International Journal of Research in Engineering Technology -– Volume 2 Issue 5, July - August 2017 RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS Social Realism in Henry Fielding’s “The History of Tom Jones a Foundling” 1D.Thenmozhi , 2P.Prabhakaran 1M.phil, Research scholar, 2Asst, Professor in English, Department of English, Prist University,Thanjavur, India Abstract: her maid, Mary Daniel, who proved to be a Henry fielding was born at Sharpham very good wife to him .In 1745 he started a Park, Glastonbury. His father was a third son paper and continued his career as a journalist. of John Fielding and he was the fifth son of In 1747 he was made the Justice of Peace and an earl of Desmond. The Desmond were a in writing his novels Tom Jones and Amelia , younger branch of the family of Denbigh. The Fielding who was well read and well educated house of fielding claimed kindred with that of has written poems and essays but in the Hapsburg. It had ranked among English history of English literature, he is well Known gentry since the twelfth century and in the as a novelist and and dramatist. The Apology century before the novelist birth. It had been for Mrs. Shamela Andrew was his first novel. ennobled by two peerages, the Earldom of It was not successful. Fielding’s four famous Denbigh in England and of Desmond in novels are joseph Andrew’sJonathan Wild , Ireland. Henry fielding was the great Tom Jones and Amelia . grandson of the first earl of Desmond of this creation but the course unconnected with the The eighteenth century saw the great Geraldines. They came to an end when development of the British empire in America they rebelled against Elizabeth.Henry and in India. Pitt became Prime Minister in Fiending wassent to a school at Elon. There 1751, and took a strong imperialistic attitude. he made friends with George. In the school Clive laid the foundation of the British Fielding acquired the knowledge classics. Empire in India by his victory at Plassey in Then he went to Leydon to continue his 1757. But American struggled for freedom studies. At the age of eighteen, Fielding fell in gained momentum and finally America love with the daughter of a local merchant. achieved freedom in 1783. As the century Henry Fielding expressed his feelings in verse drew to a close England had to deal with the which later revised and published in his French revolution, a mighty upheaval in Miscellanies. Fielding’s first play was human affairs. produced in 1728. It was followed by his According to Scott, Fielding considered his second play.For the next ten years he works as an experiment in British literature produced a large number of plays, of which and therefore he chose to prefix a preliminary ‘Tom Thumb’ a burlesque tragedy is the best. chapter to each book, explanatory of his own Fielding married Miss Charlotte Cradock of views and of the rules attached to this mode Salisbury. As his theatrical enterprises were of composition. In the opinion of these interfered by a new legislation in 1737, comments brings us into the charmed circle of Fielding turned to the law and was called to Fielding’s friends and of his favorites among the bar in 1740. After the publication of the the poets and moralists of the poet, in addition Mscellanies he devoted himself to law. In to the fictional character. Fielding’s intrusions 1744, his wife died and in 1747 he married have a distancing effect. ISSN: 2455-1341 http://www.engjournal.org Page 92 The readers are kept avert for the action and causal way, following one another, or arising its significance. They also import reality of out of one another, just as incidents do in real presentation to the novelist: they bring us into life. Yet at the end of the book it is discovered contact with Fielding’s wisdom about human that almost every one of these seemingly affairs which plays upon the deeds and trivial incidents –even such a detail as that of characters of the novel. These incidental a guide mistaking the road to Bristol has a comments further introduce the readers to necessary place in the train of events. The Fielding observant, reflective, humorous, whole of Tom Jones is full of suspense. The tolerant, and humane mind. Fielding is way the secret of Tom’s parentage is considered the Father of the English Novel preserved until the moment ordained by the because his works for the first time reveal all author for its revelation shows how Fielding those qualities and characters tics which we is a master of suspense. All that is related to generally associate with the novel. It is true the early part of the novel concerning that some of these character is tics appeared Partridges, and Jenny Jones, and the prudish in the story writings of some of his Miss Bridget Allworthy, is admirably predecessors, but never before Fielding do we calculated to mystify the reader and those find their deliberate and full expression at one who are willing to have suspense find a great place and in one significance, and make their deal of it in these events. The story of Tom proper use in his writings. In brief, Fielding Jones is winded up artistically by the writer. gave to the novel a larger, wider, higher, and All the problems here are solved. All the deeper range. He made it a piece of epic, of actions are consummated. All the chief drama and of history besides romance which characters, good and bad received appropriate it had hitherto been. Saintsbury aptly rewards or punishments. Nothing is left remarks,” Almost every kind of novels exists unaccounted for or undermined. There are no potentially in his four Pritchett remarks. In loose ends. The drama is played out .and the Fielding we are haunted by almost the whole curtain at last falls on a perfectly finished of the English novel. Page of Dickens, performance. The novelist winds up the story Thackeray, Meredith, even incongruously of in the novel artistically. At the end of the Kipling, Galsworthy and Wodehouse, become novel all the actions come to an end.All the confused in the general panorama”. Digeon is characters whether good or bad receive of the view that “upto the time of Meredith appropriate rewards or punishments and all and our most recent contemporaries, the the problems are solved. Nothing is left English Novel has followed Fielding’s law”. undetermined and there are no loose ends. The plot of Tom Jones has evoked the The plot of Tom Jones is closely knit with a admiration of practically all critics. “What a unity of design. Though there are digressions, master of composition Fielding was”! still there is compactness and there is no split Exclaimed Samuel Taylor Coleridge. “Upon in the plot, The plot in the novel is known my word I think the Oedipus Tyramus, the for its marked clarity and astute sense of Alchemist, and Tom Jones, the three most craftsmanship. Her character is ‘lily white’ perfect plots ever planned.” In Walter Scott’s She is as Lord Fellamar asked Lady opinion Tom Jones, was “the most masterly Bellaston, “ Who is this blazing star which example of an artful and well told novel.” you have produced among us all of a sudden. Thackeray pronounced the novel as “as work she is an angel. maid of the inn said about her, of construction, quite a wonder.” There is a If ever there was an angel upon earth, she was cause and effect relationship between now above-stairs.” “She is a sweet creature.” incidents. They seem to happen in the most ISSN: 2455-1341 http://www.ijretjournal.org Page 93 Speaking of Sophia’s amazing brightness and caused in the normally undisturbed and well- purity. regulated household had died down, Mr. Allworthy decided to Keep the baby boy, but Introduction. not without giving proper and lengthy Tom Jones is one of the earliest English admonitions to the suspected mother, a novel. It was hugely popular when it was first young domestic, Jeny Jones. Not long after published in 1749. It tells the story of the this amazing discovery, Miss Bridget was foundling Tom and his journey towards finally married to Captain Blifil and promptly adulthood and marriage. This journey is the became the mother of a son destined to inherit complicated one. Tom falls in love with Mr. Allworthy’s estate. She was almost as neighbor’s daughter, Discovers that he has a promptly widowed when her husband rival for his love in the shape of the suffered an attack of apoplexy, and the unpleasant Master Blifil and he is expelled rearing of the two children became her from MrAllworthy’s house after a series of responsibility. Not long after this amazing misadventures. His picaresque journey leads discovery, Miss Bridget was finally married him to encounter a vivid cast of characters to CapatainBlifil and promptly became the including robbers, soldiers, gypsies and mother of a son destined to inherit Mr. untrustworthy lawyers. Latter perhaps an arch Allworthy’s estate. Even before she left nod to fielding’s own legal career. home, indeed, as soon as he learned of their Tom Jones was written in a mock-epic style attachment, the Squire had sworn to disinherit in which Tom’s adventures are paralleled her and see her dead before he would consent with those of the heroes of classical to her union with such a penniless scoundrel. mythology. Whole all chapter are given up to As for Tom, many temptations were cast in seemingly irrelevant digression and the story his way to wean his from his single minded is frequently underscored with a bawdy devotion to Sophia, but through these all he humour that led Samuel Johnson to comment never lost sight of his goal.