Tom Jones Flashcards
Who wrote Tom Jones?
Henry Fielding
On who is the character of Sophia Western based?
Fielding’s deceased wife, Charlotte Cradock
When was Tom Jones published?
1749
How many copies of Tom Jones were sold during the first year after its publication?
10,000
What were some of Fielding’s other occupations besides novelist?
Playwright, Lawyer, Journalist, (Successful) Magistrate
What are two other Fielding’s famous works that both satirize Pamela by Samuel Richardson?
Shamela and Joseph Andrews
When did Henry Fielding live?
1707-1754
To whom is the book dedicated?
George Lyttleton (against his wishes)
What is the historical backdrop against which Tom Jones takes place?
The Jacobite uprising of 1745
What was the Jacobite uprising?
The failed attempt by Charles Edward Stuart (“Bonnie Prince Charlie”) to regain the English Throne for the House of Stuart. Most of the action took place in the Scottish Highlands.
Who is Tom’s guardian, and “the favorite of nature and fortune”?
Squire Allworthy
What is the name of Squire Allworthy’s sister?
Bridget Allworthy
Who is Bridget Allworthy’s servant, and the one tasked with discovering Tom’s mother?
Mrs. Wilkins
Who is originally believed to be Tom Jones’s mother? Why?
Jenny Jones; she had been a servant to Mr. and Mrs. Partridge, but was dismissed by Mrs. Partridge in a fit of jealously. Jenny confesses to being Tom’s mother, but refuses to reveal the name of his father.
Who is originally assumed to be Tom’s father?
Mr. Partridge
What is Jenny’s particular talent?
She is a bright scholar; as good, if not better, than her fellow male pupils.
How does Bridget end up married?
A friend of Squire Allworthy’s, Dr. Blifil, falls in love with her, but is already married (it is suggested he loves her because of her fortune). He arranges for his brother, Captain Blifil to marry her instead, and is then distraught when his brother refuses to have anything to do with him.
Why is Mr. Partridge cast out of the community?
He is accused of beating his wife and father Tom Jones…neither of which he actually did.
Who are the two men hired to teach Tom Jones and Master Blifil? What are they like?
Square: a philosopher who believes vice is an aberration from nature
Thwackum: a reverend who believes mankind is naturally corrupt and must be redeemed by grace.
The two are constantly opposed to each other, and both are often critical of Tom Jones. As time goes on, Square comes to be more on Tom’s side, while Thwackum remains his enemy to the end.
Who is Tom’s particular friend among the servants, and who he gets into the most trouble with?
Black George (George Seagrim)
Who is Tom first in love with?
Molly Seagrim
Who is the heroine of Tom Jones?
Sophia Western, the daughter of Squire Allworthy’s neighbor Squire Western
What is the name of the soldier that attacks Tom in an inn and causes a head injury?
Northerton
With whom does Sophia go to stay when she flees to London?
Lady Bellaston, who falls for Tom herself and tries to keep him and Sophia apart
What is the name of the landlady with whom Tom and Mr. Partridge take up residence in London?
Mrs. Miller
Who is a fellow tenant of Mrs. Miller’s?
Nightingale
Who is Mr. Anderson?
Mr. Anderson, needing money for his family, makes a botched attempt to rob Tom and Mr. Partridge on the road. Tom’s benevolence in dealing with him later earns him the gratitude and respect of Mrs. Miller.
What is the name of the Allworthy’s lawyer, and what are his main functions in the narrative?
Mr. Dowling. He knows, and keeps, Bridget Allworthy’s secret. He works with Blifil to try and frame Tom Jones for murder, but thinks he’s doing everything with the knowledge of Squire Allworthy.
What is the name of Sophia’s servant?
Mrs. Honour
Under what name does Jenny Jones turn up later in the narrative?
Mrs. Waters
What is the name of Mrs. Miller’s daughter?
Nancy Miller
From what literary form did Fielding believe the novel descended?
The epic
What is the significance of Tom Jones’s 18 books?
It is broken into 3 equal parts: 6 beginning books, 6 middle books, and 6 ending books. These reflect the proportions recommended by Aristotle.
How many “books” comprise Tom Jones?
18
To what famous dramatic scene does Fielding’s intricate plot often draw comparisons?
The “screen scene” in Sheridan’s School for Scandal, produced just a few years after Tom Jones was published.
In the opening chapter, what does the narrator claim this novel is concerned with?
Human Nature
In the opening chapter, what metaphor does the narrator use for explaining how one might approach reading the book?
Consuming a feast
Who is the mother of Tom Jones?
Bridget Allworthy
How does Tom Jones come to stay at the Allworthy’s?
He finds the baby in his own bed after returning from a long London business trip
Who is the first person Allworthy alerts to the presence of the baby?
Mrs. Deborah Wilkins
Why do her neighbors dislike Jenny Jones?
They think she has become proud from all of the schooling she has received.
What is Bridget’s reaction to the baby?
Though she has harsh words for the baby’s absent mothers, she takes care of the baby and seems fond of him.
What is Squire Allworthy’s reaction to Jenny’s confession?
He is impressed with her honesty and loyalty in refusing to reveal the father’s name. He lectures her on the sin of pre-marital sex and pledges to help set her up somewhere else so she can start a new life without the taint of rumor.
What reaction does Squire Allworthy’s kindness to Jenny provoke in the townspeople?
They begin to suspect that he is the baby’s father, but the rumors don’t cause him any trouble (and are probably there to plant the idea in the reader’s mind)
Is Captain Blifil attractive?
No
What is it called when the narrator addresses the reader directly?
Apostrophe
What does Fielding call the short descriptions that appear at the top of each chapter?
The menu
How long after Captain Blifil and Bridget get married does Bridget have a baby?
8 months; this is perhaps a tongue-in-cheek clue to her earlier conduct
Why doesn’t Captain Blifil like Tom?
He wants his own son to inherit the entirety of the Allworthy estate.
What leads Mrs. Wilkins to think that Mr. Partridge is Tom Jones’s father?
There has recently been a public scandal in which Mrs. Partridge flies off the handle and beats Mr. Partridge (after she hears the rumor that Jenny Jones has given birth to a bastard). Mrs. Partridge claims Mr. Partridge beat her - even though it was she that did all the beating.
Why is Jenny Jones unable to help clear Partridge’s name?
When Allworthy sends for her, he finds out she has run off with an army officer.
What is Bridget and Captain Blifil’s marriage like?
They fight all the time
What happens to Captain Blifil?
He loves to go on long walks by himself and daydream about Allworthy’s money. While off doing this one time, he has a stroke and dies.
Who is Tom Jones named after?
Squire Allworthy, whose first name is “Thomas”
What is Allworthy’s greatest flaw?
He is unable to detect cunning and deceit in others
Compare the young Tom and Master Blifil.
Tom gets into a lot of trouble, while Blifil is seemingly well-behaved. Tom gets caught stealing and poaching, frequently out of good intentions, and gets in trouble. Blifil’s wrongdoings are more insidious, such as telling on Tom, insulting Tom behind others’ backs, or “innocently” leading him into trouble.
What disciplinary technique is Thwackum known for?
Beating his pupils (mainly Tom)
What particular misdeed of young Tom’s gets special attention in Book 3?
Tom and Black George were shooting partridges on a Squire Western’s neighboring land (forbidden). Tom gets caught, and severely beaten, but refuses to give up Black George’s name.
How does Master Blifil manage to stay on the good side of both his teachers?
He just agrees with whichever one is currently instructing him, and stays silent in the presence of both.
What does Allworthy give Tom in reward for his loyalty and forthrightness in the partridge affair? What happens to it?
He gives him a little horse, which Tom soon sells at a fair. He gives the money to Black George (living in poverty since Allworthy sacked him). All this inspires more admiration in the eyes of Allworthy.
What paintings by William Hogarth are frequently cited by the narrator in the first third of the book?
Harlot’s Progress
Who painted the picture series “Harlot’s Progress”?
William Hogarth
Why doesn’t Fielding introduce Sophia at the end of Book III?
Since she is so virtuous, and so lovely, and so important to the book, he doesn’t want to stick her in at the end like she doesn’t matter.
How does Sophia get a pet bird? What happens to it?
Tom catches it for her when they are children, and makes it tame. Sophia loves it dearly, but when given the chance to hold it, Blifil sets it free. Tom tries to rescue it, but to no avail.
What is a squire’s occupation?
A lawyer
Why does Tom ignore Sophia’s obvious interest in him?
Because he is involved with Black George’s daughter, Molly Seagrim.
What event, prompted by Sophia’s donation of an old dress to the Seagrim family, is told in a classical, Virgilian style?
A fight between Molly and the other local women after the mock her for dressing so highly above her station at church.
What suggestion of Mr. Square’s makes Squire Allworthy truly begin to doubt Tom for the first time?
That all of his kindness to Black George’s family was in order to seduce his daughter.
What event both shows off Tom’s gallantry and marks the beginning of him returning Sophia’s love?
She is thrown from a horse while riding. Tom catches her, but breaks his arm.
What object (and pun) stands central to Tom and Sophia’s burgeoning love?
Sophia’s muff
What does Tom find when he goes to the Seagrims’ to confront Molly?
That she has been having an affair with Square
Who is the father of Molly Seagrim’s child?
Probably a local boy, Will Barnes; since Molly was sleeping with Will and Tom at the same time, it could be either of them.
What befalls Squire Allworthy while Tom is staying at Squire Western’s and recovering his health/falling in love with Sophia?
He falls seriously ill (though not as near to death as the doctor tells his family)
What news do the Allworthy’s receive while Squire Allworthy is sick in bed?
That Bridget has died
What news does Blifil conceal from the others after he learns of his mother’s death?
That Tom is her son, and his half-brother
Why does Blifil want to tell Squire Allworthy about his sister’s death right away?
He is hoping the shock will finish Allworthy off for good, and Blifil will get everything.
In his joy at Squire Allworthy’s recovery, what does Tom foolishly do?
He gets really drunk at dinner, which leads to an argument with Blifil. Eventually tensions bubble over into a serious physical fight between Thwackum, Blifil, Tom, and Squire Western.
What does Sophia’s aunt, Mrs. Western, think is the matter with Sophia?
She correctly guesses that Sophia is in love, but believes her to be in love with Bilfil, setting off a whole disastrous chain of events.
Before the misunderstanding is rectified, Squire Wester, Squire Allworthy, Bilfil, and Mrs. Western all think Bilfil and Sophia will get married.
How does Squire Western react to learning that his daughter loves Tom?
He is furious and accuses Squire Allworthy of devising a plot to get his fortune.
How does Squire Western learn of Sophia’s affection for Tom?
Mrs. Western tells him, having learned it from Sophia earlier that day
What does Bilfil do after it is revealed that it is Tom Sophia loves, not him?
He misrepresents the events of Book 5, casting Tom as rejoicing while the Squire was on his deathbed.
How does Tom react when Allworthy asks if Blifil’s story about attacking him and Thwackum is true?
Tom has so much respect for Allworthy that he confesses everything. Even though Blifil misrepresented what happened, Tom is still ashamed of what he did.
How much money does Allworthy send Tom away with? What happens to it?
500 pounds; Tom thinks he loses it, but really it is stolen by Black George
What does Allworthy decide to do after Tom’s confession about his fight with Blifil?
He decides that he has been too lenient with him, and that he must send him away, and never wants to see him again.
Where does Tom get the 16 pounds he has to survive on after his banishment?
It is sent to him from Sophia via Black George (who kindly decides not to pocket it like he does Tom’s missing 500 pounds)
How do Squire Western and Mrs. Western each want to get Sophia to do what they want?
Squire Western is violent, threatening, rash, and aggressive. Mrs. Western, while no more sympathetic to her niece’s feelings, thinks things should be handled more diplomatically. This will become a point of contention in the novel.
What are the narrator’s four tenets on Love?
- Some men (especially the philosophers he’s mocking) might be entirely without it.
- Lust is commonly confused with Love (we might think again of the book being a “menu”, just as lust is an appetite)
- Love is also an appetite that seeks to satisfy itself - just more delicately than Lust.
- When loves is geared towards someone of the opposite sex, it is almost always combined with lust.
What does Tom first decide to do upon resolving to leave the area forever? Where does he go to do it?
He resolves to become a sailor and go to sea; thus, he starts towards Bristol.
What was Squire Western’s marriage like?
It was an arranged marriage. He hated his wife, though he didn’t hit at her and only swore at her occasionally. He is jealous of how much Sophia loved her.
Does Blifil love Sophia?
No, but he lusts after her. In fact, he kind of hates her, but marrying her would be a victory over her and Tom (plus he’ll get a bunch of money).
