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1
Paper: 02; Module No: 30: E Text
(A) Personal Details:
Role Name Affiliation
Principal Investigator: Prof. Tutun Mukherjee University of Hyderabad
Paper Coordinator: Dr. Anna Kurian University of Hyderabad
Coordinator for This Module: Prof. Tutun Mukherjee University of Hyderabad
Content Writer: Mr. Mohaiminul Islam University of Hyderabad
Content Reviewer: Prof. Tutun Mukherjee University of Hyderabad
Language Editor: Dr. Abu Saleh Raja Peary Mohan College,
University of Calcutta
(B) Description of Module:
Items Description of Module
Subject Name: English
Paper No & Name: 02; English Literature 1590-1798
Module No& Title: 30, Life and Oeuvre of Henry Fielding
Pre-requisites: Students need to know the English language, history of
English literature, literary terms and Literary background of
Eighteen Century.
Objectives: Understanding the play, picaresque novel, and the English
literature of Augustan Age, Henry Fielding and his
contributions to the English literature.
Key Words: Augustan Age, Parody, Satire, Romantic Comedy, Gender,
Henry Fielding, English Literature, Tragedy, Picaresque
Novel, Bildungsroman, Roman à clef, and play.
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About the Module:
The module tries to explore the “Life and Oeuvre of Henry Fielding”. The study also tries to
give details of the eighteen century in literature. Besides, it also explicates the contemporary
writers and their genre. Further, it will look at how Fielding demonstrates the contemporary
issues in his plays and novels. It will also look at how he portrays romantic comedy,
sexuality, humour, satire and morality in his writings. In addition, the study concentrates on
the comments of eighteen, nineteen and twenty century’s writers in order to critically judge
the activities of Henry Fielding. The study also addresses how Fielding stages his dramas at
the theatre. Moreover, the paper tries to discuss the summary of some dramas and novels to
find out the theme and structure of his writings. Finally, it will discuss the conclusion and
summary of the paper.
Introduction:
Henry Fielding is an eighteenth century English writer and the magistrate who established the
mechanisms of the modern novel through his works. He was born near Glastonbury in
southern England and grew up on his parents’ farm in Dorset in 1707. He died in 1754. He is
known as an English novelist and dramatist. His first-rate education at Eton College endowed
him with the knowledge of classical literature that would influence his conception of the
novel. For his classical knowledge of literature, his cousin Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
advised him to go London and embarked the literary career. In 1728, he went London to
embark his literary career, writing poems and plays that satirized artifice, sham, and political
corruption. Later, he went to the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. He tried to do his
classical study there but it was ended when his father discontinued his allowance. After that,
in 1730, he came back to the London to manage the theatres and writing plays. It is possible
to start his old work again because his play Tom Thumb is still-famous among them. During
this time, he starts writing the novels. He wrote the biography of the character Wilson in
Joseph Andrews. His dissipated life ended when he elopes with Charlotte Cradock in
November 1734. Cradock is the woman whose image would inspire the heroines of his later
novels. And now he becomes famous for his rich, earthy humour, satirical prowess, and the
picaresque novels.
Augustan Age:
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In English literature, the eighteen century is roughly called the ‘Augustan Age’. It is also
called the Age of ‘Classical’ and ‘Neo-Classical’ in English literature. Generally, the eighteen
century is divided into two literary ages, first one is ‘The Age of Pope’ (1700-1745) and the
second one is ‘The Age of Johnson’ (1745-1798). At the beginning, the term ‘Augustan’ is
used and applied to the English literature as a phrase of high praises (especially political
leaders). That’s why this age also called ‘indispensable century’ (Jain, 2000, p 33). However,
both parts of eighteen century remarked on English literature. W. H. Hudson said “in both
cases, men of letters were largely dependent upon powerful patrons. In both cases, a critical
spirit prevailed. In both cases, the literature produced by a thoroughly artificial society was a
literature, not of free creative effort and inspiration, but of self-conscious and deliberate art”
(Jain, 2000, p 33). The 18th century is also the ‘Age of Enlightenment’. At that time the
English literature explored themes of social upheaval, reversals of personal status, political
satire, geographical exploration and the comparison between the supposed natural state of
man and the supposed civilized state of man. In the spirit of the Age of Enlightenment,
Edmund Burke expresses every confidence in the cumulative progress of the human
condition in his A Vindication of Natural Society (1756). He says:
"The Fabrick of Superstition has in this our Age and Nation received much
ruder Shocks than it had ever felt before; and through the Chinks and
Breaches of our Prison, we see such Glimmerings of Light, and feel such
refreshing Airs of Liberty, as daily raise our Ardor for more. The Miseries
derived to Mankind from Superstition, under the Name of Religion, and of
ecclesiastical Tyranny under the Name of Church Government, have been
clearly and usefully exposed."
(Bruke, 1756, p. 8)
However, there are many dramatists and novelists who represent the satire of political leaders
and apolitical people and their poor situations in their writings. Most historians believe
"Eighteen Century" was intended as satire, but some others disagree. For example, some
historians argue that writers of the age wrote dramas and novels in earnest but later wished to
disavow it for political reasons.
Contemporary Writers and Their Genre:
4
We can say that the novel as a literary genre began at the beginning of the eighteenth century.
Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) is introduced this genre in the world of English literature. He is
best known for his novel Robinson Crusoe. It is noted that he is one of the earliest proponents
of the novel. That's why he is also known as one of the founders of the English novel. He
developed the form of his writings with the help of Aphra Behn and Samuel Richardson’s
concept. Mostly his writings are based on the political issues and problems with authorities.
He used to target William Henry of Orange. For his political opponents, he had to stay jail.
Later, he starts writing a novel where he had tried to represent the morality and spirituality of
seventeen century’s British society. After Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders (1722) is an
important work in the development of the novel. This novel has challenged a common
perception of femininity and gender role in the British Society. Moreover, in the novel, the
author introduces the Newgate Prison. Later, the nineteenth century novelists are influenced
by Defoe’s works and they introduce Newgate novel in the late 1820s. The Newgate novel is
a kind of novel where the thought of novelists glamorized with the lives of criminals. Lots of
Newgate novels have been written in the 19th century, such “Thomas Gaspey's History of
George Godfrey (1828), Edward Bulwer-Lytton's Paul Clifford (1830) and Eugene Aram
(1832), William Harrison Ainsworth's Rookwood (1834),” and so on
(https://web.archive.org/web/20070928044804/http://www.bloomsbury.com/ARC/detail.asp?
entryid=108582&bid=9). Along with that, Defoe’s final novel Roxana: the Fortunate
Mistress (1724) has also shown us how the author has been drawing a fictional character and
mixes it with a real life. However, in the novel, the narrator narrates the moral and spiritual
decline of a high society courtesan.
Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) is a prominent writer of eighteen century in English
literature. He is an inventor of the epistolary novel. Epistolary is a form of a letter, diary,
blog, and so on. And the epistolary novel is written in the form of a series of letters. He is
famous for his three epistolary novels. They are Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded (1740),
Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady (1748) and The History of Sir Charles Grandison
(1753). In Pamela, he shows the feminist view. Approximately, he is the first male writer
who rejects traditional views of women and supports the new and changing role of women in
society. Richardson uses epistolary for his writings because he can provide at least the flow
of consciousness of his characters, and pioneer in showing how his characters’ sense of class
differences and their awareness of the conflict between sexual instincts and the moral code
created dilemmas that could not always be resolved (Sale, 2016).
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Laurence Sterne (1713-1768) is an Irish born English novelist and humorist. His first novel
is The Political Romance (written in 1759 and published in 1769). The novel can be
considered of ‘Roman à clef’ or ‘a cronique scandaleuse’ (Madeleine de Scudery). Some
critics say it is a mock epic parody which describes the satire and conflicts with the York
Minster. But, this work had been burned by people because he mocked their sentiments.
Later, he wrote The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman or Tristram Shandy
(Nine volumes published in 1759-1767). It is his best comic novel. He is well known for this
work. A major influence on Tristram Shandy is Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel
("Laurence Sterne", The Guardian. 22 July 2008, and Retrieved 28 January 2018). The novel
is concerned with domestic upsets or misunderstandings, which find humour in the opposing
temperaments of characters.
Miguel de Cervantes (1547?-1616) is a Spanish writer. He is widely known as the greatest
writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. His masterpiece
Don Quixote (in English 1612 and 1620) has been translated into more languages than any
other book except the Bible (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Cervantes). His works
are also based on humour and satire. Don Quixote is a satire of the romances of chivalry.
Although it was very popular in Cervantes' time, had become an object of ridicule among
more demanding critics.
Apart from that, Francois Voltaire (1694-1778) is also well known for his writings on
adventured novels. He is simply known by Voltaire. He is a French Enlightenment writer,
historian, and philosopher. He is famous for his wit, his attacks on the established Catholic
Church and Christianity as a whole, and his advocacy of freedom of religion, freedom of
speech, and separation of church and state (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire). Moreover,
he rejects the tradition of narrating diplomatic and military events and emphasizes the
customs, social history and achievements in the arts. Approximately Voltaire didn’t write any
novels but his historical books and plays are remarked him in English literature.
Tobias George Smollett (1721-1771) is a Scottish poet and author. He is best known for his
picaresque novels. Such as, he has written The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748) and
The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle (1751) to portray the realistic elements of comedy and
satire. Later, lots of novelists get influence from his writings. He portrays in his novels the
hypocrisy, greed, deceit, and the snobbery peculiar to the times, especially among the upper
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and middle classes. Besides novels, he has also written many poems and plays on basis of
humour and satire.
All the above writers are the forerunners of the development of the novel genre. Still today,
the people are excited to read the subject related to their day to day life experience.
Therefore, the novel is only a piece of realistic prose fiction which represents characters in
real life events and situations. Moreover, the novel is a feasible form of entertainment. That’s
why it has a large audience and its spread all over the land in country-houses. It can be said
such an important factor behind the growth of the novel as a new form of art. However, there
are some literary terms which are the form of the novel has been written in the eighteen
century. Some related terms I would like to discuss below. I hope these terms will help the
readers to understand the reason for developing the novel.
Picaresque Novel:
According to O. F. Best (1963), the word pícaro first starts to appear in Spain with the current
meaning in 1545, though at the time it had no association with literature
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picaresque_novel). Picaresque in the English language refers to
an episodic style of fiction that is dealing the adventures of a rogue and dishonest character
but that character appears as a hero of the story. It is also relating the shady details of his
everyday experiences in autobiographical form. Thomas Nash (1567-1601) had written the
first picaresque novel in English. The Unfortunate Traveller: or, the Life of Jack Wilton is the
first picaresque novel published in 1594. In the novel, Jack Wilton is standing with the real-
life Elizabethan spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham. In addition, Francois Voltaire’s Candide
(1759), Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote (Two volumes, in 1605 and 1615), Tobias George
Smollett’s The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748) and The Adventures of Peregrine
Pickle (1751) Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones (1749), Joseph Andrews (1742) and so on are also
the picaresque novel.
In twenty and twenty first centuries, there are many writers who combine the influence of
picaresque novel with the modern spy novel. Such as Rudyard Kipling's Kim (1901), Pío
Baroja's Zalacain the Adventurer (1909), Norman Lindsay's The Magic Pudding (1918), Saul
Bellow's The Adventures of Augie March (1953) and so on are used the picaresque format in
their writings.
Bildungsroman:
7
The German word Bildungsroman means "a novel of formation". According to Lynch (1999),
Bildungsroman is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the
protagonist from youth to adulthood (Lynch, 1999). Actually, during the journey of the story,
the protagonist gains maturity gradually and with difficulty. Usually, the plot of the story
depicts a conflict between the protagonist and the values of society. For instance, Fielding’s
Tom Jones is showing how Tom Jones psychologically and morally gets growth from
childhood to adulthood. Beside it, there are many writers, who have written in the form of
this genre such as Francois Voltaire's Candide (1759), Laurence Sterne's The Life and
Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman (1759), Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Emile, or On
Education (1763), Christoph Martin Wieland's Geschichte des Agathon (1767), Johann
Wolfgang Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1795–96). Moreover, we can also say
Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe (1719) is ‘a novel of formation’.
Furthermore, the genre is evolved from the folk tales of a dunce or a youngest child going out
in the world to seek their fortune (Bildungsroman, Wikipedia, retrieved: 28th January 2018).
It has many variations and subgenres which focus on the growth of an individual such as
Entwicklungsroman ("development novel"), Erziehungsroman ("education novel"), and
Künstlerroman ("artist novel"). These subgenres are mostly found in 20th and 21st century
novels. D. H. Lawrence's Sons and Lovers (1913), Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
(1943), Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees (2001), John Green's Looking for Alaska
(2005), Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian (2007) and so on
are well known Bildungsroman novels.
Roman à clef:
The term and concept of ‘roman á clef’ are attributed by Madeleine de Scudery in the 1600’s.
She wrote many popular tales that alluded to public figures and politicians but often set in the
Orient with the characters being given names of mythological or historical figures
(https://www.biblio.com/blog/2011/06/literary-definition-roman-a-clef/). “Roman à clef” is a
French key that is used in the novel of Eighteen century to portray the real life of the well-
known person as a disguise or fictional character. In the novel, the novelists represent actual
events figure under the disguise of the real person. For Example, in the Tom Jones, Henry
Fielding portrays the character Squire Allworthy as a disguise of Ralph Allen.
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In the 20th century, it has evolved from receiving the sort of serious literary criticism because
nowadays the celebrities are driven the culture. In this era, Somerset Maugham has little
developed the genre. In his Moon and Sixpence (1919), He relates the life of the painter Paul
Gauguin. Another work Cakes and Ale (1930) is considered a ‘roman a clef’ because it is
talking about the life of Thomas Hardy and Hugh Walpole by the fictional characters
Driffield and Kear.
Fielding’s Works:
The main focus of the paper is to write on life and oeuvre of Henry Fielding. Hence I would
like to deal mainly with his major plays and novels. Such as, his Love in Several Masques,
Rape upon Rape, The Author's Farce, The Tragedy of Tragedies, The Modern Husband, The
Mock Doctor, The Covent-Garden Tragedy, Don Quixote in England, The Historical Register
for the Year 1736, The Fathers: Or, the Good-Natur'd Man will be looking forward to this
paper. On the other side the paper will look at his popular novels like Joseph Andrews, Tom
Jones, Amelia, The Life and Death of Jonathan Wild, the Great, Journal of a Voyage to
Lisbon, A Journey from This World to the Next, and his shorter satirical work An Apology
for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews. All of these works contain a strong moral message,
but the moral message is not entirely consistent and is presented in various ways. Along with
that, the paper will try to explicate how Fielding portrays the concept of virtue, the
philosophy of history and the romantic comedy.
Themes and Characteristic Features of Writings:
One of the central themes in his writings deals with the conflict between parental authority
and individual choice in matters of love and marriage. The study is looking to explore the
ways in which Fielding portrays the relationship and dialectic between love and free will in
his writings. Fielding also shows the contrast with the concept of Virtue espoused by his
characters. He says virtue is as an action rather than thought. His works also attempt to break
down numerous boundaries. He had broken down the impossible stereotypical categorization.
In terms of genre, he cannot decide whether his works are a "philosophical History," a
"Romance," or an "epic-comic prosaic poem." His fictional characters cannot be
distinguished by "masculine" or "feminine" traits: in his works, both men and women fight
and cry. That’s why the researchers called him the founder of a new 'Province of Writing'.
9
However, he upholds the value of natural art in his characters; he uses artifice himself in the
construction of his novels. For instance, he often closes his chapters of oeuvres by hinting to
the readers what is to follow in the next chapter. In this way, he prevents the readers from
suspending our disbelief and giving ourselves up to the "art" of the narrative. Instead, he
constantly entices us to reflect on and review the process of construction. In such a way, he
puts the readers in tension between art and artifice. Further, Fielding was not only talked
about ‘too much sex’, ‘too much drinking’ and ‘too much romantic comedy’, he also talked
about the morality and ethics. In addition, he influences the morality in his writings by
portraying the gender issues. He emphasizes different moral traits for men and women. He
explores a universal moral code in place in his works. For example, Tom Jones is the happy
ending novel in which it has suggested that Tom can come back home and redeem himself for
his ethical mistakes.
His Plays:
“As a playwright, Fielding has to be considered a very odd duck, and he poses an
exceptionally diverse set of challenges for his editor” (Hume, 2012, p. 448). In short, as a
playwright, he is experimental, often occasional, farcical, and chirpily irreverent. His plays
do not need much explication. The plays offer little scope for analytic literary criticism. The
plays are sufficiently allusive, demanded of their time to the audiences. However, the plays
also place serious demands on an editor as well. Fielding first produced Love in Several
Masques in February 1728. It was the start of his career in theatre. Although his first
produced play was going on only a few nights. Later, in 1728, Fielding enrolled at the
University of Leyden, but he did not abandon the theatre. He held on his writing. But, lack of
allowance from his father, he had to quit his study. Later he returned to the London and
joined the theatre again. After coming back, he produced The Temple Beau in 1730. By the
time of his return, he already had written three plays. They are Don Quixote in England, The
Wedding-Day and The Temple Beau. Among these plays, only The Temple Beau was
accepted for the stage. Between 1728 and 1737 he had written almost twenty-five plays and
staged them at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London. Among them, six plays were full-
length comedies and the others short farces, burlesques, and ballad-operas. And I would like
to discuss some of his important plays to understand his aim of his writing career.
Love in Several Masques:
10
It is his first play. It is staged at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London in February 1728.
“The play was quite moderately received, and the response of the audience was satisfactory”
(https://books.google.co.in/books/about/A_Quick_Guide_to_Love_In_Several_Masques.html
?id=Wz5UCAAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y). The play comically exposes three lovers who
continue to try to pursue their individual beloveds. The plot of this play is quite traditional in
which the playwright follows the tradition of Restoration theatre. In the play, there are three
female characters, three respectable and three non-respectable male characters, and three
minor or side characters. The play is traditional comic drama in which it incorporates the
morality. The major theme of the play is all about the love relationship. And the love relation
disguises and courtship with a discussion. The main focus of the playwright is to expose the
behaviour of males while they deal with love and marriage. In the play, the playwright clearly
shows that a gentleman has proved his worth to win the heart of his queen and to be able to
win the heart of his beloved in marriage. On the other hand, non-respectable man masks his
reality and tries to get pleasure from his beloved. However, Henry Fielding tries to mock the
prevailing requirements of a marriage in the play and criticism of various problem of London
society has come to the audiences. That’s why some researchers say Fielding’s ideas and
thoughts are sometimes correct and sometimes lacking in his writings. In addition, Harold
Pagliaro says “Fielding’s satire on the marriage market, however, is effecting, if not biting”
(Pagliaro, 1998, p. 58-59). Edwin Percy Whipple says on this play in his review of a
collection of Fielding's works, that "a well-written imitation" that has "smart and glib rather
than witty" dialogue even though it contains "affected similes and ingenious comparisons,
which the author forces into his dialogue to make it seem brilliant"(Whipple, 1849, p. 47-48).
However, Henry Fielding tries to present his personal feelings on morality and virtue in this
play.
The Temple Beau:
It is first performed in January 1730, at Goodman's Fields after it is rejected by the Theatre
Royal. In comparison to other plays at Goodman's Fields, this play gets much success at that
time. It is his fourth play that he wrote and finished it by the end of 1729. The plot of this
play is all about a young law student who gives up his studies to seek pleasure. He uses
people and wishes to marry a girl simply for money. It is straightforward, unlike Love in
Several Masques. In this play, Fielding cares more about revealing hypocrisy than with a
discussion of the nature of love and lovers. According to Harold Pagliaro when the play
11
comes to the matters of gender, it expresses a view of equality between the sexes that
manifests in marriage. The play reveals that there are different standards for the genders even
though the male characters may express concerns about these double standards (Pagliaro,
1998, p. 62). F. Homes Dudden declared in his “Henry Fielding: his Life, Works and Times”
that:
The Temple Beau as "a fairly good comedy of intrigue" and says that "The
plot of the comedy, though rather too complicated, is more skilfully
constructed than that of Love in Several Masques, and some of the situations
are diverting. One of the best things in the piece is the interview between the
deluded Sir Harry [...] young Wilding [...] and Pincet"
(Dudden, 1966, p. 46)
However, the modern critics generally view this play as an improvement in playwriting of
Henry Fielding when it is still considering having several weaknesses in his writings.
The Modern Husband:
It is staged in February 1732 at the Royal Theatre, Drury Lane. The plot of this play focuses
on a man who sells his wife for money. This play is like Thomas Hardy's novel The Mayor of
Casterbridge. But, in this play, the protagonist Mr Modern sues for damages by adultery
when the money is insufficient. The play also covers the stories of other couples and affairs
and romantic pursuits. The main theme of the play is all about the extra-marital relationship.
In the play, women characters are used as an object. That’s why the playwright criticises vice
and society through his play. In addition, he also criticised the law allowing a husband to sue
for damages when his wife committed adultery (Wikipedia). This kind of incidents occurred
regularly at the time of Henry Fielding. However, there are many critics give many responses
on this play. Such as Tiffany Potter declares in his "Honest Sins: Georgian Libertinism & the
Plays & Novels of Henry Fielding" that "The Modern Husband as "Fielding's most serious
attempt at social commentary within the five-act comedic form, with situations, characters,
and social states resembling those to come in Amelia" (Potter, 1999, p. 4).
The Mock Doctor or The Dumb Lady Cur'd:
12
It is first performed in June 1732 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The play is staged by
replacing his The Covent-Garden Tragedy. The play is an Anglicised adaptation of Molière's
Le Medecin malgre Lui and is contemporary to the translation by John Watts in the Select
Comedies of Molière (Hume 1988 p. 136). The plot of the play is all about Gregory, who is
pretending to be a doctor at the request of his wife. Actually, Gregory is a simple woodcutter
by trade, but his wife forces him to take on the role of doctor. That’s why He disguises
himself as Dr Ragou, a Frenchman. Once he goes to treat Sir Jasper's daughter, Charlotte. She
pretends to be unable to speak because she feels that this is the only way to avoid marrying
that boy who is chosen by her father. Actually, she wants to marry a boy whom she loves.
However, while he is treating Charlotte, his disguise is able to fool his wife and he begins to
pursue her as a Frenchman. But, finally, Dorcas is able to recognize him that it is her husband
in the disguise. The play is unlike Fielding's other plays, there is no serious moral lesson or
purpose instead, it is a pure comedy. The critics Robert Hume believes that "Fielding
benefited greatly from taking over the well-crafted frame of Molière's play, but what he
provided by way of adaptation and additions he handled with great skill" (Hume, 1988, p.
138).
His Novels:
Almost a decade of the first half of the eighteenth century, Henry Fielding was the most
prominent and the most productive playwright in England. In 1737 his theatrical career was
stopped by the Licensing Act, which was aimed at the Walpole government at Fielding
personally. In later years appeared two more five-act comedies which he had written during
this early period (Goggin, 1952, p. 769). In 1741, Fielding started writing novels. His first big
success is an anonymous parody of that novel An Apology for the Life of Mrs Shamela
Andrews. His purposes of writing novels are to make the parody of authorities. He announced
in the preface of his Joseph Andrews that:
A kind of writing which I do not remember to have seen hitherto attempted in
our language." In this new kind of writing, which Fielding called a "comic
epic poem in prouse, he creatively blended two classical traditions: that of the
epic, which had been poetic, and that of the drama, but emphasizing the comic
rather than the tragic. Another distinction of Joseph Andrews and of the
novels to come was the use of everyday reality of character and action as
opposed to the fables of the past.
13
(“Henry Fielding Facts", Retrieved 22 December 2017.)
However, his novels basically focus on the dichotomous or contradictory application and
characterization of forensic rhetoric. The readers must read his novels as an emblem of
allegory, or romance in which character and plot illustrate abstractions. Such novels we
would like to discuss in this paper.
An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews:
An Apology for the Life of Mrs. Shamela Andrews has originally published anonymously in
1741. It is also known as the name of Shamela. It is a satirical burlesque novella. It is first
published under the name of Mr Conny Keyber. Fielding never admitted to writing the work,
but it is widely considered to be his (Hawley, 1999). According to Judith Hawley, a pirated
edition was printed in Dublin in 1741 as well. Reprint editions have subsequently appeared as
texts for academic study (Hawley, 1999). However, the novel directly attacks Samuel
Richardson’s Pamela (1740). The scholars argue that Fielding’s writing is related to the
contemporary issue but Richardson is composed in epistolary form. In the novel, Fielding
makes fun of the original work's narrative method and pretence at moralizing. The heroine of
Pamela is a paragon of virtue. She is a servant girl who resists the sexual advances of her
master. Richardson's purpose in the novel is to “cultivate the principles of virtue and religion
in the minds of the youth of both sexes (https://www.enotes.com/topics/henry-fielding-
shamela). On the other hand, the heroine of Shamela is an artful minx who uses her “Virtue”
to build in the world. By criticizing at every aspect of Richardson's method and message,
Fielding shows the hypocrisy of contemporary mores (https://www.enotes.com/topics/henry-
fielding-shamela). However, the main aim of the work is to make a parody of Richardson’s
work. According to the E-Note on “Henry Fielding Shamela Critical Essays” the main theme
of the novel is:
As a parody of Pamela, Shamela aims to overturn what Fielding considered to
be the sententious moralizing of Richardson's novel. Richardson claims that
Pamela is a model of virtue, whose chastity is rewarded, but Fielding in his
novel equates morality with expediency, as Shamela behaves as she does in
order to secure material comforts for herself.
(https://www.enotes.com/topics/henry-fielding-shamela).
14
Joseph Andrews:
Joseph Andrews is first published in 1742. It is also known as The History of the Adventures
of Joseph Andrews and of his Friend Mr. Abraham Adams. It is all about the story of a good-
natured footman's adventures on the road home from London with his friend and mentor, the
absent-minded parson Abraham Adams. The protagonist of the novel is Joseph Andrews who
served the Lady Booby but loved the little Fanny. The novel has four books. Every book has
the same plot. However, it is called a picaresque novel in structure because the novel's
plotline is similar to the one-line structure of picaresque fiction. In the novel, the novelist
represents the ironies, unmasking, conflicts, and reversals. The main theme of the novel is all
about the vulnerability and power of goodness. In this novel, Fielding also talks about the
human nature and the need for control of sexuality. For instance, in the first book of the
novel, Lady Booby would take walks with Joseph in the park, and spend a lot of time alone
with him. Then, not even one week her husband’s death, she invites him in her room to talk
about the woman. At the time of their conversation in the room, she lifts his head because she
would like to tell him that under the bed cover she is naked. In the novel, Henry Fielding,
notes “I have trusted myself with a man alone, naked in bed; suppose you should have any
wicked intentions upon my honour, how should I defend myself?”
(https://schoolworkhelper.net/henry-fieldings-joseph-andrews-summary-analysis/). In
addition, the novel also talks about the charity and religion, Providence, town and country,
affectation, vanity, and hypocrisy, chastity, class and birth and so on. Further, the novel was
adapted for the screen in 1977 by Tony Richardson, Allan Scott and Chris Bryant. Samuel
Jackson Pratt is written the novel first and fourth books for the stage performance in 1778 at
the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
The Female Husband:
The Female Husband is anonymously published in 1745. The novel represents a real story of
Mrs Mary Hamilton. According to Fielding, he has taken the story from her own mouth since
her confinement. But many critics say Fielding has given a different account of Mrs
Hamilton’s life. Terry Castle claims that Fielding had his information "from the mouth" of
Mrs Hamilton herself. But, it is likely that he never met the woman he satirized in his work
(Castle, 1982, p. 604). Historian Louis Crompton describes this novel is as probably "one part
fact to ten parts fiction" (Crompton, 2006, p. 476). In addition, he says "as far as is known,
Hamilton was in truth only prosecuted for fraudulently marrying Price: there is no record of
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any other prosecution, whether any previous marriages ever occurred, or if they were merely
a product of local gossip and rumour remains unknown" (Crompton, 2006, p. 476). However,
the story of the novel is all about a notorious 18th-century case of fraud and female cross-
dressing, in which Hamilton, under the name of Charles, duped a woman into a supposed
marriage (Baker, 1959).
Tom Jones:
Tom Jones is first published in 1749 in London. It is a comic novel. It is also known as The
History of Tom Jones, a Foundling. It is also a bildungsroman and a picaresque novel. “Tom
Jones is generally regarded as Fielding's greatest book and as a very influential English
novel” (Drabble, 1998). The novel’s events occupy eighteen books. The purpose of the novel
is to explore the human nature. The novel opens with the introduction of wealthy Squire
Allworthy and his unmarried sister Bridget’s wealthy estate in Somerset. The main theme of
the novel is to understand the contrast between Tom Jones's good nature and his half-brother
Blifil's hypocrisy. Here Tome Jones is a bastard child of Jenny Jones. Jenny is an unmarried
mother; she works in the household of a local schoolmaster. The people used to say, the
schoolmaster would be Tom Jones’s father. But, Jenny didn’t accept this rumour in front of
Squire Allworthy. Later, Allworthy adopts her child and give her some money to escape from
the county. Not only that the novel also focuses on the themes of virtue, hypocrisy and just
villainy, sometimes tempered by repentance. However, Fielding himself called Tom Jones is
a “comic epic poem in prose,” though others say it is “essentially a comic romance”
(https://www.enotes.com/topics/tom-jones). According to E. Taiwo Palmer, "Tom Jones is
the perfection of Fielding's art because it is the novel in which matter and manner are most
completely interrelated" (Palmer, 1971, p. 497). Besides, the novelist shows three major
structures in every six books in the novel. The first part of the novel is set in the Paradise Hall
of Squire Allworthy in Somersetshire. The second part is set on the road in the London to
complete and recounting Tom’s adventures. And finally, third party is set in the London. At
the conclusion, the novelist shows Tome Jones is a orphan and antihero of the picaresque
novel.
Amelia:
Amelia is first published in 1751. It is his last novel. It is a sentimental novel. The novel talks
about the life of Amelia and Captain William Booth after they get married. It basically
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focuses on the theme of marriage and feminine intelligence. It is a domestic novel. It is taking
place largely in London during 1733. It represents the hardships suffered by a young couple
who newly married. They got married against wishes of Amelia's mother. Captain William
Booth is a young army officer. They run away to London. Samuel Richardson declares in
February 1752 that the novel "is as dead as if it had been published forty years ago, as to
sale” (Sabor, 2007, p. 95). George Borrow describes in his The Bible in Spain (1843) that:
Let travelers devote one entire morning to inspecting the Arcos and the Mai
das Agoas, after which they may repair to the English church and cemetery,
Pere-la-chaise in miniature, where, if they be of England, they may well be
excused if they kiss the cold tomb, as I did, of the author of Amelia, the most
singular genius which their island ever produced, whose works it has long
been the fashion to abuse in public and to read in secret.
(Borrow 1843 p. 8)
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Fielding's dramatic output is wildly varied. He might well never have turned to
fiction if the Licensing Act of 1737 had not been put out him from the businesses. In a very
short time, he wrote five essentially traditional comedies which might not get great merit or
success. But, he attempted serious social and moral satire in his dramas, which had a good
initial run but was never revived. In addition, he wrote Don Quixote in England (734) to
dedicate the opposition Whig leader Lord Chesterfield. Fielding is best known for his topical
burlesques and satires play Tom Thumb (1730). It is successfully recast as The Tragedy of
Tragedies (1731), The Author’s Farce (1730), Pasquin (1736), and The Historical Register
(1737), in which he only enjoyed a long time in the theatre. However, he also continuously
spreads his political views in satirical articles and newspapers in the late 1730s and early
1740s. Then he becomes the chief writer for the Whig government of Henry Pelham
(Wikipedia of Henry Fielding, 25/12/2017). Moreover, Fielding also explicates the irony in
his writings. According to Palmer, there seems to be some justification for a return to the
study of Fielding's irony in his writing, for the treatment of the subject hitherto has been
inadequate (Palmer, 1971, p. 497). The nature of irony is the difference between the author's
intended meaning and what the words on the page actually convey. ‘Professor A. R.
Humphreys in a major essay makes some brilliant comments on the nature of Fielding's irony
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in general but refers only occasionally to Tom Jones, the essay being largely devoted to
Jonathan Wild” in 1743 (Palmer, 1971, p. 497).
Summary of the Module:
The paper has mainly focused on the life and oeuvre of Henry Fielding, which can help the
students and readers to understand the basic things of the eighteen century’s writings and the
political situation of London. Along with that, it has also discussed contemporary writer and
their interested genre such as a picaresque novel, bildungsroman, and roman á clef to
understand the story of real man’s life and their activities. Further, the paper has examined
the issues of gender, where the women have been seriously discriminated by males. Although
the moral sense of Henry Fielding has found the equality among men and women. It is very
helpful for the students and readers, those who want to understand the fact of the Licensing
Act of 1737 because Henry Fielding has turned his theatre life to fictional life at that time.
The module also has explained the theme and characteristic features of Fielding’s works.
Finally, the paper has concluded to make a critical comment on Fielding’s concepts of his
parody and satirical ideas in his writings which will widen the ideas of the students and
readers.
Work Cited:
Baker, Sheridan, 'Henry Fielding's the Female Husband: Fact and Fiction', Proceedings of the
Modern Language Association, Vol. 74, No. 3, 1959, pp. 213-224.
Borrow, George. The Bible in Spain. Vol 1. London: John Murray, 1843.
Castle, Terry. “Matters Not Fit to Be Mentioned: Fielding's The Female Husband.” ELH, vol.
49, no. 3, 1982, pp. 602–622
Crompton, Louis. Homosexuality and Civilization. Belknap Press of Harvard University
Press. 2006. p.476.
Dudden, F. Homes. Henry Fielding: his Life, Works and Times. Hamden, Conn.: Archon
Books, 1966.
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Drabble, Margaret. The Oxford Companion to English Literature. (2nd) revised ed. Oxford:
Oxford University Press. 1998. pp. 982–983.
Goggin, L. P. “Development of Techniques in Fielding's Comedies.” PMLA, vol. 67, no. 5,
1952, pp. 769–781.
Hume, Robert D. “Fielding's Plays and the Completion of the Wesleyan Edition.” Huntington
Library Quarterly, vol. 75, no. 3, 2012, pp. 447–463.
Hume, Robert. Fielding and the London Theater. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1988.
Hawley, Judith. "Note on the text, Joseph Andrews and Shamela. London: Penguin Books.
1999.
"Henry Fielding Facts". biography.yourdictionary.com. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
(http://biography.yourdictionary.com/henry-fielding)
Lynch, M. A. and Browne, K. D. "Thinking and Working Together to Safeguard Children."
Child Abuse Review, vol. 8, 1999, pp. 297–300.
Pagliaro, Harold. Henry Fielding: A Literary Life. New York: St Martin's Press, 1998.
Potter, Tiffany. “Honest Sins: Georgian Libertinism & the Plays & Novels of Henry
Fielding.” London: McGill-Queen's University Press, 1999.
Palmer, E. Taiwo. “Irony in ‘Tom Jones.’” The Modern Language Review, vol. 66, no. 3,
1971, pp. 497–510.
Sabor, Peter. "Amelia." In The Cambridge Companion to Henry Fielding, edited by Claude
Rawson, 94–108. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Whipple, E. P. "Review" in North American Review. January 1849.
Woods, Charles B. “Notes on Three of Fielding's Plays.” PMLA, vol. 52, no. 2, 1937, pp.
359–373.
Sale, William Merritt. "Samuel Richardson." Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. June 10, 2016.
Retrieved: January 28, 2018. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Richardson