"Cliff Notes - Tom Jones" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cliff Notes)

many of the other characters, does Tom have any desire for
revenge. He doesn't seek vengeance on Blifil or Black George,
even though they've betrayed him.

In these ways, Tom resembles his surrogate father, Squire
Allworthy. But Tom is also impulsive like Squire Western, his
other surrogate father. He has the Squire's hot temper: when
called "a beggarly bastard" by Blifil, he bloodies Blifil's
nose. He has unbridled animal drives, seldom putting much
restraint on his sexual urges. Even as he's feeling pure,
elevated love for Sophia Western, he indulges in an affair with
Lady Bellaston.

Tom Jones is a bildungsroman, a novel about growing up; the
novel traces Tom's acquisition of knowledge of the world. Tom
slowly comes to temper his impulsiveness with wisdom. When,
because of his love for Sophia, he turns down the romantic
proposals of Mrs. Fitzpatrick, he demonstrates his maturity.
Having acquired wisdom, he almost magically regains Allworthy's
love and marries Sophia.

Readers vary greatly in their estimation of Tom. Some see him
as a virile, high-spirited young man whose character flaws are
minor because they never conceal his noble heart. Others are
repulsed by such a flawed hero and find unpalatable a novel that
evidently celebrates him.

Readers also vary in their estimation of Tom as a literary
character. Some feel he's realistically portrayed--a character
with the mix of strengths and flaws all people possess. Others
think that compared to heroes of other great novels, Tom lacks
depth. To them, Tom seems portrayed in a kind of shorthand.
Fielding doesn't often explore Tom's emotions here, he just
describes them in general terms, as if he didn't take them
seriously or wasn't especially interested in them. According to
one critic, Tom and the other characters have no emotional
complexity, and their psychological development seems extremely
limited. See if you feel this limitation as you read.

Other readers don't find this lack of complexity a defect,
because they see Tom as an allegorical figure--more an abstract
symbol than a realistic character. According to one writer,
"Tom Jones is that universal hero of folk tale and myth--the
foundling prince, the king's son raised by wolves, Moses in the
bullrushes...." Another writes: The story of Tom Jones's
disgrace and redemption, of his arduous journey toward
reconciliation with his foster father and marriage with the
woman he loves, takes on a broadly allegorical dimension; it is
the story of our deep need to live our lives with Wisdom.