Novels – Page 6 – Hamandista Academy

A reader cannot get lost in the wilderness of characters and incidents that made up the epic novel Tom Jones of Henry Fielding, universally praised as one of the masters of novels in English literature. He has presented life in its minutest details as he has observed without any presumptions. Tom Jones is the most outstanding achievement of Fielding so far as he constructed its plot with utmost concern. Because of his almost faultless construction, the great critic Coleridge has considered it one of the three most perfect plots ever planned. The other two are Oedipus Rex and The Alchemist. There are many episodes in the novel, yet they do not impair the story's interest in any considerable way. Instead, according to many critics, the wealth of incidents contribute to the exposition of the theme and characters. What Critics Say About Fielding's Narrative Method in Tom Jones Thackeray declared that there was not an incident even so trifling, but advanced the story, grew out of former incidents, and connected with the whole. Like Thackeray, most critics do not find fault with the too many digressions and episodes of the novel because those have become integrated parts of the whole. Fielding has offered, like Bernard Shaw, an elaborate interpretation of incidents in the form of introductory chapters and personal comments. In one sense, these chapters or the comments in the course of the narrative itself, in one sense, assist the readers in understanding the problems. As for the introductory chapters, Fielding himself looked upon these ‘initial essays’ as an indispensable part of his scheme. He confesses that these introductory chapters have given him the greatest pains in composing compared with other parts of the work. The other motive of writing these ‘essays’ is to secure him against imitation by inferior writers. Each introductory chapter is not directly connected with the main theme and often deals with a different literary subject. Thus, each is like an essay. Perhaps Fielding was influenced by the periodical essays, which were very much popular in eighteenth-century England. For example, the opening chapter tells us about the scope of the work defining it as Human Nature is seen both in the country and in the town. He compares the subject matter to a bill of fare or a feast of eatables. Fielding says; "The provision then which we have here made is no other than Human Nature." Fielding's 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. Perhaps he was aware of his deviation from his predecessors, and to justify, he said so. Fielding informs us of the manner of his characterization. He holds that his characters are based on his experience. These essays, in the form of chapters, show much wisdom and wit. No reader would wish them to disappear because of their moving qualities. The shorter essays are scattered throughout the narrative. These essays, too, are rich in ideas. Bernard Shaw, in the twentieth century, has added these types of long prefatory essays to his dramas explaining his novel and principles on life. That is why a critic has remarked that Shaw was a playwright with the instincts of a novelist. At the same time, Fielding was a novelist with the instincts of a playwright, creating successful novels only through authorial intervention at each critical turn of a plot. Fielding's Remarks and Comments on His Characters in Tom Jones Another effective method of Fielding's writing is his casual remark or comment on the characters, happenings, and human nature in general. Some of these comments are very short, and as such, they do not interfere with the readers enjoying the novel. However, those comments that acquire much space and time certainly detract the attention of the reader. In one such comment, Fielding dwells upon human curiosity. He correctly describes the barber’s shop as a place of gossiping and exchanging information; the women do the same thing at a Chandler's. He describes true wisdom in one comment, while he compares good writers with ingenious travelers at another. The list of such comments can extend further, but these comments are like rubies scattered here and there in the pages of the novel. Since these comments are informative, enlightening, and instructive, they seldom bore the reader. Final Thoughts There are many digressions in the novel; whatever the critics say, these digressions cannot be integral parts of the main narrative. Even they are loosely connected with the plot. One such digression is the description of the man from the Hill whom Tom met while traveling to London. Scott has objected to including this episode occupying seven chapters in the novel, explaining that this is a tale within a tale. Despite having these minor faults, Tom Jones remains a gripping narrative with all its episodes and digressions. Indeed, it has the rapidity of movement, suspense, dramatic situations and surprises, humor, and pathos- the qualities that make a novel successful and popular.