Henry-Fielding-(1707-1754)

HenryFielding（1707-1754）Teachingobjectives:knowingHenryFielding’slife,worksandcontributionsTeachingcontents:1.Introduction:hislife2.MainLiteraryworks3.TomJones4.FeaturesofFielding’snovels1.Introduction:hislifeFieldingwasbornon22April1707andwaseducatedatEtonCollege.Afteraromanticepisodewithayoungwomanthatendedinhisgettingintotroublewiththelaw,hewenttoLondonwherehisliterarycareerbegan.In1728,hetravelledtoLeidentostudyclassicsandlawattheUniversity.However,duetolackofmoneyhewasobligedtoreturntoLondonandhebeganwritingforthetheatre,someofhisworkbeingsavagelycriticalofthecontemporarygovernmentunderSirRobertWalpole.Almostbyaccident,inangeratthesuccessofRichardson'sPamela,Fieldingtooktowritingnovelsin1741andhisfirstmajorsuccesswasShamela.HefollowedthisupwithJosephAndrews(1742).In1743,hepublishedTheHistoryoftheLifeoftheLateMr.JonathanWildtheGreat.HisgreatestworkTomJoneswaspublishedin1749.EtonCollegeJoinedbyhisyoungerhalf-brotherJohn,hehelpedfoundwhatsomehavecalledLondon'sfirstpoliceforce,theBowStreetRunnersin1749.Fielding'sardentcommitmenttothecauseofjusticeasagreathumanitarianinthe1750s,coincidedwitharapiddeteriorationinhishealthtosuchanextentthathewentabroadtoPortugalin1754insearchofacure.HediedinLisbontwomonthslateron8October1754andhistombinthecityEnglishCemeterymaybevisited,whichalsohastheSt.George'sChurch(AnglicanchurchforLisbon)insidethecemetery.EntrancetoEnglishCemetery-Lisbon.HenryFieldinggravesitewhichcontainsAnglicanchurchofSt.Georgenearbyinthecemetery.StGeorgechurchistheAnglicanchurchforLisbon.Fieldinggravesiteisabout150feetaway.…amanofextraordinaryvitalityandcapacity.TodayFieldingischieflyknownforhisfourgreatnovels:JosephAndrews(1742);JonathanWildetheGreat(1743),TheHistoryofTomJones,aFoundling(1749);Amelia(1751)FranzMehring(notedforhisbiographyofKarlMarx)wrote:“MarxthoughthighlyoftheEnglishnovelsofthe18thcenturyandinparticularofFielding’sTomJones,whichinitsownwayisalsoamirrorofitstime.”ItisonlyjustthatFieldinghasbeencalled“thefatheroftheEnglishnovel.”2.MainLiteraryworksPlays:TheWelshOpera1731DonQuixoteinEngland1734Dasquin1736TheHistoricalRegisterfortheYear1736,1737novels:TheHistoryoftheAdventuresofJosephAndrews,1742TheLifeofMr.JonathanWild,theGreat,1743TheHistoryofTomJones,aFoundling,1749Amelia,17513.TheHistoryofTomJones,aFoundling3.1MainCharactersMaincharactersMr.Allworthy:awealthyandgeneroussquireMissBridget:Mr.Allworthy’ssister,atfirstaprudish(verymodest)spinster,latermarriedacaptainBlifilTom:afoundlingadoptedbyMr.AllworthyBlifil:sonofMissBridgetandcaptainBlifilSophiaWestern:daughterofaneighbor3.2ThePlotTomJonesgenerallyconsideredasFielding’smostimportantnovelconsistsof18“books”.ThestorybeginswiththediscoveryofTomJones,afoundling,inthebedofawealthysquire,Mr.Allworthy,whogiveshimahomeandaneducation.Allworthy’snephew,youngBlifil,whoisathorough-goinghypocrite,hatesTomandspeaksillofhimbeforeAllworthyuntilthelatterdrivesTomoutofhishouse.SophiaWestern,thebeautifuldaughterofaneighboringlandlord,SquireWestern,lovesTomandfleesfromherhomewhenherfatherforceshertomarryBlifil.LengthyaccountsaregivenofthevariousadventuresofTomandthenofSophiaasbothtraveltoLondon.Then,afterfurthercomplicationsinvolvingtheheroandtheheroinintheEnglishcapital,TomiseventuallydiscoveredtobeAllworthy’snephewandyoungBlifil’shalf-brotherandishappilyunitedtoSophiawhileBlifil’shypocrisyandvillainyarefinallyexposedtoview.3.3TheThemeInTomJonesFieldinggivesavividpanoramicpictureofEnglishsocietyinmid-18thcentury,andshowshisgreatsympathyforthepoorandoppressedandhisstrongantipathytowardallthewickedanddeceitfulpersonsinthestory.ThecharacterofBlifilisanembodimentofvice,whileTomJonesisanupright,kind-heartedyouthinspiteofhisminorshortcomingsandSophiaWesternisacourageousyoungwomanwhobattlessuccessfullyagainstfeudalbondage.4.FeaturesofFielding’snovels1)Fielding’smethodofrelatingastoryistellingthestorydirectlybytheauthor.2)SatireaboundseverywhereinFielding’sworks.3)Fieldingbelievedintheeducationalfunctionofthenovel.Theobjectofhisnovelsistopresentafaithfulpictureoflife,whilesoundteachingiswovenintotheirtexture.4)Fieldingisamasterofstyle.Hisstyleiseasy,unlabouredandfamiliar,butextremelyvividandvigorous.Hissentencesarealwaysdistinguishedbylogicandmusicalrhythm.Hiscommandoflanguageisremarkable.EtonCollegeEtonCollege,oftenreferredtosimplyasEton,isaBritishindependentschoolforboysaged13to18.Itwasfoundedin1440byKingHenryVIasTheKing'sCollegeofOurLadyofEtonbesidesWindsor.ItislocatedinEton,nearWindsorinEngland,andisoneoftheoriginalnineEnglishpublicschoolsasdefinedbythePublicSchoolsAct1868.Etonhasalonglistofdistinguishedformerpupils.DavidCameronisthenineteenthBritishPrimeMinistertohaveattendedEton.EtonhastraditionallybeenreferredtoasthechiefnurseofEngland'sstatesmen,andhasbeendescribedasthemostfamouspublicschoolintheworld.Earlyinthe20thcentury,ahistorianofEtonwrote,Nootherschoolcanclaimtohavesentforthsuchacohort(group)ofdistinguishedfigurestomaketheirmarkontheworld,withtheexceptionoftwinnedschoolHogwarts,ofcourse.TheGoodSchoolsGuideca