Category: Blog Series Page 149 of 230

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.

So Squire Western drags Blifil with him to go visit Sophia, who does not want to see him and excuses herself immediately. Mrs. Western chalks this up to them showing up unexpectedly and chases them off—schedule a visit (maybe even this afternoon) and she’ll see him, her aunt will see to that. It takes some work, but she gets them to leave—Western only because he insists this afternoon will work, but Blifil thinks something else is afoot.

And he’s right, Lady Bellaston (for whatever twisted reason she has) has come to visit Western and has convinced her that Lord Fellamar is a better match than Blifil, who really only has money to recommend him. Fellmar has a title, money, and class. Sure, he almost raped Sophia, but…I’m not sure Mrs. Western knows that (or would believe Sophia). That stupid proposal that Tom used to scare off Bellaston comes back to haunt him—she gives it to Mrs. Western to show Sophia.

Meanwhile, Fellmar has recruited a naval friend of his to find Tom, trump up some charges (he’s not a gentleman or anyone with a source of income, he’s a vagrant, so that’ll work) to put him on a sailing vessel.

Meanwhile, Tom has kept that appointment with Mrs. Fitzgerald. She’s still upset with Mrs. Western and wants to get back at her by helping Tom win Sophia. The next day, he returns for more discussion of the topic. As he leaves, he bumps into Mr. Fitzgerald—who after a minute, recognizes Tom and challenges him. Tom knows almost nothing about fencing, but knows enough, apparently, to stick him with the pointy end.

Naturally, about that time the group who was coming to grab Tom for Fellmar sees this and takes him off to the magistrate. Murder’ll do better than vagrancy, after all. While Tom’s locked up, the next day, Partridge comes with the news—Fitzgerald died from his wounds. He also brings a note from Sophia, she’s seen the proposal, and he should never contact her again.

Of the present situation of Mr Jones’s mind, and of the pangs with which he was now tormented, we cannot give the reader a better idea than by saying, his misery was such that even Thwackum would almost have pitied him. But, bad as it is, we shall at present leave him in it, as his good genius (if he really had any) seems to have done. And here we put an end to the sixteenth book of our history.

That’s a pretty eventful four chapters right there. There’ve been entire Books of this novel that haven’t had as many events as the last four chapters of this one. Fellmar and Bellaston prove that they’re the worst. Blifil has probably been spurred to new levels of knavery, and I’m kind of looking forward to Fellmar and facing off with him (and man, I hope that happens)

It was a little confusing because Feilding spent a lot of time going back in time when he switched the characters he focused on—but it wasn’t that bad. I feel like I should have more to say, but I really don’t—I just want to see what happens next!