Category: Blog Series Page 138 of 220

After the tumultuous events of the last few chapters, things might start to take a turn for the better for Tom.

Might, I say, might. But, like Fielding said in last week’s chapters, it’s going to take some work for these characters to get to the shore of a happy ending, as this isn’t a drama.

Whether it was that Fortune was apprehensive lest Jones should sink under the weight of his adversity, and that she might thus lose any future opportunity of tormenting him, or whether she really abated somewhat of her severity towards him, she seemed a little to relax her persecution,

and sent Nightingale, Partridge, and Mrs. Miller* to visit him.

* I don’t know why this is, but every time I write her name, I write “Mrs. Wilson” and have to go back and fix it in editing. Every. Single. Time.

When these three come to visit Tom in prison, Partridge brings good news—Fitzpatrick is still alive. He’s not in great shape, but he’s still alive. Mrs. Miller agrees to take a letter to Sophia. And Nightingale commits to digging up more information on the duel. The three of them leave Tom feeling better.

Sophia’s not in any mood to take a letter from Mrs. Miller (who she just met), but she’s worn down. Tom’s letter doesn’t really do the trick—he’s too vague about what happened with Lady Bellaston, and in the end, she’s still angry.

Mrs. Miller and Allworthy have a longish conversation, which is really the most interesting thing in this section. Miller gives him an account of all the good things that Tom’s done for her and her family (although she doesn’t get into all the nitty-gritty about Nightingale and Nancy. Allworthy acknowledges that Mrs. Miller ought to feel gratitude and some obligation to TOm, but doesn’t want him mentioned again. He also warns her against the negative comments towards Blifil—or he’ll cut her off. There might be some softening on his part toward Tom, but before we can see more of that Blifeil and his attorney arrive and that’s the end of their conversation because business needs to get taken care of.

The last chapter annoyed me—it’s essentially a repeat of the last chapter or so of Lord Fellamar and Sophia material—but this time, Mrs. Western backs off her earlier support of Sophia and is once again trying to get the match made. Fellamar tries apologizing, but basically says he’s so head-over-heels for her that he couldn’t help but try to rush things. Sophia flatly refuses him and isn’t at all subtle. Mrs. Western is fed up, if Sophia won’t accept him she’ll be sent back to her father the next day.

So the whole Sophia/Fellamar/Bellaston thing (Bellaston was behind Fellamar’s last attempt, I should add) seemed like such a waste, we covered this before, and Mrs. Western’s reversal doesn’t make much sense to me. I’d have preferred more advancement on the other areas of the plot—but I can see where the lack of advancement was necessary. I bet that conversation between Allworthy and Mrs. Miller will prove important later. Also, I had to check but the name of Blifil’s attorney is one we’ve run into before, near the beginning of the book. I bet his reappearance is going to prove pivotal.

There’s some really good writing here, as always, Fielding’s voice makes even the dull/repetitive/annoying parts at least somewhat entertaining.

Next week, Tom in prison and we begin the last Book.

I’m a little daunted by these chapters, I’ve gotta say…if I’m not careful, this’ll be the longest (by far) post in this series.

We kick off the penultimate (!!!) Book with Fielding talking about the tough spot he’s in—if he were writing a tragedy, he’d be about finished.

it would be difficult for the devil, or any of his representatives on earth, to have contrived much greater torments for poor Jones than those in which we left him in the last chapter; and as for Sophia, a good-natured woman would hardly wish more uneasiness to a rival than what she must at present be supposed to feel. What then remains to complete the tragedy but a murder or two and a few moral sentences!

But he’s not writing a tragedy, it’s a comedy—and it’s going to be some effort

to bring our favourites out of their present anguish and distress, and to land them at last on the shore of happiness

He amends that by noting, it wouldn’t be that hard to get Sophia to a happy ending, but Tom who might just get hanged at Tyburn*—that’s going to be tricky. Especially because he’s not willing to use a literal Deus ex machina (like the ancients would), or any other mythical/supernatural being to help—this is a “natural” work and he’s got to do this in an honest way.

let us try therefore what, by these means, may be done for poor Jones; though to confess the truth, something whispers me in the ear that he doth not yet know the worst of his fortune; and that a more shocking piece of news than any he hath yet heard remains for him in the unopened leaves of fate.

* Fielding stating it’s possible that Tom would be “hanged at Tyburn” made me think of Lady Ty from Ben Aaronovitch’s The Rivers of London\. Now I want Tom to show up and do something with Tom and Nightingale.

After Tom is taken into custody, Blifil comes into breakfast with Mrs. Miller and Mr. Allworthy—and he’s bursting to give the news about

“that Jones, that wretch whom you nourished in your bosom, [who] hath proved one of the greatest villains upon earth.

At this point, Mrs. Miller interrupts him with a glowing defense of Tom—even going so far as to say that Allworthy didn’t do right by him. And even when Allworthy makes her let Blifil share his news, she stands by him—if he actually killed a man, that man deserved it. Before the discussion can go further, Squire Western shows up and Mrs. Miller excuses herself.

Western comes with news—someone else is proposing, and they’d better get things moving if Blifil is going to marry her. Allworthy puts his foot down—he won’t let Sophia be forced into this. Western and Blifil argue against it, but he’s unmoved–if she changes her mind freely, that’s one thing–but otherwise, Allworthy won’t go for it. Blifil can’t help himself and shares the news about Tom, which sends Western into giddy celebration–literally singing and dancing. This will remove Tom from Sophia’s affections, that’s got to be the nail in the coffin, she’ll be Mrs. Blifil before long at this rate.

Western goes off on his way, and Allworthy warns Blifil that the marriage is just not going to happen and he needs to move on.

The reader may pretty well guess Blifil’s answer; but, if he should be at a loss, we are not at present at leisure to satisfy him, as our history now hastens on to matters of higher importance, and we can no longer bear to be absent from Sophia.

Sophia and Mrs. Western are at loggerheads—Lord Fellamar is coming by that afternoon and wants some time without Mrs. Western around. Sophia pleads to not be left alone with him—after some back and forth, she breaks down and tells her aunt what happened. Mrs. Western initially doesn’t believe it, he’s such a good guy with honorable intentions, and so on. But Sophia convinces her. Agast, Mrs. Western agrees to never leave the two of them alone. Fellamar comes, spends an incredibly dull afternoon with the two of them, and departs.

And now we have seen our heroine in a better situation than she hath been for a long time before, we will look a little after Mr Jones, whom we left in the most deplorable situation that can be well imagined.

So what do I have to say about all that? I loved the introductory chapter (even if what he says about the ancients, Persians, and Arabians is irresponsible, inaccurate, and condescending at best). I thought Mrs. MIller was brave and wonderful in her defense, and I was just waiting for her to slap Blifil with a kitchen implement for being such a twerp. I’ve never liked Squire Western less, and I feel bad how the deck is being stacked against Tom. The last chapter between Sophia and her aunt was just great, too.

I guess, basically, I’m excited to be in the home stretch, am really enjoying what Fielding us up to, and am tempted to finish the novel tonight.