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Henry Fielding ( 1707 - 1754 )
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novelist & playwright one of the founders of the English novel the greatest novelist of the 18th century
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I. I. Life II. II. Fielding’s position III. III. Major Works IV. IV. Tom Jones V. V. Features of Fielding’s Novels V. V. Fielding & Richardson
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I. I. Life and Career an aristocratic family well educated a deep knowledge of life In order to make a living for himself, he began to write plays and farces for the stage
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Soon he became one of the most popular playwrights in London. Most of his dramatic works were satiric comedies. Fielding mercilessly exposed the corruption, hypocrisy and cruelty of the officials.
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His plays, of course, caused fear in the government and aroused hatred of the ruling class. In 1737 an act appeared, according to which plays should be brought under direct censorship.
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Fielding could not write plays, and so he ended his career as a playwright and took up the study of law. He was made a judge in 1748.
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sharp burlesques satirizing the government prime minister Sir Robert Walpole Theatrical Licensing Act: directed primarily at him
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Realized that none of his plays would ever gain the approval of Walpole's new governing body Quit the theater and entered law school and graduated in 1740.
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Began his novel writing by attacking Samuel Richardson. Published his first novel, Joseph Andrews, 1742. a parody of the best-selling novel at the time, Pamela: or Virtue Rewarded, by Samuel Richardson, about a virtuous servant girl.
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Followed by Jonathan Wild the Great Tom Jones, his masterpiece Amelia, his last novel
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In his novels, Fielding continued to expose and fight against social evils of his time. His later years were devoted to the duties as a magistrate.
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II. II. Fielding’s position Why was Fielding the true founder of English novel?
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Defoe: still followed the 17th century tradition of claiming his fiction was fact. Richardson: declared that his tales were moral tracts ( 宣传册子 ), emphasizing the instructional rather than the fictional aspect. Fielding: the first major novelist to unabashedly ( 勇敢无畏的 ) write fiction.
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Fielding is the founder of English realistic novels. He set up the theory of realism in literary creation.
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The exact observation and study of the real life was the basis of his work. He did not rely simply on his imagination. He did not imitate the characters depicted in the works of earlier authors.
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He made a close and constant study of real men and women in real life. He gave us genuine pictures of men and women of his own age.
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His aim as a novelist was to write comic epic in prose he once described himself as “great, tattered bard.”
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The comic epic is designed to furnish instruction as well as entertainment. Fielding believed in the educational function of the novel.
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III. III. Major Works 1. 1. Joseph Andrews 2. 2. Jonathan Wild the Great 3. 3. Tom Jones 4. 4. Amelia
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1. 1. Joseph Andrews 1741 《约瑟夫 · 安德鲁斯》 Fielding’s first novel a parody of Richardson’s Pamela
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the intention: ridiculing Richardson’s novel Pamela the hero of the novel: Joseph Andrews, Pamela’s brother
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The situation is contrived by reversing the situation in Pamela. Joseph, a very handsome young man, is a male servant in Lady Booby's house.
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Lady Booby, attracted by Joseph’s charms, pursues him, but Joseph repels her temptation. Lady Booby is quite angry with him and drives him away.
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Then Joseph goes to see his sweetheart, a country girl named Fanny. On the way, he is robbed and carried to an inn, where he meets Parson Adams who becomes his good friend.
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Then the two men travel together and meet with many ridiculous adventures. After overcoming a lot of difficulties, Joseph and Fanny are united.
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The book turns out quickly a great novel of the “comic epic in prose” whose subject is “the true ridiculous” in human nature, exposed in all its variety as Joseph and the amiable Quixote.
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2. 2. The Life of Jonathan Wild the Great 1743 《大伟人江奈生传》 Fielding’s satire on “greatness”
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a satirical novel exposes the English bourgeois-aristocratic society mocks at its political system
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Jonathan Wild a figure taken from actual life 18th Century England's most notorious lawbreaker a notorious English highway- man, hanged in London in 1721
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“Jonathan Wild” in literature the novel “Jonathan Wild” (1725) by D. Defoe Henry Fielding's satire “The Life of Jonathan Wild the Great” (1743). the model for the character Peachum in John Gay’s “The Beggars’ Opera” (1728)
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Jonathan Wild has disposition for stealing in his childhood. When he grows up, he becomes a pickpocket. Gradually he becomes the chief of gang of robbers.
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In this novel, Fielding satirizes the English high-ranking officials. The thieves represent the corrupt politicians and the chief of the gang represents the English Prime Minister Walpole.
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Wild’s band is divided into two conflicting parties, one suggests the Tories and the other represents the Whigs. They often quarrel about little things. Obviously Fielding satirizes the struggle between the two political parties.
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a bitter satire on the exploiting and oppressing class. one of the best exposures of the corruption of the bourgeois society.
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3. 3. The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling 1. 1. assessment 2. 2. Abstract of the plot 3. 3. Characterization 4. 4. Themes 5. 5. point of view
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It is in this novel that Fielding succeeded best in creating a “comic epic in prose” the theory of which he has set down in Joseph Andrews In structure, it followed the theory of “comic epic in prose”.
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18 books: 3 sections, 6 books each clearly marked out by the change of the scenes: the country, on the highway, London
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2. 2. Abstract of the plot The kindly, prosperous Mr. Allworthy finds a baby boy on his bed. He adopts the child, naming it Tom Jones.
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Allworthy’s sister Bridget marries Captain Blifil, they have a son. Tom and the young Blifil are raised together.
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Years later a rivalry over the attention of Sophia Western arises between them.
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Tom is expelled from the house because of an affair with the game- keeper’s daughter Molly Seagrim Blifil’s treachery
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His adventures in the picaresque section of the novel an affair with Lady Ballaston nearly killing his opponent in a duel imprisoned
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Meanwhile Sophia flees to London to escape the marriage with Blifil. Jenny Jones turns up to reveal that Bridget is the mother of Tom.
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Blifil’s cruelties to Tom over the years are exposed - Blifil knew the truth of Tom’s birth. Tom marries Sophia, who forgives him for his infidelities, and Tom becomes the heir of Allworthy.
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3. 3. Characterization (1) Tom Jones (2) Master Blifil (3) Sophia Western (4) Mr. Allworthy
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(1) Tom upright, frank, kind-hearted always ready to help others and never once tries to harm any one for his own benefit
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sometimes may be very rash and commit rather serious errors, particularly in his relations with women.
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(2) Blifil Tom’s half-brother Tom and Blifil stand in sharp contrast. pretends to be extremely moral and selfless, but actually he always thinks up tricks
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Although he appears at first to be a virtuous character, his hypocrisy soon exposes itself— Blifil pretends to be pious and principled, but greed governs him.
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(3) Sophia a “gentlewoman” Fielding’s beautiful, generous heroine the daughter of the violent Squire Western.
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She represents the young women of the day with sufficient courage and independence to defy the bad world.
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Sophia manages to reconcile through her courage and patience her love for Tom her filial duty to her father her hatred for Blifil
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(4) Mr. Allworthy Mr. Allworthy is just what his name implies -- all worthy. Allworthy has a reputation because of his benevolent, altruistic behavior. -------------------------------------------------------- altruistic [ l æltru l istik] adj. 利他主义的, 无私的
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The moral yardstick of the novel, Allworthy’s only fault is that—due to his goodness—he cannot perceive the evil in others. --------------------------------------- yardstick n. 码尺,衡量的标准 perceive v. 察觉
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Fielding’s attitudes: condemns Blifil as the embodiment of the social evils of his day praises Tom who represents the simple folk Tom and Sophia: rebels of the society
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4. 4. Themes (1) social criticism From this novel we can see the novelist’s strong hatred for all the hypocrisy and treachery in the society of his age sympathy for the courageous young rebels in their righteous struggle
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(2) Virtue and vice The highlighted virtue is prudence, and the featured vices are hypocrisy and vanity.
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(3) The impossibility of stereotypical ( 老套的 ) categorization “philosophical History” a “Romance” an “epi-comic prosaic poem” “the founder of a new Province ( 领域 ) of Writing”
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5. 5. point of view The narrator predominantly speaks in the first person singular, but occasionally slips into a Victorian first person plural “we”. The last quarter of the novel is partly epistolary, with letters embedded in the prose.
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The narrator is essentially omniscient and fluctuates between the minds of various characters.
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Coleridge declared that the plot of Tom Jones was one of the three perfect plots in all literature, the others were Ben Jonson’s Alchemist, 本琼生《炼金术士》 Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, 索福克勒斯《俄狄浦斯王》
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Tom Jones (UK) 第 36 届奥斯卡金像奖 最佳影片 第 36 届奥斯卡金像奖 最佳导演 托尼 · 理查森 第 36 届奥斯卡金像奖 最佳音乐 约翰 · 爱迪生 第 36 届奥斯卡金像奖 最佳改编剧本
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4. 4. Amelia 1752 《阿美利亚》
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V. V. Features of Fielding’s Novels A. A. authorial narrative voice Fielding’s method of relating a story is telling the story directly by the author.
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Example 2 Chapter 1 An author ought to consider himself, not as a gentleman who gives a private or eleemosynary treat, but rather as one who keeps a public ordinary, at which all persons are welcome for their money.
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Example 2 I have told my reader, in the preceding chapter, that Mr. Allworthy inherited a large fortune
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B. B. Satire abounds everywhere in Fielding’s works.
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C. C. Fielding believed in the educational function of the novel. The object of his novels is to present a faithful picture of life, while sound teaching is woven into their very texture.
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D. D. Fielding is a master of style. His style is easy and familiar, but extremely vivid and vigorous. His sentences are always distinguished by logic and musical rhythm. His command of language is remarkable.
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