What does Tom symbolize in Fielding’s Tom Jones ? [British Novel June 2019]

Tom Jones, the titular character in Henry Fielding’s novel, represents many things, but primarily he is a representation of humanity with all its flaws and virtues. As an imperfect and mortal hero, Tom is used by Fielding to present his philosophy of virtue. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Fielding does not present Tom’s romantic affairs with women like Molly Seagrim, Mrs. Waters, and Lady Bellaston as a reflection of his moral character. Rather, Tom's actions and experiences throughout the novel represent the flawed and complex nature of humanity.

In addition to Tom's symbolic representation of humanity, there are other symbols present in the novel. For example, Sophia's muff serves as a representation of her when she is not physically present. Tom and Sophia both kiss the muff, which symbolizes their emotional closeness despite their physical distance. Similarly, the bird, Tommy, represents Tom’s love for Sophia, but also his tendency to roam and not be domesticated. These symbols help to deepen the thematic and emotional impact of the novel.

Fielding’s narrative style is also noteworthy. The narration is characterized by its freedom and subjectivity, which allows the author to establish a rapport with the audience. Fielding employs a narrative style that is partisan, as the narrator frequently intrudes on the story, commenting on the characters and their actions. This style of narration is a significant departure from the detached and objective style of many of Fielding’s contemporaries.

Finally, the novel's setting serves as a metaphor for the social ills of the time. The city represents a moribund life-mode, and the country represents a healthier, more virtuous way of living. Through the actions of Tom and Sophia, Fielding presents a critique of the social setup of the time and suggests that the urban way of life is in need of replacement.

In conclusion, Tom Jones serves as a representation of humanity's complexity and flaws. The novel uses symbols, narrative style, and setting to deepen the thematic and emotional impact of the story. Ultimately, Fielding presents a critique of the social ills of the time, and suggests that a healthier and more virtuous way of living is needed.

[1] "Tom Jones, Fieldings imperfect and mortal hero, is the character through whom Fielding gives voice to his philosophy of Virtue. In contrast to the moral philosophizing of many of Fieldings contemporaries, Fielding does not suggest that Toms affairs with Molly Seagrim, Mrs. Waters, and Lady Bellaston should reflect badly on his character."

URL: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tomjones/character/tom-jones/

[2] "Symbols Sophias muff Sophias muff stands in for her in situations when Sophia cannot physically be present herself. This is made evident by the fact that she attaches her name to the muff before leaving it in Joness bed at Upton. Since both Jones and Sophia kiss the muff, it allows them to achieve a closeness despite their physical distance."

URL: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tomjones/symbols/

[3] "The bird, Tommy, symbolizes Toms love for Sophia. Tom Jones takes the bird out of its nest and teaches it to sing. He gives the bird to Sophia as a token, and when Blifil slips off its string the faithless bird immediately flies up into a tree. Thus the bird also represents Toms tendency to roam and not be domesticated."

URL: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Tom-Jones/symbols/

[4] "Secondly, Tom Jones represents Fieldings human and flawed character, who clearly has a philosophical understanding for the concept of virtue. The way in which Jones returns the interest of woman onto him perpetuates that although he is indeed a flawed character, he should still be regarded as a good individual, and thus treated with respect."

URL: https://lithelper.com/henry-fielding/tom-jones-analysis/

[5] "Fieldings Tom Jones, which is built on satire, tackles also two important concepts namely, charity and chastity, and it is through connotations of meaning that the author makes it difficult for ..."

URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-021-00849-z

[6] "Fieldings narration enjoys ashamed freedom and subjectivity, which helps him, set a rapport with his audience. His narration style can be referred to as Partisanship as the narrator butts in..."

URL: https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/describe-fielding-s-narrative-style-in-tom-jones-304651

[7] "Fieldings Principle of Characterization in Tom Jones Fielding goes on to say that human nature is such a subject that no author can exhaust. After that, the author treats his approach to prose fiction. By doing so, he claims to be the founder of a new province of writing in which he has the legitimate right to make laws according to his pleasure."

URL: https://www.hamandista.com/the-narrative-method-in-fieldings-tom-jones/

[8] "Fieldings omissions in Tom Jones, by comparison, may appear more straightforward since the narrator most often announces that he merely passes over unimportant information. As part of the novels new Prov-ince of Writing (2.1.77), Fielding pledges to make readers Interest the"

URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/652138

[9] "The metaphor of the city in Tom Jones signifies a moribund life-mode and the sooner it is replaced or wiped out by the country (Tom- Sophia intervention), the better. The writer could not adopt a harsher attitude towards the social set-up of his time. Understandably, it evoked a violent response."

URL: https://www.thefreshreads.com/realism-in-henry-fieldings-tom-jones/

[10] "Tom Jones. Fielding uses satire in Tom Jones to avoid preaching about peoples flaws and immorality. He uses satire to keep the reader entertained and to make his message more relatable. Tom has ..."

URL: https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/discuss-the-use-of-satire-in-henry-fielding-s-441940