Juniors - Tom Jones

BritishLiteratureCourse,Class22TaughtbyDr.RobinGilbankToday•TodaywewillstudyTomJonesbyHenryFielding.•Firstofallwewillhavesomereadingfromthetextbookandacoupleofquestions.•AfterthebreakwewillhavethestudentpresentationonJonathanWild.•Wewillalsoexaminesomeissuesconnectedtomanhoodinthe18thcentury.BecomingJaneIfyourememberTomJoneswasthenovelgivenbyLefroytoJaneinBecomingJaneinorderto“educate”her.Shewasappalledbythemaincharacter’swomanizingandmisbehaviour.AfewintroductorywordsonTomJonesItremainsthebestknownworkofHenryFielding(1707-54).Aftercensorshiplawspreventedhimfrompursuingacareerasaplaywright,heturnedtonovelwriting.AtfirsthewroterealistbookslikeJosephAndrewswhichsatirizedmoralizingsentimentalnovelssuchasPamelabySamuelRichardson.•ThefulltitleisTheHistoryofTomJones,AFoundling.AsweshallseeTomispresumedtobeanorphanwhenheistakeninbyasquire.•Muchofthestory(whichhas18shorterparts)tellsushowhegrewfromchildhoodtoadulthoodandthedistresshisbehaviourcausedtohisadopted“family”.•Whatarethe“threeexamples”ofTom’s“atrociouswickedness”(p.90)mentionedbythenarrator?Whydoeshedothesethings?Aretheyreallywickeddeeds?****•WhydoesTomnotwanttobetraythegamekeeper?Iskeepingsilentactuallyabadthinghere?TomJones(1963)Englishnovelsofthe1700shavebeenlesspopularwithfilmmakersandfilmgoersthanlaterliteraturelikeAustenandDickens.Inthe1960swhentherewasstartingtobeagreateropennessaboutsexandemotions,thedirectorTonyRichardsondecidedtoadaptFielding’sbook.EarlyscenesinvolvethediscoveryofTomasababyandhishighjinkswithpoachersandwomen.Watchoutfor….•TonyRichardsondecidedtokeepthedisapprovingnarratorofthenovelbyusingavoiceover.ThevoiceissuppliedbytheelderlyIrishactorMichealMacLimmoir.•Hechoosestomaketheopeningratherslapstickinstyle.Itcopiesthestyleofearlysilentfilmcomedybyhavingthecharacter’swordsappearastext.BreaktimePresentation–JonthanWildOvertoyou!!!!FromBoystoMeninTomJonesInthesecondhalfoftheclassIwantustoconsiderbroadlytwoimportantissuesinrelationtoTomJones.Firstofall,whatdiditmeantobeayoungmaninthemiddleyearsofthe1700s?Secondly,whatprocessesdidboyshavetogothroughinordertobeconsideredmen?Rememberatthisstageonelegallybecameanadultat21.AlotofportraitsfromFielding’sdaydepictyoungerteenagersinwhatwewouldnowconsidertobeadultclothes.Aristocratslikedtoimaginetheirchildrenfollowingintheirfootsteps,becomingfutureleaders–whethertheywouldbeasoldieroranavalcommander.Therewasnoteenagedculturesuchaswehavetoday.InpartTomJonesseemstodramatizethedifficultyofbreakingawayfromyouthandenteringtheadultworld.ReallifeThwackumsThecharacterofMr.Thwackumisactuallynotsoveryfarfromthetruth.TherewereteachersinEnglandwhofeltthatboysshouldbechastiseduntiltheylosttheirimmaturity.ThomasArnold(1795-1842),theheadmasterofthefamousRugbySchoolonceconfessedthathedislikedchildren.AdevoutChristian,hebelievedtheywerebornfullofsin.Asuccessfuleducationcouldincludeplentyofcorporalpunishmentifitmeanttheboyendedupbeingbetterbehaved.•Thatisoneviewofthematuringprocess,whichwemightthinkofasbeingcoercive.•Somefamiliestookamorepermissiveviewofhowtheirboysshouldbecomefullgrownmen.Thisinvolvedgivingthemnewfreedomandtreats.TheGrandTouristFrancisBasset(1757-1835)Otherimagesofaristocraticmen,usuallyintheirlatertwenties,werefilledwithClassicaldetailssuchasRomanorGreekpillarsandstatues.TheseweremeanttogivetheimpressionthatthesubjecthadbeenontheGrandTour.Fromthe1660s,oneriteofpassage(usuallyundertakenaroundtheageof21)involvedtravellingthroughItalyandtheMediterraneantoviewalltheancientsitesofEurope.Forsomemen,thiswasagreatculturalexperiencewhichpreparedthemforadultlife….…forothersitencouragedcarnalexploration•Becausetheywereunmarriedandfarfromhome,somementhoughtitwastheperfectopportunitytogainexperiencewiththeoppositesex.•TheEnglishpoetLadyMaryWortleyMontagucommentedthattheyonlyrememberwheretheymetwiththebestWineortheprettyestWomen”.Aquestion•IfThwackumrepresentsthecoercivesideofeducation,isthereanycharacterinTomJoneswhorepresentsthepermissiveside?Permissivenesscaninvolvegivingrewardsforgoodbehaviour.MenandHorsesAllworthy’sgiftofahorsetoTomisalittlebitlikeWesternparentsgivingtheirsonordaughteracarfortheir18thbirthdaytoday.Horseswereconsideredasymbolofmanhoodor“virility”.Beingagoodhorse-ridershowedamanwascontrolledandevenbrave.Womenwouldbeimpressedbythesightofamanridingfastandjumpingoverhedges.AhorsepaintingbyGeorgeStubbsMen’shuntingbreecheswereusuallytightfittingandappealingtowomen.•AllworthygivesToma“small”horse.Werehetoliveuptohisbadboyreputation,hemightuseittoattractwomenwhohewouldthenseduce.Aquestion•WhatdoesTomdowithhishorseandwhatdoesthattellusabouthimasaman?Afinalquestion•Overall,doyouthinkFieldingwantsustoseeTomJonesasbeingahero?Afterallnearthebeginningthenarratorsays“itwastheuniversalopinionofallofMr.Allworthy’sfamilythathewascertainlyborntobehanged.FornextweekFirstclass–SterneandGoldsmithSecondclass–BurnsandPre-romanticism