narrative technique of Tom Jones
Answers
Explanation:
Fielding influenced the main tradition of the English novel through the eighteenth century and the nineteenth century (Dickens shares Fielding’s talent for humour and eye for the grotesque; Elyot also writes on the differences between country and city life). With the character Tom Jones, he introduced a new kind of fictional hero-a good hearted, well intentioned, generous young man with ordinary human weakness, one who yields to temptation with women and to make errors in judgement. From Fielding’s point of view art is artifice or the deliberately crafted (this view contrasts with modern theories of realism as a “slice of life”). Fielding as well as Richardson and Sterne was regarded as startlingly realistic and widely admired by contemporary readers on the continent. Fielding believed, as did most eighteenth century writers and educated readers, that the purpose of art is to create pleasure which is both civilized and civilizing. Coleridge declared the plot of Tom Jones was one of the three perfect plots in all literature. In its “preface” Fielding stated: “the excellence of the entertainment consists less in the subject than in the author’s skill in well dressing it up...we shall represent human nature at first to keep appetite of our reader, in that more plain and simple manner in which it is found in the country, and shall hereafter hash and ragout it with all the high French and Italian seasoning of affectation and vice which courts and cities afford” . The introductory chapters that preface each of the novel’s 18 books involve the reader in a way that had never been used before.
· Names :
Many of the key characters possess allegorical names. Mr.Allworthy is said to be very fair, true and compassionate. Thus, he appears to be worthy of all. The narrator always describes Mr.Thwackum “thwack”-ing Tom, and so, he earns his name. One sees Mr.Square as being very philosophical and the slang term of “square” fits his disposition as well as being his given name. Also, Sophia Western and Harriet Fitzpatrick create nicknames for each other which illustrate their personalities. Harriet calls Sophia “Miss Graveairs”, and Sophia calls Harriet “Miss Giddy”. This shows Sophia’s tendency to be serious and Harriet’s tendency to be the opposite.
· Narration and audience:
The narrator enters the novel from the beginning and rarely leaves for an extended length of time. He explains every nature of the story, both the plot and the method of writing. He shows how the plot thickens with each added character and explicates why he utilizes a specific form of writing in one instance rather than in another (such as the use of a quasi-epic style). Also, every book begins with a formal introduction from the narrator.
He also does exactly what he says, such as ending a chapter directly when he says he will end it. The chapter closes and the next opens. This humor and literal-mindedness of the narrator mirrors Sterne’s in his Tristram Shandy. The narrator openly communicates whit the audience, to the point of dictating exactly who makes up the audience at specific times. Sometimes the audience is wise, and other times, foolish. Sometimes the narrator speaks only to a feminine audience; other times, to a masculine one, and others, to a combination of the two.
· Touchstones:
In Fielding there are many touchstones (= quotes) from Pope, Swift, Homer, Francis, Shakespeare, and others. These touchstones take the form of both verse and prose as well as Latin and English. Fielding will translate the Latin, sometimes literally and sometimes by quoting another author who says the same general concept but uses a different terminology. Another aspect of this contains the “battle of the books”, also known as the “classics” versus the “moderns”. Fielding stays along the middle of the two sides of this “battle” because he mentions both the “classic” (Homer etc.) and the “modern” (Pope etc.). Thus, he has the ability to appeal to both sides of the argument
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