The plot structure of Fielding's "Tom Jones"

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Content THE PLOT STRUCTURE OP FIELDING’S, TQM JONES A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Department of English The University of Southern California In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Joanne Clare Wheeler August 1952 UMI Number: EP44310 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI' Dissertation Publishing UMI EP44310 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 E S 3 This thesis, w ritten by t\0 , i Joanne Clare Wheeler 1 ? < * / under the guidance of h.$J£.JFacuity Gommitteej and approved by a ll its members, has been presented to and accepted by the C ouncil on Graduate Study and Research in p a rtia l fu llfill- ment of the requirements fo r the degree of Master of Arts D a te .. ...Augft§.t...l952. F a c u lty C o m m itte e TABLE OP CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION................................ I Widespread Attention to Plot of Tom Jones • 1 Need for Comprehensive Study of Plot, • • • 4 Methods of This Analysis............. 5 II. PREVIOUS RELATED STUDIES.................... 7 fc-^Baekground Studies on Fielding’s Techniques 7 Textual Discussions of Plot in Tom Jones. • 13 III. STRUCTURAL DIVISIONS IN TOM JONES (BOOKS I-VI) 24 Narrative Summary ................. • 25 Novelist!© Nature of Section I............ 28 V / Plot Structure. 30 f ) ') Classical Shape of Section I*. ........ 30 * 7 Bisected Shape of Section I . ...... 35 Explanation of Structural Diagram • • • • 45 IV. STRUCTURAL DIVISIONS IN TOM JONES (BOOKS VII-XII) 47 Narrative Summary • ......... 47 s ' Picaresque Nature^of Section II ..... . 50 H Plot Structure. L y ................. 53 Explanation of Structural Diagram .... 55 Symmetry of Section II.... ......... 56 Special Plotting Techniques ........ . . 59 iv CHAPTER PAGE V. STRUCTURAL DIVISIONS IN TOM JONES (BOOKS XIII- XVIII). . ............................. 78 Narrative Summary ......... 79 Dramatic Nature of Section III............... 82 Plot Structure............................. 84 Three Plot Levels . ........ 84 Explanation of Structural Diagram ..... 91 Correlation of Structure, Method, and Content ......................... 91 Dramatic Devices.......................... 95 VI. CONCLUSION. ............................ 98 Major Divisions of Tom Jones. ........ 98 Plot Structure of Tom Jones ............ 100 ^Fielding’s Literary Contribution. ...... 103> BIBLIOGRAPHT....................................... 105 Material on Fielding. ..••.••.•••• 105 Primary Sources 105 Secondary Sources • 105 Material on Technique •• 109 Primary Sources .••••. ............ . 109 Secondary Sources ............. 110 LIST OP FIGURES ! ! FIGURE PAGE j 1. Plot Structure of Section I • 2. Plot Structure of Section II.......... 3. Plot Structure of Section Ill........ CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION While the plot of Fielding’s Tom Jones has received widespread critical attention from the publication of the novel in February, 1749 to the present day, there appears to be no definitive analysis of its structure. Since Tom Jones is a lengthy, complex novel, such an analysis would be a monumental undertaking; however by selecting some one critical approach which forces us to regard the plot as a whole form, we may gain a comprehensive view of its struc ture within the bounds of limited investigation. Widespread Attention to Plot of Tom Jones Few readers Qf Fielding’s novels who have recorded any critical opinion have failed to comment on the plot of Tom Jones. Probably the most famous remark was made by Coleridge, who found Oedipus Tyrannus, The Alchemist, and Tom Jones ’ ’the three most perfect plots ever planned.” Long before Coleridge’s time, however, Fielding’s con temporaries had established opposing critical camps. Some, like Lady Luxborough, who thought the plan ’ ’far-fetched,” and Richardson, who considered the story ”a rambling collection of dreams,” were derogatory; but the plot impressed the majority, including both trained artists like painter Allan Ramsey, who called Tom Jones an "artful story beyond all other novels, and such amateur readers as Aaron Hill*s daughters, who were delighted with its "regular design" and "extremely moving close." By the nineteenth century Tom Jones had become a classic. The regular arrangement of its narrative was compared by Sir Walter Scott to the course of a great river "commencing strikingly, proceeding naturally, ending O happily"; and Hazlitt, who thought the personalities in Amelia and Joseph Andrews "quite equal" to any of those in Tom Jones, remarked that it was not characterization so much as characterization enhanced by "unrivalled" story that gave Tom Jones "so decided a preference over PieMing* other novels."® In our own century this interest in the plot of Tom Jones has continued, the majority of critics remaining ^ Wilbur Cross. The History of Henry Fielding (New Haven, 1918), II, 161* ^ Sir Walter Scott, "Introductory Epistle," The Fortunes of Nigel (Boston, n.d.), p. xii, 3 William Hazlitt, "The English Novelists," Lectures on the English Comic Writers (London, 1819), p. 175, favorable. However, as Fielding's technical innovations ! have been dimmed by formula and imitation and as inevitable j minor flaws in plotting have been uncovered by accumulated 1 scholarship, there appears to be a growing tendency among ! scholars to qualify their praise. Three typical comments ■ will illustrate this trend: [ Fielding's plots have been extravagantly over- , praised. But the loose ends in them are surprisingly few. Again and again we encounter apparent digressions in his novels, only to find later that Fielding had never relaxed his grasp of any one of the strings. One pull at the finish and the loose loops disappear as if by magic, and all the strands of the narrative are taut and tight.4 ; If Coleridge*s exclamation cannot be accepted at full value, it is still true that "Tom Jones” has an I excellent plot. The wonder is, not that the practised hand of a dramatist succeeded so well in the mere | mechanism of his novel, but that the mechanism, except occasionally in the last volume, does not obtrude, that characters and incidents are inseparable, the one appearing to determine the other.5 He has the artistic conception of a written whole growing out of a theme, though I think that the whole as finally constructed by him was rather wobbly.5 4 j. H. Lobban, "Henry Fielding,” Blackwood's Magazine. V. 181 (April, 1907), 555. 5 Cross, The History of Henry Fielding (New Haven, 1913), XXy 161. 6 Leonard Woolf, "Fielding's Novels,” Nation and Athenaeum. XXXIX (July 31, 1926), 503. 4 Need for a Comprehensive Study of Plot Since there has been such great critical interest in Tom Jones, the researcher is at first surprised to dis cover that no definitive, comprehensive analysis of the plot has ever been made, A closer acquaintance with the scope and complexity of Tom Jones lessens the surprisej but there does seem to remain a lack of affirmative, systematic dis cussion of the plot,s special virtues, with the major exception of Diek3on*s study of the time-3cherae in 1917, to be discussed later. It could almost be said that where , there has been praise of Fielding*s plot, it has been dis appointingly general, and where there has been specific comment, it has been largely fault-finding. The purpose of this paper is to aid in correcting this deficiency. That is, the aim here is to approach the plot of Tom Jones through some particular line of investigation that necessarily calls for consideration of the plot as a whole form, but that at the same time lends itself to specific findings rather than to general opinion. Although a number of comprehensive approaches to the plot of Tom Jones are possible, one was especially provocative, both because it seemed the most important and because it had escaped articulation through two centuries of scholarship. This approach was to define the structure of Tom Jones. By structure is meant the end- product achieved by the fusion of technical form and story content* The structure of Tom Jones was found to be particularly adapted to analysis because of its architectural quality; in fact, it can be perceived and retained dimensionally by the imagination, much as a toy plastic building can be grasped by the hand* Methods of This Analysis The method used here to reproduce the structure of Fielding*s novel is less analytical than synthetic and almost totally limited to internal, textual evidence* That is, as often as practical, the attitude adopted is that of the author manipulating the separate, raw elements of his story, building from cause to desired effect, rather than that of the critic, who necessarily approaches the story as a finished form, historically comparable to other forms, which must be reduced from effect to probably cause* The raw elements of a story may be considered as the author*s narrative intentions and the technical devices he selects to enhance, or in cases of conflict, to reconcile these intentions* But when the technical solutions are ’ •perfect’ 1 it is critical faculty which tells you so* Extra-textual reference is resorted to only when such reference is necessary to clarify intentions and devices which cannot be explained or are wrongly interpreted by internal analysis alone* The difficulty in reproducing the structure of a story is that while structure must be considered as a static form in space, narration is a progression in time. To combat this difficulty, each discussion of the novel1s three main sections is prefaced by a narrative summary of the corresponding section. It is hoped that these summaries will help to bring the story content, if only by successive thirds, into simultaneous focus. CHAPTER II PREVIOUS RELATED STUDIES Previous work relevant to the plot of Tom Jone3 can he divided into two classifications: background studies concerned with the sources and influences of Fielding1s narrative techniques and textual studies devoted to specific aspects of the plot in Tom Jones, Background Studies on Fielding1s Techniques Fielding1s technical sources include: classical theory and the Homeric epic, the heroic romance and the burlesqued romance, the picaresque novel, the comedy of manners, the seventeenth century character sketch, and the essays of Addison and Steele, His major technical contribution is the formulation of modern theory of the —V novel. This theory had particular influence during the nineteenth century on such novelists as Dickens and Thackeray, and although in this century It has undergone extensive experiment, it remains the standard of departure. Sources, Among classical writers, Bissell^ lists Socrates, Cicero, Cato, Ovid, Seneca, Aeschines, Lucian, 1 Frederick Olds Bissell, Fielding*s Theory of the Hovel (Ithaca, 1933), pp. 20-23, Aristophanes, Demosthenes, Plutarch, and Terence as ’ ’casually mentioned in Tom Jones as precedents for various devices of authorship,” In particular, Fielding is in debted to: Aristotle’s criticism of Homer in the Poetics, for such practices as the unities; Homer as a source for epic burlesque; Lucian as a model for burlesque and parody; Horace and Longinus for their ”rules”; and Plutarch, Nepos, Virgil, and Juvenal as Authorities and models for his methods as historian and satirist,” Among the epic elements in Tom Jones those pertaining to plot are the unities of hero, time, and action; mock heroic battles, burlesque love encounters, interpolations, and the devices of discovery and the marvellous, although the latter in Fielding Is reduced from the use of the p supernatural to the surprising. As discussed by Cooke,® similarities between Fielding’s prose theory and the practices of the writers 2 Bissell, o£. oit,, pp, 20-23; Ethel Margaret Thornbury, Henry Fielding’s Theory of the Comic Prose Epic (Madison, 1931), pp, 112-150, 3 Arthur L, Cooke, ”Henry Fielding and the Writers of Heroic Romance,” PMLA, LXII (December, 1947), 984-985, 9 of heroic romance indicate that in plotting Tom Jones Fielding relied on these writers for such ideas as treating the narrative as "history'* rather than as fiction; attempting to confine action to the probable and natural; emphasizing unity but admitting various episodes if they are related to the main action; and laying stress on love as a plot theme* Fielding turned to the picaresque novel for his realism, selection of a low-born hero, use of episodic road adventures, interpolations, and digressions* Bissell notes that in particular he borrowed from Cervantes the practices of arranging the story in chapters and books and 4 of commenting satirically on chapter contents* From the comedy of manners Fielding adopted part of his plot formula, his style of dialogue, and certain 5 character types and plot situations* Both Pritchett and Maugham attribute to Fielding’s long apprenticeship in the theater his economy of art, rapidity of incident, clarity and completeness of individual scenes, and relative 4 Bissell, op. cit.. p. 4; William Robert Irwin, "Literary Forms and Traditions," pp. 88-111, in The Making of Jonathan Wild (New York, 1941), g Bissell, o£. cit., pp. 11-20, 1 0 i independence from auch interruptive devices as extensive [ f scene and character description*® Bissell adds: | ! i This dramatic conception of the novel helped to j establish the important convention that the novelist, ; like the playwright, is assumed to be omniscient. Most of the great novelists since Fielding have adopted the omniscient method, while before him the I | point of view method prevailed,” \ j I Finally, from the character sketch of the seven- I teenth century and the essays of Addison and Steele ! Fielding borrowed his practice of intruding upon the story I ”at his pleasure” to comment on characters and plot Q situations. Influence. Among Fielding*s immediate literary i contributions was the introduction of satire into the < English romance of roguery.9 However, his major influence I ! wa3 on the theory of the novel. Grodden, pointing out such elements in Fielding*a novels as plotted incident and psychological analysis, remarks:; ’ ’His astonishingly > 6 V. S. Pritchett, ’ ’The Declining Popularity of Fielding,” Hew Statesman and Nation, 22i (December 20, 1941), 510; William Somerset Maugham, k , ^Ehe Ten Best Novels: Tom Jones,” Atlantic Monthly, 180 (December, 1947), 122. 7 Bissell, o£. cit.. p. 48, 8 Ibid.. pp. 1-2, p. 40. 9 Ibid., p. 8. ______ __ . 11 I original genius anticipated, within the narrow compass ! of three volumes, most of the subsequent achievements of 1 modern fiction.”^ Fielding*s influence was more immediately felt in the nineteenth century than in this, the latter having J - - , brought such technical innovations as “mood writing” and * i stream-of-consciousness, which Fielding did not anticipate. It was primarily the Victorian novelist who continued Fielding*s practice of writing personally, often comically;, and until Meredith appeared, such leaders as Dickens and Thackeray followed his plot construction and ■ his useof domestic situation interrupted or^accompanied | by humorous author comment.^ Thackeray, especially, ! borrowed for Vanity Fair Fielding*s method of “going back- ' wards and forwards in time, as well as to and fro in moral 12 commentary.” Rickword finds it curious that “though the romantics i destroyed the poetic forms of the previous tradition, yet i the novel continued for a considerable period to be written 10 G. M. Godden, “Henry Fielding! Some Unpublished Letters and Records,” Fortnightly Review. 92 (November, 1909), 821. 11 Aurelien Digeon, The Novels of Fielding (London, 1925), pp. 243-244. 12 Pritchett, o£. cit.. p. 510. 12 13 on Fielding*s plan.1 1 He sees in Fielding*s influence a limitation based on Fielding*s view of people as "units in society" whose actions are estimated only by the "resultant effect on that organism,” This view, Rickword feels, precludes "the individual sensibility" and produces type characterization. Further, although it allows a firm grasp on "the more immediate aspects of existence," it indicates "a spiritual crassness" in the author. This complaint about Fielding*s lack of depth has been frequently heard, especially since Freud taught novelists how to get inside their characters! but there are still those who will find his work the source of modern methods: Fielding, living at a period when the novel was in its infancy, made revolutionary experiments which were not to be adopted for more than a century after his time. Think of the experiment with Time in Amelia (dull novel, though it be, it anticipates Conrad) and his attempt to exclude the author from the novel and yet retain the author*s viewpoint in Tom Jones.14, 13 C. H. Rickword, "A Note on Fiction," pp. 302-303, in Forms of Modern Fiction (Minneapolis,. 1948). 14 Graham Greene, "Books in General," New Statesman and Nation. XXXIV (October 11, 1947), 292. (Review of Liddell*sA Treatise on the Novel.) 13 Textual Discussions of the Plot In Tom Jones Textual discussions of the plot in Tom Jones have centered around a few specific problems, of which the most popular is that classic stumbling block, the interpolated tale by the Man of the Hill, This is seconded by dis cussions of other forms of digression, notably the non- fictional chapters which open the successive books. Other controversial aspects are: the frequency of coincidence, episodic construction, the secret of Jones* parentage, the pace of the denouement, the time-scheme, and the anachronisms and discrepancies. Digression. The many arguments which have been advanced for and against the Man of the Hill interpolation are summarized in the current general opinion that while interpolation now must be considered a structural flaw, it has the sanction of Homer, the Greek romancers, Cervantes, Renaissance writers, and Fielding*s own contemporaries. The original purpose of the interpolated tale was to lend variety while filling in narrative pauses. Apparently Dickens was the first to suggest a second, particular use of interpolation in Tom Jones, namely as thematic material, Digeon explains: In this way the story of the Man of the Hill would A 14 b© a glance at the destiny reserved for a Tom Jones, and, as It were, a condensation of the moral lessons tavight by the novel.15 Turning to the problem of the prefatory essays, we find a reasonable explanation for their use by Cross: In Fielding*s view, the essays lent dignity to the novel, which in his day was despised as a literary form. Those dealing with conduct supplied the reader with an extensive background of morality with which to judge the behaviour of the characters; those dealing with the novelist’s craft described the t t new province of writing” which he had discovered. The novel of real life was then In its Infancy. No one before Fielding had ever written a novel comparable with his In its reliance upon contemporary manners and the facts of human nature. He accordingly felt It necessary to state in clear words his general design, his moral code, and his method of procedure with plot and characters.16 Miss Thornbury finds some justification for these essays in the practice of Fielding’s contemporaries,17 and Bissell adds that they serve as contrast, varying the monotony of a long narrative#18 On the other hand, there is another, less tolerant 15 Digeon, o£# cit., p. 176. t 1® Cross, The History of Henry Fielding (New Haven, 1918), II, 221. 1 7 Thornbury, oj>. cit., p. 113. 18 Bissell, o£. cit., p. 45. school of criticism typified by Phelps, in whose opinion ! i "however charming, witty, and satirical they may be," these essays "break the continuity of the narrative, ' 19 1 destroy the illusion, and insult the reader." i Phelps also disapproves of Fielding*s frequent | author comments within the body of the work: It may seem odd to accuse Fielding of anything like ‘ insincerity; and yet these side talks with his readers, ' these constant intrusions of the master of the show, ; are not only fundamentally Insincere from the point f of view of art, they established a bad tradition in English fiction.20 > But Cross replies, "Whatever In ’Tom Jones' a novelist today might avoid for himself, he must wish nothing removed from the first master of his art l,,2I Discussion of Fielding’s essays and digressions, |even on his Interpolated tales, has almost reached a ! stalemate. Perhaps the best solution is to adopt Maugham’s detached attitude: "Fielding’s digressions are nearly always sensible or amusing and their only fault is that 19 William Lyons Phelps, "The Advance of the English Novel" (Part III)), Bookman. 42 (December, 1915), 390. 20 Ibid.. p. 390. 2^ Cross, "The Secret of Tom Jones," Bookman. 48 (September, 1948), 21. _ I one could well do without them."22 ; i Coincidence. Any statement of Fielding's use of j coincidence in Tom Jones must be based partially on sub jective judgment. The nature of the coincidences does not seem to vary greatly, one being as probable or improbable j i as the next. Whether the reader finds them admirable or excessive must depend to a large extent on his own temperament, personal experience, training, philosophy, and even on the rate at which he reads the novel. That is, i i any given coincidence may impress him as clever if com© . upon fresh after a pause in his reading or as forced if immediately preceded by whatever number of similar coincidences is required to surfeit his credulity. Here are two typical opposing comments on this question: The test of coincidence in fiction is whether or not it seems probable, as it does in Tom Jones. As Hardy has shown in The Return of the Native and Tess of the D'Urbervllles, its use is perfectly legitimate so long as it has this air of credulity about it,23 The main objection to which the plan is open is the exceeding number of chance coincidences, any single one of which might be not unlikely to happen, but which in their accumulation are most Improbable.2^ go Maugham, 0£. cit,, p, 125, 23 Bissell, ££. eft,, pp, 78-79, 2^ (Anon,) "Lawrence's The Life of Henry Fielding" (Review), Quarterly Review, 98 (March, 1856), 144, 17 Episode. The use of episode by Fielding, especially in the middle section of his novel, has its major sanction in the picaresque tradition. While some critics find this ample justification, the majority raise objections, .Among .the more vehement objectors is a contributor to Blackwood1s Magazine, who finds Fielding*s method of partially inte grating these episodes by cross-relating the characters ”the vulgar art of the inferior writer,” He adds! A Dumas will employ this method of exciting curiosity, but he will respect the principle of Economy, even when violating that of Selection: he will not add superfluity to improbability. But Fielding*s boasted construction has not even this merit. An immense proportion of Tom Jones is episodical. It is a poor excuse to say that these episodes give variety to the work: a collection of separate tales, not professing to be a whole, but only professing to depict various aspects of life, would not form a well-constructed novel; and if Fielding is episodical, it is simply because he wanted to produce the effect of variety, and was not artist enough to make the variety spring from and tend to unity,2® While it is true that plotting achieved by the over lapping of characters rather than by real incident-relation is ^inferior art,” it seems excessive to accuse the innovator of the plotted novel of lacking the skill to plot. Rather, since Fielding*s contemporaries did not use plot, and since Fielding himself had no way of knowing how much ^ (Anon,) ”A Word about Tom Jones.” Blackwood*s Magazine, 87., (March, I860), 335-336. 18 importance his successors would place on his innovation, we should conclude that where Fielding used episode, he did sol deliberately to fulfill artistic requirements other than plot which seemed more important to him at the time, but which we have since outgrown# Secret of Jones* parentage. This same writer who denounces Fielding*s episodic construction is equally disdainful of the famous secret of Jones’ parentage: The only detail in construction which we remember to have seen insisted on is the skill with which the secret of Jones’ parentage is kept# Without retorting, as we eertainly might, that^the secret itself excites no interest at all, after the first chapters, we will merely point out the extreme clumsiness of its dis closure. How could the reader form any guess as to Tom’s father when the very existence of that person is never even alluded to, until the disclosure takes place? We soon make up our minds that Bridget Allworthy is the mother; but as no mention whatever is made of Mr. Summer, until we hear that he was Tom’s father, and as we are not even led to suspect that there was any one holding the place of that curate, the skill with which the secret is kept is surely not of a very admirable kind#®® \ Other crities find the handling of this secret one of the major successes in the book# Lobban praises it as 07 a genuine ’ ’dramatic surprise,” and Cross remarks that on looking back after the secret is revealed, we see that 26 Ibid#, pp. 336-337. ^ J. H. Lobban, ’ ’Henry Fielding,” Blackwood’s Magazine. 181. (April, 1907), 560# ■*5^* 19 ’ ’Torahs real mother conducted herself just as a woman of her character would do in the circumstances While Cross1 opinion is valid, it should be noted that throughout Books I and II, while Bridget is concealing her secret, Fielding deliberately misleads the reader as to the real motives of her actions. For instance, in dis cussing Bridget and her husband, Capt, Blifil, in the seventh chapter of Book II, Fielding gives a false reason for Bridget*s attentions to Jones as a foundling: It was always a sufficient reason to either of them to be obstinate in any opinion, that the other had previously asserted the contrary. If the one pro posed any amusement, the other constantly objected to It: they never loved or hated, commended or abused, the same person. And for this reason, as the captain looked with an evil eye on the little foundling, his wife began now to caress it almost equally with her own child,29 (Italics mine) This excerpt is a good illustration of one of Fielding*s favorite methods of playing tricks on the reader*s psychology, by a double deception, as it were. The first, obvious deception is that in explaining Bridget’s interest in the child he disguises her real motive, natural maternal love, as a false motive, contention with her husband. The second, more subtle deception is that by Cross, The History of Henry Fielding (New Haven, 1918), II, 200-201, 29 Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones s A Foundling (London, 1908), I, 60, ~ 20 | directly intruding upon the story to interpret her ■ character, he leaves the reader with the impression that \ \ this interpretation, coming straight from the author as it does, is guaranteed to be accurate* The example above is j not too forceful out of context, but when encountered within the novel, surrounded by many similar deceptions, it does add weight to the argument that the secret of Jones* parentage is not of the most "admirable kind*1 ’ Denouement. As in the case of coincidence, whether or not the denouement in Tom Jones is hurried remains a subjective decision. Saintsbury lists the speed of this passage among his six "faults commonly ascribed to Tom j Jones;"5Q but it is praised by many, including Lobban, ' who feels that Fielding "displays an astonishing skill in accounting for all his characters before the curtain drops,and Cross, who finds that "the plot, based even in its mystery on very common incidents in life, is <zg developed and brought to a close with perfect ease." 30 George Saintsbury, "Fielding," in Prefaces and Essays (London, 1933), pp. 12-61. ^ Lobban, o|>, cit., p. 560. 32 Cross, "The Secret of Tom Jones." Bookman, 48 (September, 1948), 21. Judgment of the denouement depends most, perhaps, on the degree to which the reader has become emotionally * involved with the characters. If he has remained aloof, he will probably sense the machinery working; if he is suffering vicariously in Jones1 predicament, the rapidity of his rescue will bring an agreeable release of tension. Anachronisms. As early as May, 1791 a contributor to the Gentleman1s Magazine pointed out the major anachronism in Tom Jones in which the calendar outraces itself by reading "June” in the fifth book and "mid winter” in the seventh, the events of the latter taking place only three weeks after those in the fifth. In the nineteenth century Keightly3® in particular continued these discoveries, and among more recent writers Dickson has made the major contribution. He suggests; The fact that Fielding made this slip in writing "June” for "November” indicates very clearly that he did not reduce his chronology to writing^ but carried the whole in his head, and thus accomplished a feat which has not been approached, nor indeed attempted by any other writer of fiction,34 Further evidence that Fielding did not depend on a Thomas Kelghtly, "On the Life and Writings of Henry Fielding,” Fraser*s Magazine, 57., (January, February, June, 1858), 1-14, 205-218, 762-764, Frederick S, Dickson, "The Chronology of Tom Jones,” Library, 3rd s, 8. (July, 1917), 222, 22 written calendar Is contained in Dickson*s discovery that in following his tlme-scheme, Fielding ”totally ignored the existence of Sunday,” placing such unlikely events as Partridge*s attempt to cash a 50-pound note and Sophia*s attendance at the theater on that day of the week, Nor, apparently, was Fielding aware that he had ironically placed Jones* lowest ebb of fortune on Christmas Day, Time-Scheme. Dickson made these discoveries while working out a detailed, systematic calendar of the events in Tom Jones. Having obtained a starting date from Fielding*s references to the Scottish Rebellion, he established the whole scheme by correlating the novel*s time coverage and the phases of the moon.3® Discrepancies« In addition to the anachronisms in 'XC Tom Jones. Keightly found certain other errors, ° such as the erection of a non-existent bridge over the Avon and the apparently Inexhaustible supply of Sophia*s money, ^ A full account of Fielding*s time-seherae can be found In Dickson*s article cited, pp. 218-24, and according to Cross, in Dickson*s ”Index to Tom Jones” in the Yale University Library. Also, Cross has summarized these findings in his own work, The History of Henry Fielding (New Haven, 1918), II, 188-195. Keightly, op. cit.. pp. 1-14, pp. 205-218, pp. 762-764. which remained in her purse even after she had sent it all to Jones and lo3t her bank-bill as well. Other scholars have contributed to this list of slips, but, as Cross remarks, t t Mr. Dickson has apparently found them all.” 37 The major discrepancies are catalogued and discussed by Cross in the work cited above, II, 164-165, 197-201. CHAPTER III STRUCTURAL DIVISIONS IN TOM JONES (BOOKS I-VI) Fielding divided Tom Jones into 18 books, containing an arithmetical average of 11.5 chapters each. The longest books, VII and VIII, have 15 chapters; the shortest book, IX, has only seven. In the Dent edition used for this analysis,1 the average book has 44 pages, but the length ranges from 28 pages in Book III to 12 pages In Book VII, Chapters are very short, rarely exceeding five pages. Each book is opened by an interpolated, non-fictional essay discussing either Fielding's literary theory, an event or character in his story, or some moral aspect of life. Since these essays are structurally distinct from the body of the novel, they will be omitted from our analysis. While books and chapters are the only divisions which appear In the novel's format, its contents are also divisible by setting; Books I through VI take place in the country on the Allworthy and Western estates; Books VII through XII move out to the road and hostelries; and 1 Henry Fielding. The History of Tom Jones; A Foundling (London, 1908/, 25 Books XIII through XVIII are set in London, largely in room interiors. The Dent edition appears in two volumes of equal length, by which the novel is arbitrarily split within Book IX. Tom Jones is normally published, however, in three volumes, each containing six books, which correspond to the changes in setting. It is on this scenic division into thirds that the present analysis is based; for convenience the successive groups of six books are referred to as Sections I, II, and III. The first section of Tom Jones, set in the country, introduces the Allworthy and Western households, relates the discovery of the foundling, follows his adventures through childhood to his love affair with Sophia Western, and concludes with his expulsion from home by his guardian, Squire Allworthy. Narrative Summary Book I Contents. Biographical background on Squire Allworthy and sister, Bridget. Foundling Tom Jones dis covered in Allworthybed; supposed mother, Jenny Jones, chastised and expelled. Courtship and marriage of Bridget Allworthy and house guest, Capt. Blifil; consequent quarrel of Blifil brothers, ^ Time. Indefinite number of years. 26 Method. Primarily narrative. Purpose. Expositional, presenting antecedent characters and events necessary to future development of Jones* personal story. Also sets main plot in action through discovery of infant Tom and expulsion of Jenny Jones. Book II Contents. Young Blifil, Jones* antagonist, bom to Bridget. Jenny Jones dismissed from service in Partridge household as result of Partridge marital quarrel; Partridge accused and supposedly revealed as Jones* father, expelled by Allworthy through treachery of Capt. Blifil. Capt. Blifil dies. Time. Two years. Method. Primarily narrative. Purpose. Develops main plot through introduction of novel* s antagonist, young Blifil, sub-plot through expulsion of Jenny. Reaches minor climax in accusation of Partridge. Disposes of Capt. Blifil after completion of his plot services as father of young Blifil, betrayer of Partridge. Book III Contents. Jones and young Blifil characterized as children. Black George, Allworthy dependent, and Jones caught poaching. Square and Thwackum, boys* tutors, introduced. Enmity develops between Jones and young Blifil; Black George dismissed from Allworthy employ for poaching and*other incidents despite Jones* defense of him. Time. Five years, after 12-year lapse since time of Book“fT7 Method. Primarily narrative but increasing dialogue. \ 27 Purpose, Primarily characterization through pair contrasts, e.g* Jones vs, Blifil, Square vs. Thwackum, Main plot develops through growing enmity between Jones and Blifil, with Black George as pivot of contention. Book IV Contents. Sophia Western, heroine, introduced. Loss of Sophia*s pet bird through treachery of Blifil as child. Jones applies to Sophia In Black George’s behalf. Molly Seagrim, Jones* first mistress, introduced* her pregnancy, churchyard battle with jealous town gossips, and rescue from arrest by Jones. Jones injured in rescuing Sophia from runaway horse, is invalided at Western house. Love develops between Jones and Sophia. Time. One year, plus first use of flashback to cover childhood bird-incident. Method. Predominantly dialogue. Purpose. Novel expands to include Western household. About equallydivided between characterization, often by contrast, e.g. Sophia-Molly, and sub-plot development through Molly Seagrim complication. Also begins main plot love affair between Jones and Sophia. Book V Contents. Jones* sickroom visited by succession of major characters. Sophia-Jones love interest grows. Allworthy falls ill; contingencies of his probable death discussed by household. Jones discovers Molly Seagrim*s infidelity with Square. Death of absent Bridget reported by family lawyer. Jones* effusion at recovery of Allworthy leads to love encounter with Molly, fight with Blifil and Thwackum. Western retinue arrives on scene. Time. About six months. Method. Balance of narrative and dialogue. Purpose. Brings plot to main climax In brookside scene. Divided between Immediate plot developments, i.e. 28 growth of Jones-Sophia affair, exposure of Jones-Molly affair, and potential developments, e*g* Jones* magnanimous attitude toward Molly-Square infidelity wins Square to Jones* camp* Book VI Contents* Mrs* Western, Squire Western*s sister, sponsors unwelcome match between Sophia and Blifil, Allworthy misled by Blifil*s treachery, expels Jones; his parting raoney-gift to Jones lost and stolen by Black George, Sophia confined by her father for refusing Blifil, is released by aunt* Time, About three weeks* Method * Balance of narrative and dialogue* Purpose. Continues over-all novel plot, e.g, Blifil*s courtship of Sophia, Black George*s theft, while resolving events particular to Section I, e.g* Jones* expulsion, Sophia*s incarceration and escape* Hovelistic Nature of Section I The first section of Tom Jones exhibits all the characteristics of the conventional, well-plotted novel. It opens with the background material necessary to an understanding of the story, proceeds to the introduction and characterization of the major characters, and efficiently sets in motion the main plot and early sub plots by a judicious arrangement of Immediate action producing complications and potential, action delaying complications. While these effects are also common to the first scenes of a well-constructed play, to produce them Fielding uses many techniques which are not available to the dramatist. In addition to dialogue and action, he uses description, psychological analysis, narrative summary, and direct author comment. Similarly, while he borrows from the dramatist both his chronological order of events and his favorite method of interrupting that order, the flashback, Fielding also takes advantage of the novelist's ability to range back and forth among events within an apparently chronological framework. This trick is possible because the novelist, unlike the dramatist, can reproduce the past and anticipate the future through author comment or narrative summary without Introducing scene change and dialogue. We may say, then, that Section I of Tom Jones is typically novellstie in method. Since Tom Jones is after all a novel, and since almost every other novelist can boast of these same accomplishments, such a conclusion seems hardly startling. It should be remembered, however, that It is precisely these characteristics of structure and technique, or more accurately their fusion, which differentiates Fielding's practice from the dramatic and picaresque traditions on which he was schooled. Plot Structure 30 Section I of Tom Jones has two distinct structural shapes: a classical outline in the Aristotelean tradition in which the action rises by successive complications to a climax and then falls into resolution, and a symmetrical bisection in which Books I, II, and III correspond respectively with Books IV, V, and VI both in content and in structure. Classical Shape of Section I From Aristotle*s "beginning, middle, and end" the definition of classical plot structure has expanded to include seven steps: exposition, Inciting moment, develop ment, climax, denouement, final suspense, and catastrophe. According to this progression, first a static situation is described by necessary background material and character ization; then some event occurs to change the situation. This event Is followed by Increasing complications and other events until the altered situation reaches a crisis or turning point* Now follows a resolution or untying of the complications. This is often interrupted by a moment of suspense in which the predicted outcome of the situation appears contradicted* Finally all complications are re solved, the action is halted, and a new static situation Is 31 g evolved. In drama the plot climax usually falls near the middle of the work; in fiction, since the denouement and catastrophe can be summarized by narrative rather than laboriously depicted by scene and dialogue, the climax tends to shift towards the end of the work, usually occurring at least at the three-quarter mark. Section I of Tom Jones exactly follows the seven steps of classical plot structure, characteristically shifting its climax from the middle to the five-sixths mark: Book I opens with the exposition or necessary background material on the Allworthy household and proceeds •to the inciting moment, when Jones is discovered as a foundling in Allworthy’s bed. Books II, III, IV, and V develop Jones* adventures by successive complications, such as his contention with Blifil and his conflicting love affairs with Sophia and Molly Seagrim, By the end of Book V events reach a climax at the brookside, when all the separate factions, Jones, Molly, Blifil, Thwackum, Sophia, and the Western retinue come upon each other in a crisis of misunderstanding and intrigue. In Book VI this con fusion is relieved by the expulsion or escape of the leading characters, although there is a moment of final ^ Adapted from Bliss Perry, A Study of Prose Fiction (Cambridge, Mass,, 1930), pp. 51-607 suspense when Sophia is temporarily imprisoned and sub jected to Blifil1s attentions, TwofoId nature of denouement. While the expulsion of Jones and escape of Sophia constitute a satisfactory "end" to the plot of Section I, in that they bring about a ”new state of affairs,” at the same time they make possible the development of the novel’s over-all plot by projecting the leading characters onto the road for a continuation of their adventures. That Fielding was technically conscious of this twofold need of end and continuation is apparent from his handling of the narrative pace in Section I, Normally the pace of a well-constructed ‘ story parallels the rise and fall of action, continually quickening from the exposition to the climax and gradually relaxing from the elimax to the catastrophe. The narrative pace in Section I does not perfectly follow this pattern* To speed up his story Fielding uses two principal devicest the increasing proportion of dialogue to narrative, and the progressive concentration of time. In Section I the amount of dialogue grows regularly from Book I, which has almost no dialogue, through half of Book V, which has almost no narrative. In the climax scene at the end of Book V Fielding reverts to narrated action. His purpose here, however, Is not to slacken the pace but merely to 33 keep up with the rapid succession of events, e.g. Jones1 fight, Western1s arrival, Sophia^ faint, which are now moving too fast even for dialogue. It is in Book VI, which contains the denouement and catastrophe, that we should normally expect a return to the leisurely, philosophical type of narrative in Book I. Instead Field ing continues to rely heavily on dialogue. This con-^ struction indicates his awareness that while in content v Section I may come to a pause, technically it must retain sufficient momentum to carry the novel forward. Again, .with the exception of Book III, we find a progressive concentration of time, from an indefinite number of years in Book I to six months in Book V. If Book VI were a true end, this time progression would probably break off here, reverting to an indefinite number of years to counter-balance Book I. Such a reversion actually does take place in Book XVIII, the true end of the novel, in which Fielding summarizes the future marriage of Jones and Sophia and records how the other major characters variously dispose their lives. However, since Book VI Is not only an end to one section but also a continuation of the whole novel, the tirae- progression established in Section I continues, with the limitation of Book VI to only three weeks. 34 Disposition of characters. One of the accomplish ments of Section I is the unobtrusive skill with which Fielding arranges his characters for subsequent events while appearing merely to concern himself with present action. Those characters who have served the plot and have no future use, i.e., Bridget and Capt. Blifil, he disposes of by natural death. Those he will want again but not until Section III, i.e. Allworthy, Blifil, Mrs. Western, Black George, Square, and Thwackum, he leaves comfortably in the country. Those he will want immediately in Section II for the road adventures, i.e. Jenny Jones, Partridge, Jones, Sophia, and Squire Western, he provides with satisfactory motivation for leaving home, I.e. Jenny, Partridge, and Jones all expelled by Allworthy, Sophia seeking Jones and eluding Blifil, Squire Western seeking Sophia. One person whose disposition is open to criticism Is Molly Seagrim. Molly Is the only character highlighted in Section I who does not reappear at the close of the novel either in person or by letter. In the last chapter we do hear briefly that Jones has Increased her fortunes and that there are prospects of a marriage between her and Partridge; but since Molly is an intimate of Jones and one of the major characters of Section I, some readers may feel that Fielding rather neglects her* 35 Bisected Shape of Section I Certainly the neat classical shape of Section I would seem a sufficient achievement* But Fielding adds to the structural wealth of Tom Jones by superimposing on Section I a second shape* This second shape is produced by the division of Section I into two equal parts, the first consisting of Books I through III, the second of Books IV through VI* Occasionally we shall refer to these subdivisions as parts A and B* The most obvious method by which Fielding divides these parts is by scene and character shifting? Part A is set largely on the Allworthy estate and is concerned only with the Allworthy household and its dependents, while part B is set largely on the Western estate and Is concerned with the Westerns and their dependents, or when the Allworthys are included, with the Interrelations of the two households* This bisection is more interesting than Its simplicity suggests since it is a deliberate structural cleavage and not merely a by-product of story content, as might be supposed. We have proof of this in Fielding^ use of two technical devices? the flashback in Book IV and the progressive introduction of Squire Western. Use of Flashback. Except for the flashback® in Book IV events pertaining to the childhood of Jones and Blifil are related exclusively In Book III, in their natural chronological position. By the time of Book IV Jones and Blifil are young men} however In Chapter III of Book IV4 Fielding reaches back into the past to depict a scene in which as children Jones and Blifil differed over a pet bird. One Is tempted to ask, why is this material not included with the other childhood Incidents in Book III? The answer Is almost too obvious: the bird belongs to Sophia Western, and Sophia is not introduced until Book IV. A better question would be, if Sophia is needed for this childhood incident, why is she not introduced earlier? In seeking the answer to Sophia*s exclusion from Book III, we stumble upon the structural bisection of Section I into an "Allworthy” part and a Western” part. We discover that if Sophia were to appear In Book III to serve the story needs, she would Intrude ® As used in this paper, the term "flashback” means a return to the past by dramatic methods which include a shift of scene and the use of dialogue. Reference to or summary of past events by narrative is not considered a true flashback. 4 Fielding, oj>. cit.. I, 102-104# 37 upon the "Allworthy” part of Section I, where structurally she does not belong. Then why did not Fielding omit the bird-incident entirely? This would not solve his problem* Since his aim is to write a "history” of Tom Jones, he must include at j least such childhood incidents as bear on Jones* character formation and influence future events. The juvenile contention between Jones and Blifil does both. Fielding could, and does, illustrate this contention with incidents essential situation of Tom Jones is the struggle of two men for the love of one woman, it is artistically very desirable that, if the woman is known to them as a child, their childhood reactions to and upon her be recorded. Fielding has one final alternative* he can summarize the bird-incident by narrative; but while this would preserve his chronological framework, it would diminish the lemphasis he wishes to place on the incident. Aware of these content requirements and faced with conflicting technical solutions, Fielding apparently decided that the chronology of Section I was less important than its bisected structure. He set aside the bird incident until Book IV and created the first flash back in his novel. It is interesting to note, once other than the one Involving Sophia; but since the Fielding has reached the "Western” part in Book IV, how quickly he dips back to Insert the bird-incident: The first fictional chapter of Book IV consists of a three- 5 page introduction of Sophia;: the second chapter records the bird-incident, Progressive introduction of Squire Western. The structural clue contained in the use of flashback is sub stantiated by the progressive manner in which Squire Western is introduced. Squire Allworthy, Jones* guardian, and Squire Western, Sophia*s father, constitute one of Fielding*s famous character pairs and bear equal influence on the plot. Since we have previous evidence of Fielding*s skill in correlating content and structure, we might expect that just as these two squires have equivalent story purposes; they will be Introduced by equivalent techniques. It is instructive therefore to consider how differently their introductions are treated. Squire Allworthy1s Introduction, immediately following the prefatory essay to Book I, opens the novel with formal impressiveness: In that part of the western division of this kingdom called Somersetshire, there lately lived, and perhaps lives still, a gentleman whose name was 5 Fielding, op. cit., I, 99-102. 39 Allworthy, and who might well be called the favourite of both nature and fortune; for both of these seem to have contended which should bless and enrich him most.6 The descriptive paragraphs continue, much in the manner of the seventeenth century character essay* By Book III, the last book in the "Allworthy1 * part, we are deep in the troubles of Jones and Black George, who have been poaching on a neighbor*s estate. Mr. Allworthy, we read, had given Black George • • • strict orders, on pain of forfeiting his place, never to trespass on any of his neighbors; no more on those who were less rigid on this matter than on the lord of this manor* With regard to others, indeed, these orders had not been always very scrupulously kept; but as the disposition of the gentleman with whom the partridges had taken sanctuary was well known, the gamekeeper had never yet attempted to Invade his territories*7 But the two hunters bravely pursue their quarry onto this irrascible gentleman*s estate. We are informed thatr The gentleman himself was at that time on horse-back, at a little distance from them; and hearing the gun go off, he immediately made towards the place, and dis covered poor Tom; for the gamekeeper had leapt into the thickest part of the furze-brake, where he happily concealed himself. 6 Ibid., I, 3. 7 72 • 40 The gentleman having searched the lad, and found the partridge upon him, denounced great vengeance, swearing he would acquaint Mr. Allworthy. He was as good as his word.8 This anonymous gentleman is none other than Squire Western, destined to become one of the major characters in the novel. We wait a full ten pages for another allusion to him, and even then our only reward is his name, which as yet means nothing to the reader:: Soon’after this, an action was brought against the gamekeeper by Squire Western (the gentleman in whose manor the partridge was killed), for depradations of the like kind.® On the last two pages of Book III, which concludes the , r AllworthyM part, we finally learn a little more about the squire; but even here the information is indirectly inserted into a passage of which Jones is ostensibly the subject. The poor squire is relegated to the predicate, if not always by grammar, at least by emphasis. Jones was lately grown very intimate with Mr. Western. He had so greatly recommended himself to that gentleman, by leaping over five-barred gates, and by other acts of sportsmanship, that the squire had declared Tom would certainly make a great man if he had but sufficient encouragement. He often wished he had himself a son with such parts; and one day very 8 Ibid.. I, 73. 9 Ibid., I, 93. 41 solemnly asserted at a drinking bout, that Tom should hunt a pack of hounds for a thousand pound of his money, with any huntsman in the whole country* By such kind of talents he had so ingratiated him self with the squire, that he was a most welcome guest at his table, and a favourite companion in his sport: everything which the squire held most dear, to wit, his guns, dogs, and horses, were now as much at the command of Jones, as if they had been his own,10 It is not until Book IV, which commences the "Western” part of Section I that Squire Western emerges as a person in his own right; but throughout Books V and VI he is increasingly characterized by dramatic methods, especially that of dialogue, so that Fielding can take comic advantage of his speech. Why this difference in the methods of introducing two equal, paired characters? One answer lies in their respective places in the novel. Squire Allworthy, opening the novel, is in a position that demands formality and leisure of presentation; Squire Western, entering only after the plot is well under way and the narrative pace correspondingly quickened, must "keep up” with the rest of the story. But, we argue, so is Sophia introduced after the story is under way, in fact later than the squire, and Fielding devotes a whole static, descriptive chapter1^ " 10 . X* 95-96. 11 Xbid.. I, 99-102. 42 to her introduction. Squire Western might at least deserve a name and a sentence or two suggesting his Importance when he first appears in the novel. A better answer to this neglect of the squire lies in Fielding*s deliberate restriction of Books I through III to the Allworthy household. There must be some gentleman who owns the estate on which Tom and Black George are caught poaching, and for the sake of future events in the plot he must be Squire Western* but for the moment we are concerned only with the Allworthys, and we are not aware of the turns the plot eventually will take. However, at the same time that Squire Western is kept essentially anonymous during his premature invasion on the "Allworthy’ * part, he Is acting as a link, turning our attention, without our realizing it, toward the Western household. Symmetry of two halves of Section JL. These two clues, the flashback and the squire*s progressive intro duction, lead us to the discovery of a perfect parallelism in both story content and plot structure between the two halves of Section I. Here are the content parallelsi Part A gives the background and characterization of the Allworthy household, part B those of the Western household. In part A there is a licit love affair in the main plot between Bridget and Capt. Blifil and an illicit love affair in the sub-plot, the supposed alliance of Partridge and Jenny Jones* These two affairs are connected by an agent active on both levels, i.e. Bridget, true mother of Jones, connives to point suspicion towards Jenny. Correspondingly, in part B there is a licit love affair between Jones and Sophia in the main plot and an illicit love affair between Jones and Molly Seagrim in the sub-plot, Jones being the agent active on both plot levels. Finally, both parts develop the contention between Jones and Blifil, this contention centering around Black George in part A and around Sophia in part B. To prevent a cleavage between parts A and B which would undermine the basic unity of the whole six-book section, the two parts are interwoven in the main plot by the Sophia-Jones-Blifil triangle and in the sub-plot by the entanglement of both the Allworthy and the Western house holds with the Seagrim family. This story parallelism between the two parts of Section I extends to structure, the two parts pairing off book by books The respective opening books, I and IV, both begin with chapters of leisurely character description, of Squire and Bridget Allworthy in Book I and of Sophia in Book IV. Then, following exposition and additional 44 characterization, they both proceed to lay the groundwork of their respective love affairs, in Book I those between Bridget and Capt* Blifil and Partridge and Jenny Jones, and in Book IV those between Jones and Sophia and Jones and Molly Seagrim* The middle book3, II and V, each add a complication in the sub-plot by means of ^discovery,, f in Book II Partridge*s suspected fathering of Jones, and in Book V the revelation of Molly*s infidelity with Square. These complications lead to corresponding climaxes, in Book II Partridge*s interview with Allworthy, and in Book V Jones* misbehavior at the brookside. The two books close with a temporary resolution of their sub-plots by the same means, in Book II the expulsion of Partridge, and in Book V that of Jones* Also, both books use natural death to remove now superfluous characters, in Book II that of Capt. Blifil, and in Book V that of Bridget Allworthy, In the concluding books, III and VI, which have now been robbed of their sub-plot activity, the story is supplemented by an expansion of the main plot contention between Jones and Blifil, in Book III centering around Black George, and in Book VI centering around Sophia* v. Finally, these two major parallelisms of story and structure in Section I are re^inforced by character-pairing, e.g, Jones-Sophia, Allworthy-Western, Bridget-Mrs. Western. Explanation of Structural Diagram 45 If we attempt to summarize in graphic form the two fold structure of Section I, we arrive at the following diagram# Read as a whole, the diagram reconstructs the classical shape; read as two open triangles, it shows the division of Section I Into an MAllworthyt t and a "Western” part, each containing three books. The diagram*s over-all rise to the right simultaneously represents the trend of the classical shape, the introductory nature of the section in respect to the whole novel, and the lesser importance of the part A climax than that of the part B climax. That is, the first climax, the supposed exposure of Jones* parentage, merely pertains to part A, while the second climax, the brookside scene, not only pertains to part B but is also the climax of the total six-book classical plot# The small, closed triangle represents the material through which the two halves are interwoven, i.e# the progressive intro duction of Squire Western, the Jones-Blifil-Sophia love triangle in the main plot, and the Seagrim family complications In the sub-plot* - ■ 4 . m i mi 'Ell mi m\ ISfll o. | t=- 1 2 1 1 CHAPTER IV STRUCTURAL DIVISIONS IN TOM JONES (BOOKS VII-XII) In Section II Tom and Sophia leave home at ' different times, each encountering his own series of I adventures on the highway. After their paths cross briefly ■ at Upton, they make their separate ways to London, Along i the road Jones acquires a travel companion in Partridge (disguised as barber Benjamin) and Sophia in her cousin, Mrs, Fitzpatrick, Squire Western is diverted from his pursuit of Sophia by a party of hunters and returns home. ! Narrative Summary Book VII Contents. Sophia and her maid Honour determine to escape Western household and unwelcome suit of Blifil. Jones leaves for Bristol to become sailor, is taken up instead by band of soldiers and invalided in a fight over Sophia's reputation; his attempt to revenge his honor fails, his jailed antagonist, soldier Northerton, escapes. Time. Three days• Method. Primarily dialogue; when narrative used, noticeable decline of such static types as description and character analysis. Purpose. Sophia's plans to escape develop main ^ narrative; Jones' adventures are series of picaresque episodes with little apparent relation to plot. Principal use of episodes is to fill time while main narrative pauses; secondary uses include breathing space for reader and suspense device to whet reader's appetite for return to main narrative* Book VIII Contents, Jones has conversations with inn hostess and surgeon* Cartridge reappears as barber Benjamin; conversation between him and Jones. Second appearance of lawyer Dowling, Man of Hill episode. Time. Two days. Method. Almost totally dialogue, including those passages which advance plot. Purpose. Presents further adventures in form of picaresque conversation and interpolated tale. As in Book VII largely ”time filler” except Partridge’s re appearance, which advances plot. Possible thematic use of Man of Hill. Book IX Contents, Jones rescues Mrs. Waters (actually Jenny Jones) from former antagonist, soldier Hortherton, Battle at Upton Inn, Sophia’s cousin, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, arrives, fleeing tyrannical husband. Sexual encounter of Jones and Mrs. Waters. Mrs, Waters’ recent past history revealed. Time. Twelve hours;; events leading to Mrs. Waters’ arrival in neighborhood explained by recapitulative narrative. Method. Principally narrative, but considerable dialogue. Purpose. Resumes main plot line and begins climax of Section II; but return to plot disguised as mere picaresque episode since reader is not yet aware that Mrs. Waters is Jenny Jones, Jones* supposed mother. Apparently episodic soIdler-adventure In Books VII and VIII now partially integrated with main plot through double use of Hortherton as Jones’ fight partner in Book VII and Mrs. Waters’ unprincipled lover in this book. 49 Book X Contents. Fitzpatrick arrives, exposes Jones in bed with Mrs. Waters, momentarily mistakes her for his runaway wife. Sophia arrives, learns Jones with Mrs. Waters, and departs in anger; leaves muff in Jones* room as sign she knows of his infidelity. Time. Twelve hours; first major flashback in Section il. Method. Primarily narrative. Purpose. Ends climax of Section II, reuniting all travelers, those both of past and of future plot importance. Two sub-plots concerning Mrs. Waters and Mrs. Fitzpatrick inter-related through Fitzpatrick, who first mistakes Mrs. Waters for his wife and later leaves inn in her company. Book XI Contents. Sophia and Mrs. Fitzpatrick meet on road; Sophia falls from horse, loses purse. On arrival at new inn Sophia and Mrs. Fitzpatrick are mistaken for members of Pretender’s party. Mrs. Fitzpatrick relates her past history; her friend, Irish peer, arrives, and all three leave together for London. Time. Three days; Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s past repealed through dialogue. Method. Primarily dialogue• Purpose. Continues plot under guise of picaresque adventure; Mrs. Fitzpatrick’s story presented in manner of interpolated tale, but, unlike Man of Hill’s story, integrated with plot through her relation to Western family and further appearances in Section III. Book XII Contents. Squire Western is diverted from pursuit 50 of Sophia by joining hunt. Jones and Partridge continue road adventures: recover Sophia*s purse; encounter puppet company, Dowling, gypsies, various travel delays, and highwayman, whom they persuade to give up intentions of robbery. Time. Three days• Method. Mainly dialogue, but considerable narrative. Purpose. Continues picaresque adventure; about equally divided between digression, e.g. puppet company, gypsies, and plot integration, e.g. recovery of Sophia*s purse related to events in Section III, highwayman to characters in Section III. Picaresque Mature of Section II Among others, Cross recognizes a change in Pielding*s narrative method as the action in Tom Jones moves out to the highway. The first part of the novel, Cross explains, ... was cast in plain and direct narrative, varied by conversation, in the manner of the epic; but towards the end of the sixth book Fielding rather abruptly shifted to the dramatic manner, his mind bent upon working out a situation which he had explained in great detail.-*- Cross undoubtedly has in mind the decline of such static narrative methods as description and psychological analysis, the corresponding increase of narrated action, the quickened pace, and the emphasis on dialogue which Wilbur Cross, The History of Henry Fielding (New Haven, 1918), II, 179. characterize the last two-third3 of Tom Jones. The presence of these elements in Section II as well as its mid-spaced climax in Books IX and X might easily lead us to describe the section as characteristically "dramatic." While such a label is accurate up to a point, it does not differentiate the method in Section II from that in Section III. Nor does it take into account the episodic construction in much of this section, the digressions and interpolated tales, the long, static conversations,8 and the frequent, rapid changes of setting, which would be cumbersome, if not impossible, in the theater. More inclusive than "dramatic" is the term "picaresque," which admits these latter characteristics of Section II without rejecting action, pace, and dialogue. Nor does the term "picaresque" preclude the central, or typically dramatic, location of the climax. Section II in the true picaresque tradition has a series of climaxes, one to almost every episode, and the fact that one of these episodic climaxes is also the climax of the section as a E.g. those between Jones and Partridge in Book VIII, Chapter IX (Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling, London, 1908, I, 331-336). 52 whole need not Invalidate its picaresque function* Finally, the term ’ ’picaresque” is especially accommodating to the decrease of dialogue in Books IX and X. If Section II were definitely dramatic, we should expect these two books, which contain its crisis, to have more dialogue than any other book in the section. Instead they have the highest proportion of narrative* While almost every Fielding critic has commented ,on the episodes and digressions in Tom Jones, there appears to be no clear statement that virtually all these 3 episodes and digressions occur in Section II* This concentration of Fielding*a structural ’ ’faults” suggests that they are not so much failures in plotting as the result of a deliberate intention to set aside plot In Section II and imitate picaresque construction. Indeed, even when Fielding includes events which are actually integrated with the plot, he presents them In such a 3 In Book XVI, Chapter V when Jones, Partridge, and Mrs. Miller attend a production of Hamlet, Fielding devotes a little under three pages to Partridge’s opinions on the play. Neither the play nor Partridge’s comments are in any way related to the plot, although this brief passage can hardly be classed as a digression equal to the episodic adventures in Section II (Ibid., II, pp. 298-302?) • 53 manner, either by withholding information or by upsetting chronological order, that they appear episodic in the reading. Jones* affair with Mrs. Waters is a good example:: Fielding withholds the information that she is Jenny Jones, which would relate the incident to events in Section I; and he reveals the friendship between Mrs. Waters and Northerton, which, would connect Jones* soldier-* adventure and his affair with Mrs. Waters, only after Jones has encountered each of these characters separately* Plot Structure The climax in Books IX and X, in which almost all the characters in Section II converge upon Upton Inn, is the key to the structure of the section. Before Upton we are concerned primarily with Jones* adventures; after it we take up Sophia*s. This arrangement approximates the division of Section I into an "Allworthy" and a "Western** part; the division in Section II however is by no means so definite. Half of the first book, VII, treats of Sophia and the Western household although this book belongs to "Jones* half" of the section, and similarly most of the last book, XII, relates Jones* adventures although this book is in "Sophia*s half." "Broken braid" technique. Having decided to restrict the first half of Section II to Jones, once the situation he leaves at home is adequately explained, Fielding created for himself a problem of technique* How was Sophia to reach Upton in time to discover Tom with Mrs* Waters if he could not include her journey in the first half of the section? His solution, as for a similar problem in Section I, was to use a flashback. Thus, having left Sophia embroiled in trouble at home in Book VII, he suddenly produces her at Upton in Book Xj and only after her appearance has surprised the reader as well as the unlucky Jones does he go back in the last part of Book X to recapitulate her escape and journey* This sudden, appearance of Sophia is the first use in Tom Jones of^one of Fielding’s favorite methods of introducing the Aristotelean device "surplse*". Normally he interweaves the various strands of his story much as hair is woven Into a braid, keeping them all at approximately the same stage of development. If he wishes to produce a "surprise,( t however, he drops one of these strands for several chapters* When he reaches a climax, or the knot in the braid, he suddenly produces the end of the neglected strand, neatly tied in with the others. Then he goes back by flashback or narrative summary to properly weave the strand into the braid. This device is used again in 55 Section II with equal effectiveness* Explanation of Structural Diagram If we diagram Fielding’s treatment of Jones’ and Sophia’s journeys, we arrive at the following figure composed of two intersecting lines. The point at which they cross depicts the climax at Upton Inn, where Jones and Sophia encounter each other and various other characters important to the plot. Where the line representing either traveler is solid it indicates that his story is active, where the line is broken that Fielding has shifted to the other traveler. Although the climax at Upton is represented here as the mid-point of the diagram, between Books IX and X, actually It extends over the last half of Book IX and the first half of Book X, Some of Jones’ adventures at the inn are related in Book IX, but Sophia’s presence is not revealed until Book X, Therefore the double lines under "Book X” which represent the chapters shared by Jones and Sophia appear a little beyond the Intersection. The dotted line that follows in "Sophia’s journey" indicates the flashback In which her adventures since Book VII are recapitulated before her story is continued in Book XI. Although normally Fielding follows one traveler exclusively for several chapters before 56 interrupting his Journey, in Book X, where both Sophia and Jones are present, he shifts irregularly between the two. It was thought that to represent the exact sequence of these shifting chapters would obscure the diagram. Their accurate proportion, if not their order, is recorded in the figures at the bottom of the diagram* The top figure gives the total number of chapters in the book, excluding the prefatory essay; the lower figure shows their numerical division between Jones and Sophia. Symmetry of Section II We can also regard the diagram of Section II*, not as two intersecting lines, but as two open triangles lying on their sides with their apices meeting at the center. It is in the light of this second figure that the structure, as opposed to the story content, of Section II can be most clearly realized. We must start at the open ends of the angles at far left and right and work towards the mid point, pairing off the books thust the first and last, VII and XII; the intermediate, VIII and XI; and the center, IX and X. The outer pair of books, VII and XII, are both divided in technique between narrative and dialogue. Book VII opens with Jones* departure from home, Book XII with &1X LLL C K Squire Western* s return home• Then both go on to recount the episodic adventures met by Jones on the road, in Book VII the soldier incidents, in Book XII his encounters with the puppet company, gypsies, highwayman, etc* The intermediate pair, VIII and XI, both have a striking amount of dialogue* Book VIII opens with Jones* meeting his future travel companion, Partridge, and Book XI with Sophia*s meeting hers, Mrs. Fitzpatrick. Then both record the conversations with these respective new friends, with landlady or landlord and other persons at the inn* Each book also contains an interpolated biographical tale, in Book VIII that of the Man of the Hill as told to Jones, in Book XI that of Mrs. Fitzpatrick as told to Sophia. The center pair, Books IX and X, are both predominantly narrative* Book IX opens with an account of Jones* arrival at Upton Inn; Book X closes with the flashback bringing Sophia to the inn. In the hard core between, consisting of the last part of Book IX and the first part of Book X, we reach the famous climax scene, in which all Interested parties converge upon the inn, and the riot of fights, lovemaking, encounters, escapes, near-disasters, and real disasters breaks lose* In Section I Fielding uses a progressive concentra tion of time to Underlay the structure of his plot. There 59 is a similar relation of structure and time-coverage in Section II, Here the concentration builds from three days in Book VII through two days in Book VIII to 12 hours in Book IX, the first part of the climax. This peak is sustained in Book X, the second part of the climax, which also has 12 hours. Then the concentration relaxes again to three days in Book XII, Only Book XI, which corresponds to Book VIII, mars this symmetry. If the series were perfect, this book would cover two days; instead it covers three. Special Plotting Techniques In at least partially integrating Section II under the guise of mere episodic construction, Fielding uses two techniques of particular importance: coincidence and the cross-relation of characters. It is by the latter device that Fielding integrates the biographical tale of Mrs. Fitzpatrick, told in the picaresque manner. That he did not use it similarly to integrate the tale of the Man of the Hill raises the problem of Fieldingfs interpolations, which critics still discuss. Coincidence. In Section II Fielding places six 4 major traveling parties on the road and crosses their paths at strategic points in space and time. The routing of these parties was relatively simple since only one final destination, London, was involved, and it was natural that the travelers should use approximately the same roads and inns. The timing was more difficult. Of the three less important travelers, Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, and Mrs. Waters, the only one requiring integrated timing is Mrs. Waters. Since the Fitzpatricks* activities bear no relation to events previous to Upton, once he. has provided them with travel motives, Fielding can deposit them in the inn. at his convenience. That is, he can work backwards from Upton, beginning their travels at whatever time it is necessary to produce them for the climax, without integrating their former history with the plot. It might be supposed that it is Mrs. Waters* previous appearance in Section I as Jenny Jones that makes her timing problem more difficult; but since she left the Allworthy neighborhood twenty years before the time of M Jones and Partridge, Sophia mid Honour, and Squire Western in the main plot and Fitzpatrick, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, and Mrs. Waters in the sub-plots. 61 Section II and since her appearance now is under a new, temporarily unconnected identity,' this previous appearance causes Fielding no trouble* The problem is Mrs. Waters* 1_ \ connection with soldier Northerton in Section II. In o Books VII and VIII Jones encounters Northerton separately, traveling with, a band pf -^ldiers on the road to Gloucester. To producJ Northerton in Book IX at Upton, off his route, in the company of Mrs. Waters, requires some Ingenuity of plotting. We can see the difference in the degree of care needed to bring the Fitzpatricks and Mrs. Waters to Upton in the dissimilar methods Fielding uses to describe their journeys. Mrs. Fitzpatrick, in relating her story to Sophia, tells of her imprisonment by her tyrannical husband In Ireland and then proceeds to explain her escapes t t One day, In the absence of my husband, who was gone abroad for some short time . . . gold, the common key to all padlocks, opened my door, and set me at liberty. , f I now made haste to Dublin, where I immediately procured a passage to England; and was proceeding to Bath ... My husband overtook me last night at the inn where I lay, and which you left a few minutes before me; but I had the good luck to escape him, and to follow you.w5 5 Fielding, o£. cit., II, 83. 62 Compare the brevity and generality of this account with the timing and routing details used to describe Mrs. Waters* activities immediately before her arrival in the Upton vicinity (italics mine): The division of the regiment to which Capt. Waters belonged had two days preceded the march of that company to which Mr. Northerton was the ensign; so that the former had reached Worcester the very day after the unfortunate re-encounter betweenJones and Mortherton which we have before recorded* Now, it had been agreed between Mrs. Waters and the captain that she would accompany him in his march as far as Worcester, where they were to take their leave; of each other, and she was thence to return to Bath, where she was to stay till the end of the winter * s campaign against the rebels. With this agreement Mr. Northerton was made acquainted. To say the truth, the lady had made him an assignation at this very place. and promised to stay at Worcester till his division came thither ... Northerton no sooner obtained a release from his captivity, as we have seen, than he hasted away to overtake Mrs. Waters; which, as he was a very active nimble fellow, !he did at the last-mentioned city, some few hours after Captain Waters had left her. After much consultation on this matter, it was at length agreed that the ensign should go across the country to Hereford, whence he might find some con veyance to one of the sea-ports in Wales. and thence might make his escape abroad. ... Now, as they must, by taking horses from Worcester, have furnished any pursuers with the means of hereafter discovering their route, the ensign proposed, and the lady presently agreed, to make their first stage on foot; for which purpose the hardness of the frost was very seasonable. The main part ol^tHe Ia<ly* s baggage was already a¥ Batli. and she had nothing with her at present besides a very small quantity of linen, which the gallant undertook to carry in his own pockets. All things, therefore,"laeing settled in the evening, they arose early the next morning, and at five o*c!lock departed 63 from Worcester. it being then above two hours before day, bufe the moon, which was then at the fulX, gave them all the iigJit she was capable of affording* Having travelled on for some miles in a high road, which Northerton said he was informed Ted*"to Hereif ord. they came at the break of day to the side oT a large"" * wood, where he suddenly stopped, and, affecting to meditate a moment with himself, expressed some apprehensions from travelling any longer in so public a way. Upon which he easily persuaded his fair companion to strike with him into a path which seemed to lead directly through the wood,-and which at length brought them both to the bottom of Mazard Hill. This difference in the treatment of the Fitzpatricks* and Mrs. Waters* journeys is also a good example of the correlation of plot, content, and technique in a well- constructed story. Not only is Mrs. Waters* plot-integrated journey described in detail but it is recapitulated by a narrative summary inserted in the current story. Since the Fitzpatrick journey is unintegrated with the plot, it requires little explanation; therefore it can be worked naturally into the conversation without interrupting present events. Of the three major characters, Jones, Sophia, and Squire Western, the squire creates the least timing and routing problem. It will require a little time to prepare 6 Ibid.. II, 10-12. for his sudden journey and to discover Sophia*s destina tion, but provided no accidents occur to either (and they do not) he will automatically arrive at Upton a few hours after her. In briefly relating the squire*s journey Fielding is not concerned with details but with a reasonable explanation of how the squire was able to follow Sophia*s router Having thus traced oui? heroine very particularly back from her departure, till her arrival at Upton, we shall in a very few words bring her father to the same place; who, having received the first scent from the post-boy, who conducted his daughter to Hambrook, very easily traced her afterwards to Gloucester; whence he pursued her to Upton, as he had learned Mr, Jones had taken that route (for Partridge, to use the squire*s expression, left everywhere a strong scent behind him), and he doubted not in the least but Sophia travelled, or, as he phrased it, ran the same way,” The essential problem then is the timing of Jones and Sophia, Sophia leaves home about three days after Jones, Her tardiness is caused largely by her own characters Normally a dutiful daughter, Sophia must be sufficiently frightened by the threat of marriage to Blifil to determine upon escape. Such a change of character takes time, enough, in fact, for her father to imprison her, her aunt to alternately release and harangue her, and Blifil to pay her two unwelcome courtship visits. 7 Ibid,. II, 50-51. Fielding*s problem is how to delay Jones so that he will still be at Upton when Sophia arrives. We do not intend here to recapitulate the timing and routing of Jones* and Sophia’s journeys, both because they are too complex to condense intelligibly and because Fielding himself covers them in explicit detail within the story,8 We are concerned rather with the technique by which Fielding solves his problem of delay, namely the use of episodic adventures# These includet Jones* encounter with the soldiers, his unlucky fight with Northerton, his invalidism, his acquaintance with Partridge, his interview with the Man of the Hill, and his rescue of Mrs# Waters from Northerton. If Fielding had wanted only to delay Jones, he could easily have given him a single adventure that would consume the whole time# He could have made Jones* wound a little deeper, for example, and his invalidism a little longer. That Fielding chose instead to provide Jones with a series of apparently unrelated adventures strengthens our hypothesis that in this section he was also deliberately imitating the picaresque genre, even at the expense of plot# Character-Relation. Perhaps Fielding*s long Q See e.g# Sophia*s routing in Book X, Chapter IX (Ibid., II, 45-50):. 66 apprenticeship in the theater had trained him to think automatically in terms of plot; or perhaps his earlier success in Section I had made him dissatisfied with purely episodic construction* At any rate, having determined to use episodes in Section II, he apparently decided to integrate some of these episodes without appearing to. His method was to rely, not on the progressive, cause-to-effect relation of eyents, hut on the more nearly static cross-relation of characters. Mrs. Waters is the principal character through whom Jones* adventures in the first half of Section I are integrated with the plot. All events concerning her are automatically related to events in Section I by her hidden relationship to Jones as his supposed mother. But in making Mrs. Waters and Northerton lovers, Fielding also Indirectly integrates Jones* soldier adventure by its connection through Northerton with Mrs. Waters. In placing the apparently digressive soldier adventure first, he jointly preserves the episodic impression of the section and gives the reader the pleasure of discovery. Fielding also uses Mrs. Waters as the pivot of a second group of related characters in Section II. Having borrowed Mrs. Waters in disguise from Section I, he goes back and retrieves Partridge, who is also traveling 67 Incognito aa Benjamin, Thia pair, croaa-related by supposed adultery, are also, of course, individually or vertically related to Jones, each as hia assumed parent. Next Fielding creates two new characters, the Fitzpatricks, whom he cross-relates by marriage to parallel the supposed adultery of Mrs. Waters and Partridge and vertically relates to Sophia through family ties. Just as Mrs. Waters and Partridge are involved in the plot of Section I, the Fitzpatricks are destined to serve the pldt of Section III. Finally, to establish a cross-reference between the two pairs of lovers, supposed and real, Fielding joins Mrs. Waters and Fitzpatrick in a third love affair that actually begins here in Section II when they leave Upton Inn in the same coach. Up to this point there is not a single event In Jones* travels that is not integrated either directly or indirectly by the cross-reference of characters. But when Fielding reaches Mazard Hill, he temporarily suspends this method. The old Man of the Hill has no relation either to Jones or to any other character in the book. We shall return to the problem of the old man and his Interpolated tale, but first let us review the plotting In the second half of Section II. From Upton Inn we follow Sophia*s adventures. She 68 meets Mrs. Fitzpatrick, loses her purse, and listens to Mrs. Fitzpatrick1s story. Then after the two ladies are briefly mistaken for members of the Pretender*s party, they join Mrs. Fitzpatrick*s friend, the anonymous lord who helped her escape and is now pursuing her. All these events are at least loosely integrated through the blood relationship of the two girls and Mrs. Fitzpatrick*s future services to the plot. When we return to Jones, we find him involved in four new adventures:: he meets the finder of Sophia*s purse, encounters a puppet company, attends a gypsy party, and is come upon by an unenthusiastic highwayman. Of these four adventures two are integrated, one is rather tenuously connected, and one is completely digressive. The finding of Sophia’s purse is related to events in Section III, the highwayman to characters in Section III. The puppet company adventure is almost digressive, but Jones at least discovers Sophia’s whereabouts from the Merry Andrew. There remains only the gypsy tribe to class with the old Man of the Hill as completely unrelated either by event or character to the plot of Tom Jones. The gypsy digression, like Partridge’s attendance at the play in 9 Ibid.. II * 124. 69 Section III, is rarely singled out by critics for complaint; Both these minor digressions are brief, amusing, and serve as vehicles for gently satiric comment on society. The Man of the Hill episode, with great length and only a small possible thematic purpose,^ is less easily excused, especially in the light of a comment made by Fielding in this same section: First, then, we warn thee not too hastily to condemn any of the incidents in this our history as impertinent and foreign to our main design, because thou dost not immediately conceive in whatmanner such incident may conduce to that design. The Man of the Hill digression occurs in Book VIII; the above comment follows in Book X. Does this sequence suggest that at least as late as the writing of Book X, Fielding intended to eventually integrate the Man of the Hill, but later relinquished this plan as being undesirable or perhaps too difficult? No one can answer that question. There does exist however one flimsy clue, whether true or false, that the answer might be in the affirmative; this clue is the behavior of Partridge during the Man of the As mentioned in Chapter II of this paper, Dickens considered this 37-page story a "preview’ * of Jones* life in London. ^ Fielding, oj^, cit.. II, 15, 70 Hill*s narration. When Jones and Partridge arrive late in the night at Mazard Hill, the old man is absent and they are met by the frightened housekeeper. After bribing his way in, Jones reassures the housekeeper by his affable conversation. Partridge, however, is far from being at ease: The poor fellow • . . had no sooner warmed himself, than those thoughts which were always uppermost in his mind, began a little to disturb his brain. There was no article of his creed in which he had a stronger faith than he had in witchcraft, nor can the reader conceive a figure more adapted to inspire this idea, than the old woman who now stood before him. ... Many circumstances, likewise conspired to confirm Partridge in his opinion. Her living, as he then imagined, by herself in so lonely a place; and in a house ... adorned with a great number of nicknacks and curiosities, which might have engaged the attention of a virtuoso. While Jones was admiring these things ... Partridge sat trembling with the firm belief that he was in the house of a witch.12 Jones is so curious about the place that he deteimines to wait out the old mants return: Though the old woman, therefore, concluded every one of her answers with desiring him to be gone, and Cartridge proceeded so far as to puli him by the sleeve, he still continued to invent new questions.1® When the old man finally arrives, Partridge is anything but 12 « I# 337-338. 13 Ibid.. I, 339. 71 reassured? Partridge no sooner saw the gentleman, than the strangeness of his dress infused greater terror into that poor fellow than he had felt before,14 But Jones, still curious, urges the old man to explain his motives for living in such isolation. As the old man replies graciously, Partridge becomes calmer? His apprehensions now had pretty well left him, but some effects of his terrors remained; he therefore reminded the gentleman of that excellent brandy which he had mentioned. This was presently brought, and Partridge swallowed a large bumper, As the old man launches into his story Jones1 and Partridge's attitudes tend to reverse, Jones subsides into polite interest, while Partridge becomes increasingly animated and plagues the old man with countless interrup tions, including comments, quotations, questions, and even a pointless story of his own. Many of these interruptions merely reveal Partridge’s brandy-fortified garrulity, emphasizing such comic traits as his superstitiousness and his vanity over his classical learnings; wFor evil spirits can carry away anything without being seen, though there were never so many folk in 14 Ibid,. I, 340. 15 Ibid,, I, 342. 72 the room • • . And I could tell you a true story, If I would, where the devil took a man out ©if bed from another man's wife, and carried him away through the keyhole of the door."16 "With submission, sir," said Partridge, "I do not remember any writers who have called It malorum; but irritamenta malorum. Effodiuntur opes, irritamenta — — TrT7 ---------- But Partridge also makes a series of interruptions which might be construed to Indicate that he has grown extremely interested in the old man*s story. His new attitude is especially striking because of its contrast to his previous terror. Some of Partridgefs interruptions urge the old man Into particulars: Jones desired him to pass over anything that might give him pain in the relation; but Partridge eagerly cried out, "Oh, pray, sir, let us hear this; I had rather hear this than all the rest; as I hope to be saved, I will never mention a word of it."18 "Pray let us hear all," cries Partridge; "I want mightily to know what brought him to Bath."19 16 Ibid.. I, 355 17 Ibid., I, 352 18 Ibid.. I, 346 19 Ibid.. I, 362 73 Some are attempts at more complete identifications "Pray, sir, did he mention anything of the warrant?"20 "Pray, sir, where was the wound?"^1 Others indicate that Partridge is under the impression; that he can tell the story as well as, or better than, the Man of the Hill himself. The old man remarks s "In short, my chum had left Oxford, and whether from indolence, or from what other motive I am ignorant, had' declined concerning himself any farther in the affair." "Perhaps," cries Partridge, "he did not care to have your blood upon his hands: and he was In the right on’t."22 At another time the old man sayss "I was again hungry, and wished he would add a beef-steak to his bottle." "Some people," cries Partridge, "ought to have good memories; or did you find just money enough in your breeches to pay for the mutton-chop?" "Your observation is right," answered the stranger.23 When the old man has finished his story, Jones urges him to 20 Ibid.. I, 347. 21 Ibid.. I, 366. op Ibid., I, 348. 23 Ibid.. I, 353. 74 continue speaking, but on his impressions of Europe; and soon the two of them are deep in philosophical discussion. What happens to Partridge*s curiosity now? As for Partridge, he had fallen into a profound repose just as the stranger had finished his story; for his curiosity was satisfied, and the subsequent discourse was not forcible enough in its operation to conjure down the charms of sleep.2^ (Italics mine) It Is not too far-fetched to assume that an attentive reader, schooled in the Fielding practice of introducing apparent digressions which are later integrated with the plot, might interpret these persistent inter ruptions by Partridge as a "plant.** He might find them deliberate clues that Partridge has some previous knowledge of the old man which, for reasons of his own, he does not yet admit. Aware that Partridge is generally assumed to be Jones* father, but hesitant to believe that such a comical, even Ineffectual fellow could have sired the hero, this reader might surmise that Partridge*s secret is that not he, but the old man, is Jones* father. If this reader were acquainted with Joseph Andrews. Fielding*s other biography of a boy, his surmise might approach certainty. There too, aiother old man, soured on life and retired to the country, played host to the hero and his 24 !£££•> 372 75 travel companion by entertaining them with the story of his life. That old man at least was later revealed as the hero*s true father. % When this reader reached a certain author-comment in Book XI, he might even become smugs And now, reader . . . though we will always lend thee proper assistance in difficult places, as we do not, like some others, expect thee to use the arts of divination to discover our meaning, yet we shall not indulge thy laziness where nothing but thy own attention is required; for thou art highly mistaken if thou dost imagine that we intended, when we began this great work, to leave thy sagacity nothing to do; or that, without sometimes exercising this talent, thou wilt be able to travel through our pages with any pleasure or profit to thyself.^5 Yet another clue depends upon the structure of Section II, which we have earlier discussed. It may be remembered that, according to our diagram, Book VTII is paired to Book XI, these two books holding the inter** mediate position between the open ends of the angles and their apices. Now the major similarity between Book VIII and XI is that they both contain interpolated tales, here in Book VIII that of the old man as told to Jones, and In Book XI that of Mrs. Fitzpatrick as told to Sophia. Mrs. Fitzpatrick is thoroughly integrated with the plot, by both character and event relation. Not only is she Sophia*s OR Ibid., I, 93, 76 cousin, but in Section III she will cause directly and Indirectly many of Jones1 troubles, e.g. his meeting with Lady Bellaston, his duel with Fitzpatrick and consequent imprisonment. Is it then illogical to expect that the Man of the Hill will also be Integrated, both by character** relation as the father of Jones and by event-relation as the cause of some future plot development? But our expectations are not fulfilled. The Man of the Hill remains irretrievably outside the plot* We find ourselves falling back on picaresque tradition as the justification for this episode. If Partridgefs behavior is not weighted, it is at least in character, he being a fellow who always likes his own voice and his bottle. Furthermore, his falling asleep at the end of the old man’s story serves a plot need. One way or another he must be left behind when Jones strikes out again. He cannot be present when Jones encounters Mrs. Waters at the foot of Mazard Hill since he is able to Identify her as Jones1 supposed mother. Such an identification would preclude Jones* "act of incest" with Mrs. Waters at Upton Inn, and while Jones might be grateful for such a service, the plot would suffer. But a final, more provocative explanation for the Man of the Hill episode is that It Is an elaborate trick. 77 Fielding must have been aware of both our arguments, that interpolation is justifiable through picaresque tradition, but that his own comments, structural requirements, and especially the parallel in Joseph Andrews indicate eventual integration of the Man of the Hill, It could be that he is simply beguiling his more avid readers into an assurance that they have guessed Jones* parentage, only to foil their expectations in Section III, Certainly at least Fielding has been known to play such tricks before.^® ® E.g. his misleading the reader as to Bridget*s motives for her interest in Jones as a foundling, dis cussed in Chapter II of this paper. CHAPTER V STRUCTURAL DIVISIONS IN TOM JONES (BOOKS, XIII-XVIII) In Section III Jones and Sophia reach London at different times and continue their separate adventures. Although Jones seeks out Mrs. Fitzpatrick, hoping she will lead him to Sophia, he is not aware that the two cousins have traveled to London together or that Sophia is now living with Mrs. Fitzpatrick's friend. Lady Bellaston* These two ladies, however, decide to thwart Jones, Mrs. Fitzpatrick to court favor with Squire Western and Lady Bellaston to win Jones for herself. By their contrivance he is soon involved in a love affair with Lady Bellaston, and Sophia is distracted by the courtship of Lord Fellamar. Jones also becomes entangled in the problems of the Millers, the family with whom he is boarding. As complication piles on complication, Jones and Sophia seem to be driven Irrevocably apart. Finally Sophia receives apparent proof that Jones has lost all love for her, and he himself Is jailed on suspicion of murder. To add to his troubles, Jones learns that Mrs. Waters, the lady to whom he made love at Upton Inn, is actually Jenny Jones, his supposed mother. But Fitzpatrick, Jones* victim, recovers, and Mrs. Waters belatedly reveals that Bridget Allworthy was Jones* real' mother. Now the complications begin to unties Jones 79 and Allworthy are reconciled, Sophia is won back, traitor Blifil is found out, and the various problems of the other characters are rapidly solved. United at last in marriage, Jones and Sophia retire to the country and wlive happily ever after.” Narrative Summary Book XIII Contents. Jone3 arrives in London, petitions Mrs, Fitzpatrick for aid in finding Sophia; but she prefers to regain Western*s approval by thwarting Jones, enlists help of friend, Lady Bellaston; Lady Bellaston contrives to meet Jones at masquerade, begins love affair. Jones, boarding with Millers, meets household, including fellow boarder and daughter’s lover, Nightingale; Mrs. Miller acquaints Jones with distressed family, which proves to be that of highwayman in Section II. Jones and Sophia accidentally meet at Lady Bellaston*s. Time. Twelve days. Method. Predominantly dialogue, but highest proportion of narrative in Section III; letters. Purpose. Primarily expositional, beginning both new London sub-plots, Bellaston and Miller stories. Also begins London reunion of characters important to novel*s over-all plot. Book XIV Contents. Honour and Lady Bellaston encounter each other aF~3ones"*’ room; disapproving landlady asks Jone s to leave. Landlady discloses her acquaintance with Allworthy, his charities. Boarder Nightingale, now formally affianced by father to strange girl, plans to leave to avoid Miller daughter, Nancy; Nancy’s pregnancy revealed; Jones appeals 80 to Nightingale’s father and uncle to approve marriage of Nightingale and Nancy; uncle, at first conciliatory, retracts support when he learns the two are not already married. Time. Two days• Method. Almost totally dialogue, except frequent letters. Purpose. Continues Bellaston story; brings Miller story to climax. Book XV Contents. Lord Fellamar, enamoured of Sophia, is urged by Lady Bellaston to trick Sophia into marriage by rape; attempt foiled by arrival of Squire Western;^ squire’s motives, journey to London covered by flashback. Nightingale escapes uncle, marries Nancy. Honour and Lady Bellaston again meet at Jones’; Lady Bellaston hires Honour to seal her mouth; Jones and Nightingale scheme to free Jones of Lady Bellaston by unwelcome marriage proposal; Jones himself receives proposal from stranger, Arabella Hunt. Black George arrives in London, reveals Sophia’s whereabouts to Partridge; Allworthy’s arrival impending. Time. Two days. Method. Predominantly dialogue, but relatively strong on narrative; highest frequency of letters in novel. Purpose. Temporary resolution of Miller story; development of major obstacle, Fellamar courtship, in Bellaston story. Continued arrival of over-all plot characters; progressive integration of London plots with over-all plot through increasing number of characters active on both levels, e.g. Western, Nightingale. See discussion of ’ ’broken braid" technique in Chapter V of this paper* 81 Book XVI Contents. Lord Fellamar*s "second" brings Squire Western duel challenge- t but disdains him, withdraws challenge as useless; Mrs. Western arrives, frees Sophia; Sophia and Jones exchange letters. Partridge attends play. Allworthy and Blifil arrive; Blifll pays court to Sophia. Mrs. Western won over by Lady Bellaston to Fellamar courtship of Sophia, shows Sophia Jones* letter proposing marriage to Lady Bellaston. Jones, visiting Mrs. Fitzpatrick, is attacked by Fitzpatrick, seized by gang in Fellamar employ, and led off to jail. Time. Five days; flashback on Squire Western. Method. Predominantly dialogue; letters. Purpose. Continues London reunion of over-all plot characters, e.g. Mrs. Western, and completes integration of Bellaston story with over-all plot by additional double level activity of characters, e.g. Mrs. Western, Fitzpatricks. High point of complication, in which Sophia sees Jones* letter to Lady Bellaston and Jones himself is jailed, is both climax of Bellaston story and beginning of climax in over-all plot. Book XVII * Contents. Blifil reports Jones* supposed murder of Fitzpatrick to Allworthy; Mrs. Miller continually petitions Allworthy to forgive Jones; she visits prison, acts as go-between for Jones and Sophia. Sophia pressed to marry either Blifil or Fellamar; Allworthy lectures Western on forced marriages; Sophia loses Mrs. Western’s friendship by accepting letter from Jones. Mrs. Waters visits prison, assures Jones Fitzpatrick will recover. Time. Three days. Method. Predominantly dialogue. Purpose. Climax sustained on plateau by psychological deadlock, in which all opposing forces are entrenched in seemingly unalterable positions; first "break-through," Mrs. Waters* revelation that Fitzpatrick 82 will recover, finally begins denouement. Her arrival completes reunion of major over-all plot characters; Mrs. Miller's double-level activity continues integration of Miller story with over-all plot* Book XVIII Contents. Partridge recognizes Mrs. Waters as Jenny Jones, indicating Jones guilty of incest. Black George visits Jones in prison. Knot untiest Western and Sophia are reconciled, largely against Mrs. Western; Allworthy uncovers Black George*s thievery of Jones* money In Section I; Nightingale, Sr. is reconciled to Nancy through Allworthy*s persuasion; Allworthy learns Jones blameless in fight with Fitzpatrick; dying Square*s letter from Bath justifies Jones* behavior at brookside in , Section I; Mrs. Waters assures Allworthy that Jones* father is not Partridge, but Summer, former Allworthy house guest, that his mother Is Bridget Allworthy; she also inadvertently uncovers Blifil*s treachery in hiring Dowling to press prosecution of Jones; Dowling reveals 'Bridget*s deathbed confession of motherhood; Blifil*s treachery In concealing letter Is exposed; Mrs. Miller explains to Sophia real purpose of Jones' letter of proposal to Lady Bellaston; Fitzpatrick and Fellamar drop their enmity toward Jones; Jones and Sophia are reconciled. Narrative passage summarizes disposition of all characters to reader's satisfaction. Time. Six days. Method. Almost totally dialogue, except final narrative summary. Purpose. Completes Integration of all three plots: Bellaston, Miller, and over-all. After final suspense, i.e. threat of incest, presents denouement and conclusion. Dramatic Nature of Section III The outstanding technical characteristic of Section III is its extensive use of dialogue.. The concentration 0 83 of time to thirty days and the limitation of setting to O a small number of London interiors suggest that in this section, more than in either of the others, Fielding was thinking in terms of the stage. We also discover many qualities specifically reminiscent of the comedy of manners, the type of theater on which Fielding was trained and which by his day had been reduced to formula. The plotting, for instance, rests on a typical admixture of overlapping love affairs and high intrigues Jones loves Sophia, but is involved with Lady Bellaston; Sophia loves Jones, but is courted by Lord Fellamar; Nightingale loves Nancy, but is affianced to another; and so it mounts. The inevitable complications of these mix-ups are increased by deliberate chicanery, such as Lady Bellaston’s plans to steal Jones from Sophia while appearing to befriend her. In story content we have the usual scheming letters, e.g. Jones* proposal to Lady Bellaston, the duel between Jones and Fitzpatrick, the challenge of Western by Fellamar, the masquerade at which Lady Bellaston pretends to be Mrs. Fitzpatrick. There are witty drawing room conversations at Lady Bellaston*s, O E.g. Lady Bellaston*s drawing room, Mrs. Miller*s kitchen, Jones’ prison cell* mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and comic catastrophes involving such familiar maneuvers as the frantic concealment of one lady behind a gentleman*s dressing screen while another is interviewed. Turning to characterization, we have the immoral but winsome hero in Jones, the nobleman in Lord Fellamar, the fop in Nightingale, the corruptible servant in Honour, and the unscrupulous lady-about-town in Lady Bellaston. In short, this section of Tom Jones can only be labeled "dramatic." Plot Structure In regard to structure, the similarity of Section III to the comedy of manners results in something of a paradox* While of the three divisions in Tom Jones this section has the most elaborate shape, Its complexity is so thoroughly based on formula that our task becomes more descriptive than analytical. Three Plot Levels Plotting in Section III is on three levels. Most important Is the novel*s over-all plot concerning Jones* parentage and his contention with Blifil over Sophia, This story, allowed to lapse in Section II, must be reinstated, further developed, and brought to its climax, 85 denouement, and conclusion. In addition Section III has two complete plots of its own, hased on typical comedy of manners material. Its main plot consists of a cross- related double love affair Involving Lady Bellaston, Lord Fellamar, Jones, and Sophia, Its sub-plot of a love triangle among Nancy Miller, Nightingale, and Nightingale*s formal fiancee. The Miller story remains relatively autonomous, its connection with' the novel*s over-all plot stemming less from the actual integration of events than the type of character overlapping used so frequently in Section II, Here Jones, Nightingale, Mrs, Miller, and Allworthy are the agents active in both the over-all plot and the subsidiary Miller story. In contrast, the section*s main plot, the Bellaston story, becomes progressively entangled with the over-all plot, or more accurately vice versa, until after Book XVI the two plots are indivisible. Sectional Plots, Of the two sectional plots the Miller story covers only the first three books, while the Bellaston stoiy spans the whole section. The lesser plot is initiated in Book XIII when Jones takes up his residence in the Miller boarding house and learns of Nightingale*s love for Nancy, It rises to a climax in Book XIV with the joint revelation of Nancy*s pregnancy by Nightingale and his betrothal to a girl selected by his father# In Book XV the controversy falls into partial resolution when Nightingale escapes from his uncle, returns to Nancy, and marries her. Although some of the characters from this plot now engage in other activities, the plot itself remains quiescent until Book XVIII. Then, by persuading Nightingale *s father to accept Nancy, Squire Allworthy removes the only remaining obstacle and the plot is completely resolved. As an autonomy limited to the first three books of the section, the Miller story has a typically dramatic climax, located in the middle book, XIV. The Bellaston story, the section’s main plot, repeats this mid-climax shape, but over the whole section. The exposition and inciting moment are presented in Book XIII when Lady Bellaston takes Sophia under her wing, but contrives to begin a love affair with Jones. The story is developed in Books XIV and XV through Lady Bellaston’s schemes with Lord Fellamar to seduce Sophia and have Jones impressed into sea duty. It rises to a minor climax in Book XV in the attempted rape of Sophia and a major climax in Book XVI when Sophia is shown Jones* letter proposing marriage to Lady Bellaston and Jones himself is attacked by Fellamar’s ruffians and jailed. Jones’ 87 release, Sophia*s escape from Fellamar*s attentions, her aunt* s momentary championship of Fellamar1 s cause, and the eventual reconciliation of Jones and Sophia are accomplished in Books XVII and XVIII, which bring the Bellaston story through its denouement and final suspense to a conclusion. Over-All Plot. The novel*s over-all plot remains in relative suspension until Books XV and XVI of Section ,III, at which point the over-all plot characters begin to congregate in London, Those few who are in London when the section opens, e.g. Jones, Sophia, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, are active, not in the over-all plot, but in the Bellaston story. Towards the middle of the section, however, those events which produce climaxes In the Bellaston story at the same time cause new developments in the over-all plot, and it begins to move again* For instance, Lord Fellamar*s attempted rape of Sophia, the minor climax of the Bellaston story, is Interrupted by Squire Western, an over-all plot character, and leads to Fellamar*s challenging the squire to a duel* The main climax of the Bellaston story Is also indistinguishable from developments in the over-all plot. Sophia is shown Jones* letter of proposal to Lady Bellaston through the co-operation of Mrs. Western, a generally useful character, when that lady shifts her allegiance from 88 Blifil, also an over-all plot character, to Fellamar, Similarly, Jones* wounding of Fitzpatrick and his seizure by Fellamar*s hired gang occur in the same hectic scene and jointly lead to his imprisonment. It Is difficult to state at what point the Bellaston story ceases to be ascendant and merges with the over-all plot, but It is approximately at the center of the section, perhaps at some theoretical point suspended between Books XV and XVI, It is clear at least that before Book XV Jones* and Sophia*s troubles are caused by recent London developments and Involve only their new acquaintances, but that by the end of Book XVI some of their troubles have roots in the past and involve almost any former acquaintance foolhardy enough to show his face. Normally the climax scene at Upton Inn in Section II is considered the climax of the whole novel, and it is pointed out that it occurs at the exact middle of Tom Jones in the dramatic tradition. It is true that Jones* fortunes are at a low ebb at Upton: Allworthy has expelled him, and Sophia has discovered him with Mrs, Waters, It would seem, however, if the Upton 3cene were the aetual climax of the novel, i,e. the moment of highest complication, that Jones* fortunes would improve from this point. But in Section III rumors of Jones* London activities reach Allworthy and remove him even further from his guardian*s favor. He also commits further acts of infidelity with Lady Bellaston, which Sophia is forced to regard more seriously than his affair with Mrs. Waters, since their implication is that Jones* promiscuity is not casual but chronic. In addition Jones is jailed on suspicion of murder and tortured by the belief that he is guilty of incest. When we add that at the time of the Upton climax many of the novel*s major characters, especially Lady Bellaston, have not even appeared, there would seem to be little justification in placing the novel’s primary climax at Upton Inn* A better location is here in Section III, where the high point of complica tion is reached in three new events. Two of these, Sophia’s receipt of the proposal letter and Jones* seizure by the ruffians, are derived from the Bellaston story, one, his fight with Fitzpatrick and consequent imprisonment, from the over-all plot. Moreover the revelation of Jones* threatened incest with Mrs. Waters accurately fits the definition of "final suspense." It can be argued that this primary climax occurs in Book XVI, concurrent with the Bellaston climax, since Jones Is jailed and Sophia receives the letter in Book XVI. Jones, however, is not told that Sophia has received the letter until Book XVII, 90 and if we regard the plot from the hero*s point of view, we can place the climax in the latter book. In either location it occurs, not only far past the middle of the novel, but also past the middle of Section III; Its location therefore is typical of the novel. It is interesting to note the orderly fashion in which the cast of the main plot congregates in London and becomes entangled with events there* In Book XIII Jones and Partridge, Sophia, Honour, and Mrs. Fitzpatrick arrive. Although there are no new arrivals in Book XIV, Mrs. Miller might be considered part of the main plot by the revelation of her past relations with Squire Allworthy* In Book XV Squire Western and Black George arrive. Book XVI brings Mrs. Western, Squire Allworthy, and Blifil, almost completing the cast, and the main plot takes definite ascendancy over the sectional stories. In Book XVII Mrs. Waters makes her belated appearance, which signals both the beginning of the denouement in her report that Fitzpatrick will recover and the final suspense in Partridge*s recognition of her as Jenny Jones. In Book XVIII we hear during the denouement from Square and Thwackum and from the other minor characters of the main plot in the summary epilogue. 91 Explanation of Structural Diagram The inter-acting movements of the three plots in Section III are summarized in the following diagram. The over-all plot is represented by the solid line, the Bellaston story by the broken line, and the Miller story by the line composed of alternate dots and dashes. Suspensions of the various plots are indicated by dotted lines. We see the Miller story rise to a climax in Book XIV, subside, and fall into quiescence except for the removal of its final complication in Book XVIII. Next the Bellaston story emerges, reaching a minor climax in Book XV, a major climax in XVI. By Book XV the main plot be comes active and by Book XVI its developments are indistinguishable from those in the Bellaston story. The main plot now takes ascendancy, reaching its major climax in Book XVII, after which it and the Bellaston story fall Into simultaneous resolution and conclusion. Correlation of Structure, Method, and Content While in Section III there seems to be no such relation between time-coverage and structure as appears in the two preceding sections, there do exist significant parallels in structure, method, and content. Structure and Method. Between method and structure i = r I HI \m Ikril I I j I the most obvious connection is the use of dialogue to present climax. Book XIII, which has the highest proportion of narrative in the section, is the only purely expositional book, laying as It does the foundations of both sectional plots, the Miller and Bellaston stories* On the other hand, Book XIV, which is almost totally dialogue, contains the only independent climax, that of the Miller story. The method in Books XV, XVI, and XVII, while predominantly dialogue, is reinforced by important narrative. Structurally too these three books have mixed elements? at the same time that they present climaxes, they first reactivate and later integrate the over-all plot, functions which can be regarded as semi-expositional. This correlation of dialogue and climax contributes to the dramatic effect of Section III and is In direct contrast to the method of Section II, It may he remembered that we ealled the latter section picaresque, although it exhibits several dramatic techniques, especially a generous use of dialogue* One factor which contributed to the choice of the picaresque label for this section was the shift from dialogue to narrative for the climax scenes at Upton Inn. The use of dialogue in the climax books of Section III, while indicative, is not surprising. It is Book ^ XVIII that most clearly shows dramatic technique. This 94 book contains the denouement, not only of the Bellaston story, but also of the over-all plot. Normally we should expect the denouement of at least the over-all plot to appear in narrative; but except for the brief concluding narrative summary, the method of Book XVIII is almost exclusively dialogue• Structure and ContentWe can also isolate in Section III an example of how appropriate structure reinforces the effect of story content# It has been noted frequently, in both praise and blame, that this London passage moves faster than any other part of the novel and is the most crowded with incident and character# Now, yfaereas Section I has two climaxes and Section II one, this section has no less than four; only its first and last books, XIII and XVIII, which contain respectively the exposition and the denouement, are deficient in this respect. Such a repetition, one might almost say sustaining, of climax contributes at least as much as the content itself to the section*s concentrated impression. v To relieve the reader from this intensity, Fielding creates two major action breaks in Section III: in book XV Partridge * s comments on the play, and in Book XVIII the deadlock series of visits, letters, and conversations which makes no change in the state of affairs 95 until Mrs. Waters reveals in the last few pages that Fitzpatrick will recover. If regarded as on a scale of tension, these two lulls would appear at opposite ends: Partridge-at-the-play is a low dip, a relaxation, inserted into the climax between Sophia*s near-rape and Jones* imprisonment like a deep second-breathy the deadlock in Book XVIII is on a high plateau, a sustention of J atmospheric pressure before the storm breaks loose and the ; lightning-slide of the denouement finally clears the air. There can be no argument as to the psychological soundness of either of these two breaks; as plotting, however, the Book XVIII deadlock is far the superior. Although naturally this deadlock does not advance the plot, it remains integrated, introducing no foreign material. Partridge- at-the-play, while succeeding as comic relief, constitutes a plot digression and therefore must be regarded, however effective, as "second-class” construction. Dramatic Devices There remains but to glance briefly at two devices used with especial frequency in Section III: letters and messengers. It should be noted that, in keeping with the dramatic nature of Section III, both these devices are borrowed from the theater and serve the same purposes here © that they would upon the stage. For Instance, the use of messengers, I.e. of characters reporting on other characters or events, bears a triple dramatic advantage: it saves a shift in scene^ economizes on the number of characters required in the present scene, and allows the necessary information to be dispatched through the direct medium of dialogue. Examples of the use of messengers in Section III arer • x Partridgefs disclosure of Black George’s arrival, Mrs. 4 Western’s report on Fitzpatrick’s visit. Nightingale’s R description of his interview with the fight witnesses, and Black George’s reports on Sophia’s progress.® The use of letters also saves the time and spaoe necessary to bring one of the correspondents, encumbered with motivation, action, description, and probably dialogue, to the scene. Consider, for example, Mrs. 3 Henry Fielding. The History of Tom Jonesr A Foundling (London, 1908),“IT, 277. ~ 4 Ibid.. II, 295-296. 5 Ibid.. II, 348-349. 6 Ibid.. II, 356-357. 97 Fitzpatrick*s letter from London to Mrs. Western in the * 7 country, and Square*s letter from Bath and Thwaekum*s 8 from the country to Allworthy in London. Howhere is the supreme economy of this letter-device more apparent than in the series of love notes exchanged by 9 Jones and Lady Bellaston in which Jones contrives to rid himself of that lady*s unwelcome attentions. Here in less .than five pages Fielding capsules a whole courtship, spanning Lady Bellaston*s emotional progress from passion through wistfulness and resentment to angry denunciation. Hot only is Fielding spared such mechanics as establishing setting, moving characters, and arranging assignations, but each letter from Lady Bellaston simultaneously presents her reaction, decision, return action, and even characterization without any intervention from the narrative• 7 Ibid.. II, 254. 8 Ibid*- II# 563-365. 9 Ibid.. II, 265 ff. CHAPTER VII CONCLUSION The length and complexity of Tom Jonea render definitive analysis impossible in a short study; but by regarding the plot as a whole form, we have arrived at a comprehensive view of the plot within the bounds of ,limited investigation. It is evident that the single most provocative virtue of the plot in Tom Jones is Fielding’s skillful correlation of content and technique to produce an almost perfect structure. Major Divisions of Tom Jonea In analyzing the structure of Tom Jones we have followed Fielding’s division of the novel into three major sections, containing six books each, which are delineated by a threefold shift of setting from the Allworthy and Western country estates to the highway and Its hostelries and finally to London, The three sections are further differentiated by an apparently deliberate attempt to imitate in each section one of the literary genres on which Fielding was schooled, Novelistlc Nature of Section I. The method of the first section, which covers Books I-VI, more nearly resembles that of the epic than of any other genre with ; which Fielding was familiar. The story is presented primarily in narrative, varied by conversation, and the plot structure is classical* But in adapting the epic to his special needs of laying the foundation to a long, composite story, Fielding anticipated almost all the characteristics of the modern novel. These include £ narrative action, narrative summary, direct author comment, dialogue, description, characterization, psychological analysis, and chronological order varied by flashback and a-temporal references. It would appear therefore that the first section of Tom Jones, while not the most spectacular, is the most original, and is the principal source of Fielding*s literary contribution. Picaresque Nature of Section II. Like Joseph Andrews. Fielding*s earlier novel, the middle section of Tom Jones, spanning Books VII-XII, has characteristics of the picaresque tale* It follows such traditions as a road setting, the highlighting of action and philosophical conversation, social satire, digression, interpolation, and especially episodic construction. Although Fielding*s use of episode and digression has received much un favorable comment, the concentration of all these apparent structural ”faultsM within the one section Indicates that they are not so much faults as the result of a conscious attempt to Imitate picaresque construction at the expense of plot. This hypothesis is substantiated by Fielding’s practice in this section of presenting even those events which are actually integrated with the plot in such a manner that they appear episodic in the reading* Dramatic Nature„jof Section III, The final section, comprising Books XIII to XVIII, reflects Fielding’s apprenticeship as a London playwright. It borrows from the theater in general its dependence on dialogue, limitation of setting, concentration of time, and such dramatic devices as comic relief and the use of messengers and letters, and from the comedy of manners in particular Its plot formula, stock character types, and many story situations. Plot Structure of Tom Jones An attempt to represent graphically the structure of Tom Jones produces a succession of three three- dimensional patterns, each depicting a six-book section of the novel. Structure of Section I. The first figure, representing Books I-VI, consists first of a classical plot shape, rising from exposition to climax and falling to resolution, but with its climax shifted past the mid- 101 point of the structure. Underlying this shape is a sharp division of the section into an "Allworthy" and a "Western" half, each achieving its own complete structure of plot and sub-plot with mid-spaced climax. Between these two halves there exists an amazing parallelism, not only in structure, but also in story content, technique, and characterization. That both the bisection and parallelism are intentional is substantiated by the use of flashback in Book IV and the author's anonymous, progressive method of introducing Squire Western. Since this section is not only a separate classically shaped story but also an introduction to the novel as a whole, its narrative pace V must be maintained even when its story content is concluded* The two principal devices by which momentum is preserved are the progressive concentration of time and an ever- increasing use of dialogue. Structure of Section II. The structure of the second section, comprising Books VII-XII, produces the simplest figure of the three, which consists, of two intersecting lines, one representing the hero's story, one the heroine's. Where the lines intersect they form a juncture of two angles at their apices, this juncture depicting the mid-climax of the section. Here the structural, temporal, and narrative symmetry is achieved U niversity of S o u th e rn C alifornia Library by pairing books from the opposite, open ends of the angles, moving inward until the pairs converge at the mid-point or jointed apices. Among the plotting devices of particular importance in this section are: the use of coincidence, the partial integration of events by the cross-relation of characters, and the achievement of "surprise” by the sudden resumption of a plot line which has been suspended for several chapters. Outstanding in this section is the tale of the Man of the Hill, whieh, as the longest and most stubbornly digressive of Fielding*s interpolations, has caused more critical comment than any other problem in Tom Jones. There is some evidence in the attitude of Partridge during the old man’s story that this interpolation is included as an elaborate joke, intended to suggest that the old man is Jones* father, only to be contradicted at the novel’s close. Structure of Section III. The third, most complex figure, representing Books XIII-XVIII, consists of three superimposed, inter-related outlinest one traces a complete plot, the Bellaston story, which covers the whole section in a dramatic, mid-climax shape; the second depicts a lesser complete plot, the Miller story, which covers only the first half of the section, but also in a dramatic, mid-climax shape; the third represents the continuation and completion of the novel*s over-all plot, its climax occuring at a post-mid-point location, typical of the novel. While the Miller story remains relatively autonomous, integrated only through the borrowing of its characters for the other plots, the Bellaston story becomes progressively entangled with the over-all plot until by the middle of the section the two are indistinguishable. The climax of Tom Jonea* over-all plot is generally placed in Section II at the exact center of the novel, wherein Jones, expelled by Allworthy, is discovered by Sophia in an Upton hostelry in bed with a strange woman. Since Jones* fortunes descend to an even lower point in Section III with his imprisonment for murder and conviction that he is guilty not only of infidelity hut incest, a more accurate location of the climax would seem to be in Books XVI and XVII in Section III. Fielding’s Literary Contribution The historical importance of the plot in Tom Jones lies in two major accomplishmentst first, the fusion of three of the great literary inheritances of the eighteenth century, the epic, the picaresque tale, and the comedy of 104 manners; and second, the formulation of the theory of the modern novel. Since human inventions are achieved more often through accident than inspiration, it is a temptation to assume that both Fielding*s accomplishments were as much the result of unconscious assimilation and day-by-day solution as they were of a deliberate, pre conceived design. We should remember, however, that it was Fielding himself who said; As I am, in reality, the founder of a new province of writing, so I am at liberty to make what laws I please therein,! Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones i A Foundling (London, 1908), I, 38* BIBLIOGRAPHY BIBLIOGRAPHY Material on Fielding Primary Sources Fielding, Henry, The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams“TModern Library). Mew York: Random House, Inc., 1939. . The History of Tom Jones: A Foundling. 2 vols. London: J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd., 1^087 , The.His tory of Amelia. London: George Eoutledge and Sons, Ltd., n. d. Secondary Sources (Anon.) "Fielding and Thackeray,” Living Age, n. s. Vol. 11, Mo. 605 (December 29, 1855), 769-^79. (Anon.) "A French View of Fielding,'1 Review of Reviews. Vol. 2 (October, 1890), 353 (Review of Great 6lassic of English MoveIs by Paul Stapfer). (Anon.) "Henry Fielding," International Magazine. Vol. 5 (January, 1852) 71-84 (Review of t?he Works “ of Henry Fielding by Henry G. Bohn, ed.). (Anon.) "Henry Fielding," London Times Literary Supplement. Mo. 423 (February 18, 1910), 49-50 (Review of Henry Fielding: A Memoir by G. M. Godden and The Works of Henry Fielding by George Saintsbury). (Anon.) "Lawrence*s Life of Henry Fielding." Bentley * s Miscellany. Vol. 39 (February, 1856), 154-161 (Review). (Anon.) "The Life of Henry Fielding by Frederick Lawrence," Quarterly Review, Vol. 98, No. 195 (March, 1856), 100-148 {ReviewT. (Anon.) "A Word about Tom Jones," Blackwood*s Magazine, Vol. 87 (March, 18607, 331-341. 106 Beatty, Richmond Croom, ’ ’Criticism in Fielding*s Narratives and His Estimate of Critics,” PMLA, Vol. 49 (December, 1934), 1087-1100. Bissell, Jr., Frederick Olds, Fielding* s Theory of the Novel (GSornell Studies in English No• 22) • Tthaea: Cornell University Press, 1933. Blanchard, Frederic T., Fielding the Novelist, New Haven; Yale University Press, 1926. Cooke, Arthur L., ’ ’Henry Fielding and the Writers of Heroic Romance,” PMLA, Vol. 62 (December, 1947), 984-985. Cross, Wilbur L., The History of Henry Fielding. 3 vols. New Haven: Yale UniversityHFress, 1918. , ”The Legend of Henry Fielding,” Yale Review, n. s. Vol. 8 (October, 1918), 107-128. , ”A New Estimate of Fielding,” SRL, Vol. 1, No. 51 (July 18, 1925), 905-906 (Review of The Novels of Fielding by Aurelien Digeon). . ”The Secret of Tom Jones.” Bookman, Vol. 48 TSeptember, 1948), 20-29. Dickson, Frederick S., ’ ’The Chronology of Tom Jones. ” Library. 3rd s. Vol. 8 (July, 1917), 218-224. Digeon, Aurelien, The Novels of Fielding. London: George Routledge and Sons^ Ltd., 1925. Dobson, Austin, Fielding (English Men of Letters series by John Morley, ed.). New York; Harper and Bros., Publishers, 1883. , ”A Fielding «Find*.’ ’ National Review. Vol. 57 (August, 1911), 983-993. Ernie, Lord, ”Founders of the Modern Novel II: Henry Fielding,” Edinburgh Review. Vof. 243 (April, 1926), 336-354. Godden, G. M., ’ ’Henry Fielding: Some Unpublished Letters and Records,” Fortnightly Review, Vol. 92: (November, 1909), 821-823. 107 . Henry Fielding; A Memoir. London; Sampson Low, Maraton, and Co., Ltd., 1910. Harrison, Frederick, ”Bath-Somerset-Henry Fielding, * * Fortnightly Review, Vol. 112 (November, 1919), 434-445. H£.zlitt, William, • ’Lectures on the English Comic Writers,1 * ^e English Novelists, 161-206. London; J. M. Dent and Co., Ltd., 1819. Hughes, Helen Sard, **A Vindication of Fielding,” Dial. Vol. 66 (April 19, 1919), 407-409 (Review of f5e~ History of Henry Fielding by Wilbur L. Cross). Humphreys, A. R., ' ’ Fielding*s Irony; Its Methods and Effects,” Review of English Studies, Vol. 18 (April, 1942), 183-196. Irwin, William Robert, ’ ’Literary Forms and Traditions, ” in The Making of Jonathan Wild, 80-111. New York; Columbia University Press, 1941. Jenkins, Elizabeth, Henry Fielding. Denver: Alan Swallow, 1948. Jesse, J. Heneage, Memoirs of Celebrated Etonians. 2 vols. 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Asset Metadata

Creator Wheeler, Joanne Clare (author)

Core Title The plot structure of Fielding's "Tom Jones"

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program English

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag literature, English,oai:digitallibrary.usc.edu:usctheses,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Advisor McElderry, Bruce R., Jr. (committee chair), Crittenden, Walter M. (committee member), Townsend, Stanley R. (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c20-413533

Unique identifier UC11265143

Identifier EP44310.pdf (filename),usctheses-c20-413533 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier EP44310.pdf

Dmrecord 413533

Document Type Thesis

Rights Wheeler, Joanne Clare

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA