Contents introduction Chapter I. Henry Fielding – a biography

CHAPTER ll. TOM JONES- IN CONTEXT
2.1. The Plot
The events of the novel occupy eighteen books. The book begins with the narrator saying that the purpose of the novel will be to explore "human nature".
and the wealthy squire Allworth and his sister Bridget are introduced to a wealthy estate in Somerset. Allworthy returns from London after a long business trip and finds an abandoned baby sleeping in his bed. He calls housewife Deborah Wilkins to take care of the baby. After a search of a nearby village , Mrs. Wilkins learns that the crime may have been committed by a young woman named Jenny Jones, a servant of a school teacher and her wife. Jenny is brought before Allvertis , and confesses that she is the baby's mother, but refuses to reveal her father's identity. Mister. Allworthy, out of compassion, takes Jenny to a place where her reputation is unknown and orders her sister to raise the child, whom she names Thomas, in her home.⁷
Ikki aka-uka, doctor Blyfil and Captain Blyfil regularly visit the Allworthy property. Hoping to marry Dr. Allworthy's fortune, he introduces Captain Bridget. The couple will get married soon. After the marriage, Captain Blifil begins to treat his brother coldly, which forces him to eventually leave home for London. He does so and soon dies from a "broken heart". Captain Blyfil and his wife treat each other coldly, and one evening the former is found dead of apoplexy after his usual walk before supper. By this time, she had given birth to a child who grew up with the evil Tom. Captain Blyfil 's son , known as Master Blyfil, was an unsuccessful and jealous boy who plotted against Tom.
Tom grows up to be an energetic and passionate, but at the same time an honest and kind young man. He tends to be closer to servants and players than nobles. He is a close friend of Black George, a gambler. Her first love is Molly, Black George's second daughter and local beauty. She lashes out at Tom, who makes her pregnant and then offers to protect her. But after a while, Tom Molly finds out that he is some kind of prostitute. He then falls in love with Sophia Wester, the favorite daughter of a nearby squid. After Tom breaks his arm saving Sophia, Tom and Sophia confess their love to each other. Tom's unfortunate position causes Sophia to reject the love of her father and Allworthy. These class frictions allow Fielding to bite social commentary. The inclusion of prostitution and sexual prostitution in the plot was also an innovation for its time and served as a basis for criticism of the book's "inferiority".
Squire Allworthy falls ill and is convinced that he is dying. While he manages his property, his family and servants gather in bed. He gives a decent portion of his fortune to Tom Jones, who does not like Master Blifil . Tom doesn't care what he was given, because his only concern is Allworthy 's health . Allworthy 's health is improving and we know he is alive. Tom Jones is so excited that he starts getting drunk and fighting Master Blyfill . Sophia wants to hide her love for Tom, so she turns her attention to Blifil when the three of them are together . This leads Aunt Sophia to believe that Mrs. Western has fallen in love with Sophia and Blifila . The Squire wants West Sophia to marry Blifil in order to get property from Allworthy . Blifil is outraged to learn of Sophia's true love for Tom Jones. Blifil tells Allworthy that on the day he almost died, Tom was drinking, singing and celebrating his imminent death. This results in Tom being chased away.
Exiled from the Allworthy estate, he begins his adventures across Britain and eventually ends up in London. Along the way, he meets a barber named Partridge, who was banished from town for being thought to be Tom's father. He becomes Tom's loyal companion in hopes of restoring his reputation. During their journey, they stumble upon an inn. While they are there, a woman and her servant arrive. An angry man arrives and the housekeeper points out the direction he thinks he should go. He attacks Tom and Mrs. Waters, whom Tom rescues in bed together. But the man went looking for Mrs. Fitzpatrick. Sophia and her maid arrive at the same hotel, and Partridge unknowingly reveals the relationship between Tom and Mrs. Waters. Sophia leaves with her cousin Mrs. Fitzpatrick and heads to London. They come to Mrs. Bellaston's house , then to Tom and Partridge's house. In the end, Tom tells Sophia that his true love is for no one else. Tom duels Mr. Fitzpatrick, which results in his imprisonment.
Eventually, the secret of Tom's birth is revealed after a brief scare involving Mrs. Waters. Mrs. Waters is indeed Jenny Jones, Tom's mother, and Tom fears that she is related. However, it's not so much that Tom's mother is actually Bridget Allworthy, who got pregnant by him after an affair with a school teacher. So, Tom Squire is Allworth 's nephew . Upon learning of the intrigues of Blifil , Tom's half-brother, Allworthy decides to give Tom most of his inheritance. Once Tom's real parents are known, he and Sophia marry as Squire Wester no longer has any doubts about marrying Tom's daughter. Sophia Tom gives birth to a son and a daughter, and the couple live happily on the prayers of Squire Western and Squire Allworthy.
The story begins when Bridget Allworth hides her illegitimate son in her brother's bed, as Allworthy sees natural compassion - compassion - give him a home and security. Allworthy decides to raise a child named Thomas as his own son. Bridget pays Jenny Jones to play Tom's mother. Jenny was a teacher at the local school and servant of Mr. Partridge and his wife. Although Jenny refuses to mention Tom's father's name, Allworthy generously sends him to start a new life instead of handing him over to Bridewell . Bridget marries Captain John Blyfil, who has a son named Blyfil . After Partridge accuses her husband of having an affair with Jenny, rumors reach Allworthy that Partridge is Tom's father . Allworthy does not believe in Partridge's refusal and refuses to support Partridge's school. The partridge's wife soon dies, and he leaves the church in poverty. Bridget soon becomes a widow.
Blifil and Tom are brought up with Mr. Reverend. Twakum and the philosopher Mr. Square as a mentor. Sophia West, the daughter of her mother and neighbor Squire, impresses everyone with the vigilant, pious, and cautious Blifil . Twakum and Square dislike Tom, who has few friends other than black gambler George Sigrum . Blifil fires Allworthy Black George after he "tells tales" about his poaching. Tom's lack of natural generosity and prudence drives him to do whatever it takes to help Black George and his family, including his daughter Molly. Among other things, Tom sells gifts from Allworthy, which is a problem when Blifil "tells more tales".
Sophia loves Tom when they are still children, but she develops the same and opposite dislike for Blifil . His hatred and distrust of Blyfil intensifies when he frees the bird Tom gave him, little Tommy, and the hawk kills him. Tom loves it when Squire West tries to save the bird, and Tom spends most of his time in the western territory. Tom is unaware of Sophia's growing affection, and although he admires her, his sense of honor prevents her from continuing to work. However, Tom's honor is no match for Molly Seagrim's antics, and they are related. Molly becomes pregnant, as do the events surrounding Tom and Sofia's reunion.⁸
When he learns that Tom is not Molly's first (or only) lover, his conscience gives him the freedom to love Sophia, but as a "founder" he knows he has no chance of getting married. He decides not to see Sophia again, but he loves her very much. Around this time, Allworthy falls ill, and while he is on his "deathbed", news arrives of the death of attorney Dooling Bridget. He is seen by Blifil , who tells the recovering Allworthy about his mother's death but not about Bridget's letter about Tom. Tom Allworthy celebrates drunk when he hears that he is no longer in danger.
Soon after, Tom fights Twakum and Blyfil after seeing a chance encounter between him and Molly . Sophia, her aunt, and her father meet after a fight, and when Sophia passes out, Mrs. Wester thinks Blifil is bothering her . Mrs. Western introduces a contented Squire-West to the "truth" that she loves Sophia Blyfil . Sophia confesses her love to an innocent Tom and foils her father's grand plans to establish a connection between West and the Allworthy estates. An enraged West threatens to have Sophia imprisoned until she agrees to marry Blifil, which hastens her flight to London. At the same time, Blifil talks about Tom's quarrel and drunkenness during Allworthy 's illness .
Allworthy expel Tom from Paradise Hall.
Tom is on his way to Gloucester, where he meets Dowling by chance. Along the way, he strikes up a "professional acquaintance" with Benjamin, a barber surgeon who is likely Tom's father, Partridge. Partridge convinces Tom that he is not his father, and they agree that they will continue the journey together. Tom soon helps a woman in a difficult situation. She calls herself Mrs. Waters. Tom helps Mrs. Waters get to the nearest hotel in Upton, where they go to bed, but they are stopped by Mr. Fitzpatrick looking for his wife. Events prevent Ms. Waters from meeting with Partridge.
Incidents like this prevent Tom from meeting Sophia after he runs away from his father and arrives at the inn. Sophia's cousin travels to London to stay with Lady Bellaston . Sophia learns about Tom's relationship with Mrs. Waters from the maid at the inn and pays to take her bun to Tom's room. When the Squire arrives to pursue West Sophia, he accuses Tom of stealing the clutch, but Tom is "acquitted" by the local court. Tom and West separately escort Sophia to London. Tom meets Dowling again, and Dowling coaxes Tom into revealing what he knew (and didn't know) about his exile from Heaven Hall. On the way to London, Tom loves the new traveller, but shows mercy by letting him go.
Sophia arrives in London and tries to meet Mrs. Bellaston Tom at a masquerade ball. Tom initially believes her to be Sophia's cousin Mrs. Fitzpatrick, who was the "assistant" in the search for Sophia. Lady Bellaston accepts Tom as her lover, and Tom reluctantly agrees because he believes Mrs. Bellaston will take him to Sofia. However, Tom's annoyance puts this connection in a different category compared to his previous carefree relationship. When Mrs. Bellaston invites Tom to her home, Tom realizes that she is lost, with the false belief that Sophia will disappear. Lady Bellaston exacts revenge on Lord Fellamar for Tom's escape by setting up Sophia's rape and Tom's suppression in the gang. However, the accidental arrival of Squire Western stopped the attack on Sophia. So not so lucky.⁹
Believing that Tom was romantically involved with his wife, Mr. Fitzpatrick only escapes because he is dueling. Tom Fitzpatrick is imprisoned after being "mortally wounded". Fielding learns that Blifil has given the case to Dowling, an Allworthy and Western lawyer . Blyfil secretly orders Dowling to do whatever it takes to secure Tom's trial, but his plan backfires when Dowling mistakenly refers to Mrs. Waters, Mr. Fitzpatrick 's "fellow traveler" after the Upton Inn incident. Fitzpatrick recovers and all charges against Tom are dropped. Partridge sees Mrs. Waters, recognizes her as Jenny Jones , and believes Tom was related to his mother for a time. However, this speeds up the revelation of Dowling's role as Tom's real parent, Blifil's agent , and Blifil 's attempts to hide a letter from Bridget, who acknowledges Tom as her son. Tom and Allworthy reconcile.
West, knowing that Tom is Allworthy's heir, wants a marriage between Tom and Sophia as much as he has ever resisted. Sophia Tom is still angry about her relationship with Mrs. Bellaston , but she still seems to love him, follows his heart, and shares West's desires. Tom and Sophia leave for the country as a happy couple, and Blifil is expelled, just like Tom once was.
The narrator
The visible narrator is a key feature of Tom Jones. Each book begins with an introductory chapter that speaks directly to the reader, and during the main action, the narrator constantly comments on the characters and events.
According to Wayne K. Booth, the reader's relationship with the narrator is similar to that of a subplot. Throughout the book, we become more connected to the narrator, which ends with a heartfelt goodbye. His presence reassures us of Tom's primordial goodness and provides a general response to the main event: his "wisdom, knowledge and benevolence... immersed in the book world, setting its humorous tone between extreme sentimental condescension and hateful rage, and... Save the world of Tom's hypocrites and idiots .
Upton hotel fight
Realism
Fielding presents a panorama of modern British life, drawing characters from different classes and professions. But the psychological depth of these characters has been criticized. In The Rise of the Novel, Ian Watt argues that the details of life used by contemporary authors such as Fielding Richardson and internal psychology do not aim for "representational realism". Instead, Watt points out, Fielding focuses more on "estimation realism": a way of intelligently covering a wide range of topics in a novel and "a rational evaluation of life".