Fielding shows a range of attitudes and characterizations
through the women in Tom Jones. The point which is most clearly illustrated is that
characters who are innately good are not made so by their social
position.
The higher class women include Bridget Allworthy,
Lady Bellaston and Arabella Hunt. Each of these ladies has money, and each proves to
have immoral leanings. Bridget is the mother of the hero Tom Jones, though chose to pay
her nurse, Jenny Jones, to take the responsibility and blame for the illegitimate birth.
Lady Bellaston and Arabella Hunt both pursue Tom in unseemly
ways.
Sophia Western, however, is a squire’s daughter like
Bridget, but is chaste, loyal, moral and virtuous throughout the text. She seems to be
an exception to the group in which che operates.
The lower
class women include Jenny Jones, Honour Blackmore and Molly Seagrim. Jenny is revealed
to be a loyal servant as she takes the blame for Bridget’s child, and Honour engineers
to stay at her mistress’ Sophia’s side despite the challenges to her own position. Molly
is more of a passionate individual, who is revealed to be having sexual relations with
both Tom and Mr Square. She has less restraint and decency than the
others.
Mrs Wilkins (Allworthy’s housekeeper) and Mrs
Partridge both enjoy gossip, scandal and cruel judgments on those they choose to condemn
– rightly or not. Mrs Wilkins pursues the unfortunate Jenny and Mrs Partridge ruins her
husband with her misguided jealousy.
Fielding illustrates
through the women that virtue and vice are not confined by sex, class or upbringing:
each individual is guided by their own morality. These characterizations are what makes
the novel such an engaging study in “Human nature”.
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