, Sophia is not passive. She repeatedly takes matters into her own hands, fleeing from her home to escape a forced marriage. This act of defiance, coupled with her unwavering love for Tom despite his flaws, marks her as a woman with considerable personal agency, highlighting Fielding’s notion of asserting female independence. While Sophia is a symbol of idealized virtue, Fielding also imbues her with emotional depth. She is deeply hurt by Tom’s promiscuity, and her internal struggles make her more than just a static emblem of goodness. Her humanity is revealed in her capacity for forgiveness, demonstrating that true virtue lies not in perfection but in understanding and compassion.

 

Molly Seagrim

   Molly Seagrim is a servant girl who has a sexual relationship with Tom. She represents a more earthy, sensual aspect of femininity, contrasting sharply with the refined and virtuous Sophia. Molly’s character embodies the struggles of lower-class women in the 18th century, who had fewer opportunities for social mobility. Molly is not depicted as purely immoral or corrupt. Rather, she is resourceful and pragmatic, using the limited means available to her to survive in a world that offers little support or protection for women of her class.

 

Lady Bellaston

   Lady Bellaston is an aristocratic woman who attempts to seduce Tom. She is wealthy, powerful, and manipulative, using her social position to pursue her desires. Lady Bellaston represents a corrupting influence in the novel and serves as a critique of the upper classes’ moral decadence.

Through Lady Bellaston, Fielding critiques the moral corruption of the aristocracy. Her character contrasts with Sophia’s virtuousness, as she uses her position to indulge in selfish and manipulative behaviors. Fielding uses her to expose the dangers of power without virtue, highlighting how wealth and privilege can lead to moral degradation.

 

 

Jenny Jones

   Jenny Jones is initially suspected to be Tom’s mother, though it is later revealed that she only helped to conceal his true parentage. Her role in the plot is crucial, as she sets the novel’s events in motion by leaving Tom at Squire Allworthy’s estate. Jenny is one of the few female characters in the novel who is portrayed as intellectually superior. She is educated and uses her intelligence to navigate the limitations placed on her by society. Her ability to keep Tom’s secret for so long demonstrates her resourcefulness and loyalty. Jenny’s character highlights the limitations imposed on women, particularly those of lower social standing. Despite her intelligence, she is still subject to social judgment and is forced into difficult positions because of her gender and class