Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

First published: 1749, as The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

Type of work: Novel

Type of plot: Picaresque

Time of plot: Early eighteenth century

Locale: England

Principal Characters

• Tom Jones, a foundling
• Squire Allworthy, his foster father
• Bridget, Allworthy’s sister
• Master Blifil, Bridget’s son
• Mr. Partridge, the schoolmaster
• Mr. Western, an English squire
• Sophia Western, his daughter

The Story

Squire Allworthy lives in retirement in the country with his sister Bridget. Returning from a visit to London, he is surprised upon entering his room to find an infant lying on his bed. His discovery causes astonishment and consternation in the household. The squire is a childless widower. The next day, Bridget and the squire inquire in the community to discover the baby’s mother. Their suspicions are shortly fixed upon Jenny Jones, who spent many hours in the squire’s home while nursing Bridget through a long illness. The worthy squire sends for the girl and in his gentle manner reprimands her for her wicked behavior, assuring her, however, that the baby will remain in his home under the best of care. Fearing malicious gossip in the neighborhood, Squire Allworthy sends Jenny away.

Jenny was a servant in the house of a schoolmaster, Mr. Partridge, who educated the young woman during her four years in his house. Jenny’s comely face made Mrs. Partridge jealous of her. Neighborhood gossip soon convinced Mrs. Partridge that her husband is the father of Jenny’s son, whereupon Squire Allworthy calls the schoolmaster before him and talks to him at great length concerning morality. Mr. Partridge, deprived of his school, his income, and his wife, also leaves the country.

Shortly afterward, Captain Blifil wins the heart of Bridget. Eight months after their marriage, Bridget has a son. The squire thinks it would be advisable to rear the baby and his sister’s child together. The boy is named Jones, for his mother.

Squire Allworthy becomes exceedingly fond of the foundling. Captain Blifil dies during his son’s infancy, and Master Blifil grows up as Squire Allworthy’s acknowledged heir. Otherwise, he remains on even terms with the foundling, so far as opportunities for advancement are concerned. Tom, however, is such a mischievous lad that he has only one friend among the servants, the gamekeeper, Black George, an indolent man with a large family. Mr. Thwackum and Mr. Square, who consider Tom a wicked soul, are hired to instruct the lads. Tom’s many deceptions are always discovered through the combined efforts of Mr. Thwackum, Mr. Square, and Master Blifil, who dislikes Tom more and more as he grows older. It is assumed by all that Mrs. Blifil would dislike Tom, but at times she seems to show greater affection for him than for her own son. In turn, the compassionate squire takes Master Blifil to his heart and becomes censorious of Tom.

Mr. Western, who lives on a neighboring estate, has a daughter whom he loves more than anyone else in the world. Sophia has a tender fondness for Tom because of a deed of kindness he performed for her when they were still children. At the age of twenty, Master Blifil becomes a favorite with the young ladies, while Tom is considered a ruffian by all but Mr. Western, who admires his ability to hunt. Tom spends many evenings at the Western home, with every opportunity to see Sophia, for whom his affections are increasing daily. One afternoon, Tom has the good fortune to be nearby when Sophia’s horse runs away. When Tom attempts to rescue her, he breaks his arm. He is removed to Mr. Western’s house, where he receives medical care and remains to recover from his hurt. One day, he and Sophia have occasion to be alone in the garden, where they exchange confessions of love.

Squire Allworthy becomes mortally ill. The doctor assumes that he is dying and sends for the squire’s relatives. With his servants and family gathered around him, the squire announces the disposal of his wealth, giving generously to Tom. Tom is the only one satisfied with his portion; his only concern is the impending death of his foster father and benefactor. On the way home from London to see the squire, Mrs. Blifil dies suddenly. When the squire is pronounced out of danger, Tom’s joy is so great that he becomes drunk through toasting the squire’s health, and he quarrels with young Blifil.

Sophia’s aunt, Mrs. Western, perceives the interest her niece shows in Blifil. Wishing to conceal her affection for Tom, Sophia gives Blifil the greater part of her attention when she is with the two young men. Informed by his sister of Sophia’s conduct, Mr. Western suggests to Squire Allworthy that a match be arranged between Blifil and Sophia. When Mrs. Western tells the young woman of the proposed match, Sophia thinks that Mrs. Western is referring to Tom, and she immediately discloses her passion for the foundling. It is unthinkable, however, that Mr. Western, much as he likes Tom, would ever allow his daughter to marry a man without a family and a fortune, and Mrs. Western forces Sophia to receive Blifil under the threat of exposing the woman’s real affection for Tom. Sophia meets Tom secretly in the garden, and the two lovers vow constancy. Mr. Western discovers them and goes immediately to Squire Allworthy with his knowledge.

Aware of his advantage, Blifil tells the squire that on the day he was near death, Tom was out drinking and singing. The squire feels that he forgave Tom many wrongs, but this show of unconcern for the squire’s health infuriates the good man. He sends for Tom, reproaches him, and banishes him from his house.

With the help of Black George, the gamekeeper, and Mrs. Honour, Sophia’s maid, Tom and Sophia are able to exchange love letters. When Sophia is confined to her room because she refuses to marry Blifil, she bribes her maid to flee with her from her father’s house. Tom, setting out to seek his fortune, goes to an inn with a small company of soldiers. A fight follows in which he is severely injured, and a barber is summoned to treat his wound. When Tom tells the barber his story, the man surprisingly reveals himself to be Partridge, the schoolmaster, banished years before because he was suspected of being Tom’s father. When Tom is well enough to travel, the two men set out together on foot.

Before they go far, they hear screams of distress and come upon a woman struggling with a soldier who beguiled her to a lonely spot. Promising to take her to a place of safety, Tom accompanies the unfortunate woman to the nearby village of Upton, where the landlady of the inn refuses to receive them because of the woman’s torn and disheveled clothing. When the landlady hears the true story of the woman’s misfortune and is assured that the woman is the lady of Captain Waters, a well-known officer, she relents. Mrs. Waters invites Tom to dine with her so that she can thank him properly for her rescue.

Meanwhile, a lady and her maid arrive at the inn and proceed to their rooms. They are followed, several hours later, by an angry gentleman in pursuit of his wife. Learning from the chambermaid that there is a woman resembling his wife in the inn, he bursts into Mrs. Waters’s chambers, only to confront Tom. At his intrusion, Mrs. Waters begins to scream. Abashed, the gentleman identifies himself as Mr. Fitzpatrick and retreats with apologies. Shortly after this disturbance subsides, Sophia and Mrs. Honour arrive at the inn. When Partridge unknowingly reveals Tom’s relationship with Mrs. Waters and the embarrassing situation that Mr. Fitzpatrick discloses, Sophia, grieved by Tom’s fickleness, decides to continue on her way. Before leaving the inn, however, she has Mrs. Honour place on Tom’s empty bed a muff that she knows he will recognize as hers.

Soon after setting out, Sophia overtakes Mrs. Fitzpatrick, who arrived at the inn early the previous evening and who fled during the disturbance caused by her husband. Mrs. Fitzpatrick is Sophia’s cousin, and they decide to go on to London together. In London, Sophia proceeds to the home of Lady Bellaston, who is known to her through Mrs. Western. Lady Bellaston is sympathetic with Sophia’s reasons for running away.

Unable to overtake Sophia, Tom and Partridge follow her to London, where Tom takes lodgings in the home of Mrs. Miller, whom Squire Allworthy patronizes on his visits to the city. The landlady has two daughters, Nancy and Betty, and a lodger, Mr. Nightingale, who is obviously in love with Nancy. Tom finds congenial residence with Mrs. Miller, and he becomes friends with Mr. Nightingale. Partridge is still with Tom in the hope of future advancement. Repeated visits to Lady Bellaston and Mrs. Fitzpatrick finally give Tom the opportunity to meet Sophia during an intermission at a play. There, Tom is able to allay Sophia’s doubts as to his love for her. During his stay with the Millers, Tom learns that Mr. Nightingale’s father objects to his marrying Nancy. Through the kindness of his heart, Tom persuades the elder Nightingale to permit the marriage, to Mrs. Miller’s great delight.

Mr. Western learns of Sophia’s whereabouts from Mrs. Fitzpatrick. He comes to London and takes Sophia from Lady Bellaston’s house to his own lodgings. When Mrs. Honour brings the news to Tom, he is in despair. Penniless, he cannot hope to marry Sophia, and now his beloved is in the hands of her father once more. Then Partridge brings news that Squire Allworthy is coming to London and is bringing with him Master Blifil to marry Sophia. In his distress, Tom goes to see Mrs. Fitzpatrick but encounters her jealous husband on her doorstep. In the duel that follows, Tom wounds Mr. Fitzpatrick and is carried off to jail.

There he is visited by Partridge, the friends he made in London, and Mrs. Waters, who has been traveling with Mr. Fitzpatrick since their meeting in Upton. When Partridge and Mrs. Waters meet in Tom’s cell, Partridge recognizes her as Jenny, Tom’s reputed mother. Horrified, he reveals his knowledge to everyone, including Squire Allworthy, who by that time has arrived in London with Blifil.

In Mrs. Miller’s lodgings, so many people praise Tom’s goodness and kindness that Squire Allworthy almost makes up his mind to relent in his attitude toward the foundling when news of his conduct with Mrs. Waters reaches his ears. Fortunately, however, the cloud is soon dispelled by Mrs. Waters herself, who assures the squire that Tom is no son of hers but the child of his sister Bridget and a student whom the squire befriended. Tom’s true father died before his son’s birth, and Bridget concealed her shame by putting the baby on her brother’s bed upon his return from a long visit to London. Later, she paid Jenny liberally to let suspicion fall upon her former maid.

Squire Allworthy also learns that Bridget claimed Tom as her son in a letter written before her death, a letter Blifil probably destroyed. There is further proof that Blifil plotted to have Tom hanged for murder. Mr. Fitzpatrick, however, did not die, and he recovers sufficiently to acknowledge himself the aggressor in the duel; Tom is released from prison.

Upon these disclosures of Blifil’s villainy, Squire Allworthy dismisses Blifil and makes Tom his heir. Once Tom’s proper station is revealed, Mr. Western withdraws all objections to his suit. Reunited, Tom and Sophia are married and retire to Mr. Western’s estate in the country.

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