Book report on The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling
Human nature in The History of Tom Jones, A FoundlingHenry Fielding, the greatest novelist of the eighteenth century, and one of the greatest that England ever produced. He had a deeper knowledge of life, gained from his own varied and sometimes riotous experience.
In 1794, Henry Fielding finally finished the book of The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling which introduces us a society of British in eighteenth century where good as nearly balances evil as it does in real life. Unlike earlier romance of chivalry, Henry Fielding writes this story by a new mood of realism. In his work, Fielding describes a battle between goodness and evilness by which he shows the inner side of human and strongly criticizes social relations in the contemporary England.
The novel tells the story of an illegitimate child, reared by a wealthy and generous squire Allworthy. With the child growing, what happened is the content of the book.
The theme of the story is human nature. The author writes “The Provision then which we have here made is no other than Human Nature nor can the learned Reader be ignorant, that in Human Nature, collected under one general Name, is such prodigious Variety, that the Cook will have sooner gone through all the several Species of animal and vegetable Food in the World, than an Author will be able exhaust so extensive a Subject. ”
As a whole, human has common characteristics. However, as a individual, everyone is unique even one has the characteristics of many contradictions. Henry Fielding creates several typical characters in this book, some of who make a deep impression on us. Under one general Name, there are such prodigious Variety, in which main role, Tom Jones, is a most successful character who owns contradictory attributes.
Tom is sincerely devoted to his foster father, admiring the benignity and sterling qualities of his personality. He would like to help anyone who needs help. For example, He helps Molly who is pregnant without a legal husband which is unbearable by people of that time; he saves Sophia who is riding on a horrified horse, broking his arm; he catches the bird for Sophia also can testify his good nature. It seems that Tom is actually “one of the best natured fellows alike.”
However, on the other hand, Tom does not always act rightly. “Small Things affect light Minds,” is the Sentiment of great Master of the Passion of Love. Then, Tom and Sophia fall in love with each other. But being jolly, open-hearted and very handsome, Tom is popular with girls and involved into several fleeting love affairs. He betrays Sophia in morality even though he loves her. In some sense, Tom is flippancy and can’t control himself. It is more obvious when he comes to London. His youthful folly and imprudence lead him into various love affairs and adventures, some of which imperil his very life. He almost lose Sophia’s love to him, because of his flippancy. Fortunately, he gets out of those troubles and marries with Sophia. In fact, Tom is not a perfect man but a real man. He is a typical person because of his shortages which is human nature. He remains closely related to the common people.
The principle of Henry Fielding is showing human nature by facility. When he describes Tom’s folly, he emphasizes real-life. What he writes is not a fairy tale but a actual object. He writes many contemptible hypocrites in many ways, which uncovers the essence of society and cruelty of human nature. In this book, Aristocrats and men set in authority embody all the evils.
And Blifil, a positive character, is a representation of evilness. As a young child, he is sly and perfidious. Having an eye to his uncle’s money, he evinces a hatred for Tom, fearing lest the legacy should fall into his hands. He blackens Tom in Mr. Allwrthy’s eyes by making him out as a shameless profligate. Then he tries his best to merry with Sophia for her money. What’s more, when Tom is in trouble, Blifil, intent on ruining his rival , spares no pains to secure a conviction for him.. However, Blifil’s perfidy and intrigues are finally laid bare, and the indignant Mr. Allworthy shows him the door. At the same time the old gentleman learns from his attorney of a letter which was addressed to him by his sister on her deathbed. Mr. Allworthy rejoiced by this news, reconciles with Tome, and makes him his heir. Blifil does his work in vain and get nothing in the end. To tell the truth, he is really most pathetic person with natural, unperverted feelings, and though “ for the sake of appearances”. He lives with cattiness not happiness. His wrong sense of value and rapacity lead his tragic result.
The only perfect person in this book, I think, is Sophia who is beautiful, kind and tough. Sophia, as a embodiment of beauty, the author’s ideal , is a beam of light in the darkness and gives people a beacon. She hates that hypocrisy which tries to conceal itself under a mask of morality; she refuses the wedding that her father threatens to marry her off by force to the rich heir young Blifil; and she suffers all kinds of hardships for Tom. At last, she forgives Tom easily. As the author say, she owns “good nature” that is the hope of human. From this book, we can see that the good overbalances the evil.
Henry Fielding makes up a complex story by many roles and fascinating details. His structure gains praise from all over the word and his viewpoints to human nature are accepted by people.
In addition, Henry Fielding also writes his attitude to human and life. There are much philosophy in them, such as “Mankind have always taken great Delight in knowing and descanting on the Actions of others.” and so on.
In a word, the book of The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling is a great literature in the history of human. I learn a lot from it, the way of writing, creating typical characters and so on.
[ 本帖最后由 Lemony 于 2009-1-8 21:53 编辑 ]
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