|
w a s a
great success with the public. The same year
he entered the philological faculty o f the University at Leyden (a
Dutch city), but he had to leave his studies because he was unable
to pay his fees.
From 1728 till 1738 25 plays were written by Fielding. In his
best comedies “A Judge Caught in his Own Trap”(1730), “Don
Quixote in England” (1734), and “Pasquin” (1736) he mercilessly
exposed the English court o f law, the parliamentary system, the
corruption o f state officials and religion. But the censorship ofthe
stage put an end to Fielding’s career as a dramatist. The writer
had to earn his living by some means and he tried his pen as a
novelist. Besides, at the age of thirty he became a student o f a
University law faculty. On graduating, he became a barrister and
in 1748 accepted the post of magistrate. This work enlarged his
experience. Being unable todo away with social evils, he exposed
them in his books.
In the period from 1742to 1752 Fielding wrote his best novels.
’’Joseph Andrews” (1742) was written to ridicule Richardson’s
“Pamela”. He contrived this satire by reversing the situation in
the latter’s novel. Instead of the virtuous serving-maid, Fielding
presents Joseph as the chaste servant. Fielding’s purpose in this
first novel is nowhere a simple or direct one. Apart from the mo
tive o f satire, he is attracted, in a learned way, by the contrasts
between the novel, with its picture of humble, contemporary life,
and the classical epic. With this in mind he calls his novel “a comic
epic in prose”, and it leads him, with encouragement from
Cervantes, to introduce a burlesque element into the style and
frequently into the incident. “The Life o f Mr. Jonathan Wild the
Great” (1743) - the motive of satire completely dominated his
second narrative, in which he took the life o f a thief and receiver,
who had been hanged, as a theme for demonstrating the smali
division between a great rogue and a great soldier, or a great
politician. “The History o f Tom Jones, a Foundling” (1749) -
nothing iri his work compares with this great novel, so carefully
planned and executed that though the main theme follows Tom
Jones’s life from childhood onwards, the reader is kept in sus
pense until the close as to the final resolution o f the action.
“Amelia” (1752), his last novel and is less even in its success. He
idealizes the main woman character, and this leads to an excess
of pathos, which deprives the novel o f the balance possessed by
“Tom Jones”. All these novels were excellent but they did not
make him rich; only his publishers prospered. Fielding continued
to act as a judge till 1754. Then he had to leave England for Por
tugal to restore his health, which had begun to fail. But the warm
climate ofthe country did not help him; he died in Lisbon in Octo
ber 1754 and was buried there.
Fielding possessed qualities rarely found together; a rich
imagination, great critical power and keen knowledge ofthe human
heart. He used to say that the three essential qualities in a novelist
were genius, learning, and experience o f human nature. His
characters are all-round living being o f flesh and blood, a
combination o f contradictions o f good and bad. The virtues he
appreciates greatest are courage, frankness and generosity. The
most detestable vices for him are selfishness and hypocrisy. All
these found the expression in Fielding’s masterpiece “The History
of Tom Jones, a Foundling”. In this novel he has drawn one ofthe
great human characters o f English literature.
“The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling”
The novel consists o f eighteen books, each beginning with an
introductory chapter where the author discourses with the reader,
in a free easy manner, on certain moral and psychological themes.
The plot of the novel is very complicated; its construction is
carefully worked out, every detail being significant. Depicting
England of the 18lh century, Fielding touches upon all spheres of
life. He shows the courts o f law, the prison, the church, the homes
of people o f all classes, inns and highways, even the theatre. Many
peonie of different social ranks and professions are introduced.
The chsr'v of the book lies in the depiction o f Tom’s character.
He is a full-blooded human being, neither idealized nor ridiculed.
Hir. open, generous and passionate nature leads him into a ior.g
series of
'ires. Ton acts on impulse sometimes well and
sometimes ill, but never from interested motives. He is light-
minded and naive, but kind, honest and unselfish, always ready to
heir anyone who needs his assistance. His intentions are noble
and good, but he is simple-hearted. That’s why he often falls a
victim to prejudice and he is constantly accused o f vices he is not
guilt
In his ’’The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling” Fielding has
taken an ordinary young man. Tom’s parentage is unknown and
he had been left as a foundling on the doorstep o f Squire Allworthy.
As a matter of fact, he is illegitimate child of Allworthy’s sister
but this is not revealed till the end o f the story. Allworthy is a
gii'Tdian of another nephew too and the uncle rears the two
together. Tum is an open hearted type who always falls into trouble.
Blifil has hypocritic nature. He constantly tells on Tom and poisons
p . ••r-'c’s ’s mind against him. Tom falls out of Squire Allworthy’;
f:
j-:
as a result of one of his lapses (slight errors), a love affair
w ilh Molly Seagrim, a gamekeeper’s daughter. Squire sends Т о т
away. Tom sets oui on his travels, accom panied by
n\c
c choolmaster Partridge, a simple lovable creature, and meets wi-л
чпу adventures on the road after he leaves home.
c inal! Tom is discovered to be the son of Allworthy’s sister,
Blifii’s *—
~
5
ichery through the years comes to light. Tom is happily
united , the lovely Sophia Western, daughter of a country squire.
All ends happily.
Sentimentalists
As it was outlined above, towards the middle of the 18th century
a new literary trend appeared. It was sentimentalism. Ti:? frr^t
Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
