The Character of Tom Jones Essay Example

badly on his character. Rather, keeping with the Romantic genre, Fielding seems to admire Tom's adherence to the principles of Gallantry, which require that a man return the interest of a woman. Interestingly, all of Tom's love affairs, including his relationship with Sophia, his true love, are initiated by the woman in question, which is Fielding's way of excusing Tom from the charge of lustful depravity. [pic][pic][pic]Moreover, the fact that Tom's lovers include a feisty, unfeminine wench and two middle-aged women suggest that his motives are various.

Tom also treats women with the utmost respect, obliging their desire to be courted by pretending to be the seducer even when they are seducing him. Tom refuses to abandon Molly for Sophia and is plagued by his obligations to Lady Bellaston. Nonetheless, Tom's refusal of the tempting marriage proposal of Arabella Hunt—whose last name underscores the fact that Tom is hunted more often than he is the hunter—indicates that he has mended his wild ways and is ready to become Sophia's husband. Tom's gallantry reveals itself in his relationships with men as well as women, however.

This spirit is evident in Tom's insistence on paying the drinking bill for the army men at Bristol, and in his gallant defense of himself in the duel. Tom Jones, the so called "bastard" is the novel's eponymous hero and protagonist. Although Tom's faults (namely, his imprudence and his lack of chastity) prevent him from being a perfect hero, his good heart and generosity make him Fielding's avatar of Virtue. Tom's handsome face and gallantry win him the love and affection of women throughout the countryside.

His dignified,

though natural air induces characters to assume that he is a gentleman—which ultimately turns out to be true. Tom- The Active Hero: Tom, as the active hero who saves damsels-in-distress and plans on fighting for his country, is the embodiment of the very active type of Virtue that Fielding esteems. Tom- The Representative of Virtue in Sexual Behavior: In its crudest form we see Fielding’s method in the contrast between Tom and Blifil, between good and evil as Filding see them. Tom never corrupts innocence in the unmarried or the virtue in the married. e is simple minded enough to believe that he is the father of Moly’s child, is prepared to marry her until he gets proof that she is cheating him.

When a similar situation arises in London, and the trusting but foolish Nancy miller becomes pregnant as a result of being seduced by young Nightingale under a promise of marriage, Tom gives his ethic of sexual behavior. Tom’s Generosity: Generosity is at the center of the moral pattern of the book. The disillusionments of the old man of the hill have driven him to cynicism, and he finally retires to a human race.

Tom however, holds firmly to his belief that “nothing should be esteemed characteristic of a species, but what is to be found among the best and most perfect individuals of that species is their sense of virtue which is without hypocrisy. Tom’s actions are always inspired by spontaneous generosity. He shows mercy instead of justice toward the highway man who tries to rob him. When he finds that the man’s story of a starving wife and children

is true, he immediately gives him all the money he has.

Later, not knowing that Mr. Anderson, Mrs. miller’s unfortunate cousin, is the same man, he urges Mrs. miller to take the entire amount of fifty pounds which lady Ballaston has just given him and to spend it on the family. Tom’s Loyalty: He was loyal to Black George, the acting friend in evil time, cause he knew that if the truth is unfolded then the poor man will loose his job. Tom’s Goodness: In nature Tom is a very good boy. He always helped the poor. He never talked behind any man even not about Blifil.

His sexual relations were not intentional for enjoying a woman but to response to a woman’s wish. Tom- The True Lover: Tom tastes sexual relation with several women. But his true love was Sophia and from everywhere he always turned back to her. Tom’s Forgiveness: When Tom found the real status in the family he forgiven each and everyone who did wrong with him earlier. He forgave even Blifil. Tom- The New Light of Virtue: Through the sufferings and the events of his life Tom actually brought Fielding’s theory of virtue to light.

His nature of being or staying without hypocrisy, generous behavior towards women enkindles a new thought and a new sphere of thinking. The monster evil hypocrisy is absent in Tom’s character. One can say his flesh was tested by many women but his heart and true love was to only one and she was Sophia. So, according to the uneven theory of Fielding it is sure that Tom is a perfectly virtuous

character. Tom has no prudence at all and his moral judgments are not in the least conventional or even rational in their approach. Yet always it seems that he is right about people.

Tom’s very vigor and vitality help him to ignore people’s professions, their appearances, and their social reputations. He sees through to the reality beneath. Not only does his own lack of reputation free him from convention, but he has moral perceptions of a positive kind. Tom’s mercy and compassion are genuine qualities in the fully Christian sense. Tom’s very faults are tinged with the generosity in which his true worth as a person is to be found. For all these reasons I think Tom is a just character accordind to Fielding’s philosophy of virtue.