of Holburn where Tom spends his first night in London, other minor places add to the novel’s topographical and sociological realism. These include White’s Chocolate House, a fashionable gambling club; Will’s and Button’s Coffee House; clubs for wits and writers; Broughton’s Amphitheater on Oxford Road, a popular site for prizefighting by boxing, cudgels, and broadswords; Lombard Street, a middle-class neighborhood of bankers, merchants, and goldsmiths; the Hedge Tavern near Aldersgate and Deptford, two disreputable, low-class neighborhoods; Hanover and Grosvenor Squares, neighborhoods of the elegant upper classes; Doctors Commons, an ecclesiastical court at which marriage licenses can be obtained; and Goodman’s Fields and Drury Lane, theaters whose audiences show cross-sections of the social classes.

Three London scenes are most thematically important. One is Mrs. Miller’s house in Bond Street where Tom lodges along with another young boarder, Nightingale, whose father threatens to disown him because he wishes to marry for love rather than money. Another is the masquerade at the Opera House in the Haymarket, where Lady Bellaston begins her seduction of Tom. Considered a sinful and shameful place by Fielding and other authors, a masquerade is the perfect setting to focus themes of appearance versus reality, deceit, and subterfuge that have run through the novel.

Gatehouse

Gatehouse. London prison in which Tom is held in a scene that frames character and theme. He is fixed there in despair because he mistakenly thinks that he has shown ingratitude to Squire Allworthy, that he has lost Sophia because of his indiscretions, that he has engaged in incest with his mother, that he has killed Fitzpatrick in a duel, and that he will be hanged for murder. The prison is the setting for Tom’s dark night of the soul when his wisdom is born and where his past good will and charity become known and his redemption becomes complete. He can then be happily reborn as the true nephew of Squire Allworthy, marry his Sophia, and return to the country and his inheritance of Paradise Hall.

The Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment emerged in the late seventeenth century and profoundly influenced the entire eighteenth century in Europe and America. This period earned its name because the intellectuals who drove it believed that their ideas were guiding humanity out of an era dominated by superstition and ignorance. Central to this era was the belief that human reason—not unquestioning faith in religious doctrines or authorities—was the key to wisdom in all aspects of life.

Also known as the Age of Reason, this period was ignited by groundbreaking scientific discoveries, such as Newton’s law of gravity, and new philosophical directions from thinkers like John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Human reason was beginning to unravel the mysteries of the physical world and envision new types of societies. Consequently, it seemed that reason, liberated from longstanding superstitions, could usher humanity into a new golden age.

This shift from faith to reason marked a significant turning point, impacting not only religion and philosophy but also science, politics, economics, and other fields. The new philosophy proposed that understanding and knowledge arise from observation and experience rather than being innate or traditionally handed down. This suggested that everyone had the capacity to learn, strongly advocating for universal education. The notion that everyone could attain knowledge and wisdom led to the idea of equality. If all individuals had the potential to learn and act wisely, then everyone should have the opportunity to vote, advance socially and economically, govern themselves, and more. Unsurprisingly, the Age of Reason directly paved the way for the Age of Revolution in Europe and America.

By the time Fielding wrote Tom Jones, the Enlightenment was more than half a century old. Its principles are evident in Fielding’s narrative approach. Tom’s growth and understanding of life are not imposed by religious teachings or authorities; instead, they develop through his own experiences and observations of cause and effect. Although Squire Allworthy often advises Tom to be more prudent, Tom doesn’t fully grasp the meaning or importance of this advice until he repeatedly violates the principle of prudence and witnesses the consequences. He gains wisdom through his own experiments.

In a similar vein, Tom becoming Allworthy’s heir reflects the societal changes of the era. In earlier times, an heir would have been selected based on strict societal norms, disregarding the personal qualities of the individuals involved. Despite Blifil's despicable nature, he would have undoubtedly become Allworthy’s heir simply because he was Bridget’s only legitimate son. Tom, being born out of wedlock, would have been automatically excluded from consideration. The rise of Enlightenment individualism led to a gradual loosening of rigid social classes and a breaking of traditional conventions. However, this shift was not complete. Fielding illustrates the ongoing tension between old and new values through characters like Squire Western, who only agrees to Sophia marrying Tom once it is revealed that at least one of Tom’s parents was from the upper class and that he stands to inherit Allworthy’s fortune.

The Jacobite Rebellions

The Jacobites were British citizens who aimed to reinstate the exiled Catholic Stuart dynasty on the British throne. Their name is derived from the Latin word for “James”; their initial objective was to place James Stuart, the half-brother of Queen Anne (who reigned from 1702 to 1714), as the ruler of Britain instead of the Protestant George I. The First Jacobite Rebellion, which was unsuccessful, occurred in 1715 following Queen Anne’s death and George I’s accession to the throne.

During the 1740s, Britain was engaged in multiple conflicts with France—in Europe, America, India, and at sea. The Jacobites saw the government’s preoccupation with these wars as a chance to once again attempt to reclaim the British throne for the Stuarts. Prince Charles Edward, the grandson of James II (Queen Anne’s predecessor) and known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, led Scottish forces in capturing Edinburgh and marched south towards London. His goal was to garner enough English support to place his father on the throne instead of George I. However, he failed to gain widespread backing in England and was soon defeated.

The Second Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 is briefly mentioned in book VII of Tom Jones, when Tom, having been expelled from Allworthy’s home and losing hope of finding Sophia, temporarily joins the rebellion.

Epic, Picaresque, and Epistolary

Fielding blends aspects of several traditional literary genres in Tom Jones. Firstly, the novel incorporates elements from epic poems, such as Homer’s Odyssey. In fact, within the novel, Fielding, as the narrator, refers to the book as a “prosai-comi-epic,” signifying a comic epic written in prose.

An epic features a strong protagonist who performs heroic deeds and encompasses a broad scope of action, meaning the events span a wide range of time and location. Tom Jones meets all these epic criteria.

Secondly, Tom Jones includes components of the picaresque novel, which has its origins in Spain. A picaresque novel features a roguish hero (known as a picaro in Spanish) and is episodic and more loosely structured compared to an epic. A picaresque is essentially “one event after another,” with the only common thread being that all occurrences happen to the main character. Many picaresques revolve around a journey and often satirize the society in which the story unfolds. Tom is undoubtedly a roguish character, and Tom Jones certainly satirizes the society he navigates. The section of the novel detailing Tom’s journey to London is most firmly rooted in the picaresque tradition.

Lastly, Tom Jones, to a lesser degree, adopts the form of the epistolary novel, or novel of letters. Fielding’s first novel, Shamela, was entirely written in the epistolary format, as was the novel it parodied, Pamela. This form was popular throughout the eighteenth century. In Tom Jones, Fielding frequently progresses the story through letters written by his characters, who are often separated by distance, intrigue, or both.

Allegory

An allegory is a narrative with a dual meaning; each character or event symbolizes another person or occurrence. John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is a well-known allegory where the protagonist, Christian, represents “everyman,” and his journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City symbolizes the path from a worldly existence to heaven.

Some scholars interpret Tom Jones as an allegory of everyman’s pursuit of wisdom. This interpretation is supported by the fact that the name Sophia means wisdom in Greek. Thus, Tom’s arduous quest for Sophia can be seen as a quest for wisdom, which he ultimately achieves.

Mid-1700s: England is primarily an agricultural society, experiencing significant improvements in farming efficiency. Farmers are recognizing the benefits of crop rotation, and innovative tools like ploughs and seed drills are being introduced.

Today: England has transitioned to an industrial and commercial economy, relying heavily on food imports. The nation's economic foundation includes transportation, communications, and the production of steel, petroleum, coal, and electricity.

Mid-1700s: King George II rules England, with Sir Robert Walpole serving as his appointed prime minister. The king oversees a vast empire that spans colonies in America, India, and other regions, as well as parts of Germany, where he frequently resides. Consequently, Walpole wields significant power and influence within England.

Today: Queen Elizabeth II is the monarch, and Tony Blair, the leader of the Labour Party, serves as prime minister. Over the centuries, the monarch's role has diminished, making the prime minister the effective leader of the country.

Mid-1700s: During the Enlightenment, many individuals begin to question long-standing religious teachings. There is a growing belief that reason is a superior guide compared to blindly accepted doctrines. Some people turn away from Roman Catholicism and other organized religions, embracing deism, which holds that God exists but rejects organized religion as a source of truth. In Tom Jones, the characters Thwackum and Square represent this divide, with Thwackum as an Anglican and Square as a deist.

Today: In September 2001, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, the Roman Catholic cardinal for England and Wales, addresses the National Conference of Priests, stating that Christianity is nearly a dead religion in Britain. He attributes this decline to the rise of materialism, sensuality, selfishness, and “New Age” beliefs.

Britain has produced three film adaptations of Tom Jones. The earliest, a silent film from 1917, was directed by Edwin J. Collins and featured Langhorn Burton as Tom. In 1963, Tony Richardson directed another version starring Albert Finney as Tom and Susannah York as Sophia, which is available on videotape. A 1976 adaptation, titled The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones, was directed by Cliff Owen and starred Nicky Henson as Tom and Madeline Smith as Sophia; this version is also available on video.

In 1997, a British television miniseries titled The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling was released. Directed by Metin Hüseyin, it starred Max Beesley as Tom and Samantha Morton as Sophia. This miniseries is likewise available on video.

In 1997, Penguin Books published an unabridged audio version of the novel, narrated by Robert Lindsay. Highbridge Classics released an abridged version in 1998, read by John L. Sessions, and Media Books offered another abridged version in 1999, with Edward Fox as the reader.

Sources

Baker, Sheridan, ed., Tom Jones: A Norton Critical Edition, 2nd ed., W. W. Norton, 1995, p. vii.

Paulson, Ronald, and Thomas Lockwood, Henry Fielding: The Critical Heritage, Barnes and Noble, 1969, pp. 172–75.

Shedd, W. G. T., Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Complete Works, Vol. VI, London, 1856, p. 521.

Further Reading

Battestin, Martin C., and Ruth E. Battestin, Henry Fielding: A Life, Routledge, 1990. This book is widely regarded as the definitive biography of Fielding.

Dudden, Homes, Henry Fielding: His Life, Work, and Times, Oxford University Press, 1952. This extensive two-volume set explores Fielding’s writings within the context of his society and personal experiences.

Waller, Maureen, 1700: Scenes from London Life, Four Walls, Eight Windows, 2000. This book offers a detailed account of daily life in eighteenth-century London, covering where people lived and worked, their behaviors, clothing, food, and experiences with illness and injury. It comprises vignettes based on the author’s research and excerpts from contemporary diarists, novelists, and commentators.

Watt, Ian, The Rise of the Novel: Studies in Defoe, Richardson, and Fielding, University of California Press, 1957. This book examines the early evolution of the novel and the contributions of Fielding alongside his contemporaries Defoe and Richardson.