The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, often called Tom Jones, is a humorous novel written by Henry Fielding, an English author and playwright. It is a type of story that follows a character's growth and a tale about a person's adventures. The book was first published on February 28, 1749, in London. It is one of the earliest English books to be called a novel. In his 1948 book Great Novelists and Their Novels, W. Somerset Maugham mentions Tom Jones as the first novel in his list of the ten greatest novels in the world.

The novel is very well organized even though it is long. Samuel Taylor Coleridge said it has one of the "three most perfect plots ever planned," along with Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and The Alchemist by Ben Jonson. The book became very popular, with four editions printed in its first year. It is widely considered Fielding's most important work and a significant novel in English literature.

Plot

The wealthy Squire Allworthy and his sister Bridget live on an estate in Somerset. After returning from a long business trip in London, Allworthy finds an abandoned baby sleeping in his bed. He calls for his housekeeper, Mrs. Deborah Wilkins, to care for the child. Mrs. Wilkins searches the nearby village and learns that Jenny Jones, a servant of a schoolmaster and his wife, is the most likely person to have left the baby. Jenny is brought before the Allworthys and admits placing the baby in the bed but refuses to name the father. Mr. Allworthy moves Jenny to a place where no one will know who she is and asks Bridget to raise the boy, whom he names Thomas, in his household.

Two brothers, Dr. Blifil and Captain Blifil, often visit the Allworthy estate. The doctor introduces the captain to Bridget in hopes of marrying into Allworthy’s wealth. The couple soon marries. After the marriage, Captain Blifil grows distant from his brother, who eventually leaves the house for London and later dies from a broken heart. Captain Blifil and Bridget grow cold toward each other, and Captain Blifil is found dead from apoplexy one evening after his usual walk before dinner. Before his death, Captain Blifil fathers a boy who grows up with Tom. Captain Blifil’s son, Master Blifil, is jealous of Tom and plots against him.

Tom grows up and becomes close to the servants and gamekeepers rather than the gentry. He is friends with Black George, the gamekeeper, and his first love is Molly, Black George’s second daughter. Molly becomes pregnant and begs Tom for protection. Later, Tom discovers Molly is promiscuous and falls in love with Sophia Western, the daughter of a neighboring squire. Tom and Sophia confess their love after Tom breaks his arm saving her. However, Tom’s status as a bastard causes Sophia’s father and Allworthy to disapprove of their relationship.

Squire Allworthy falls ill and believes he is dying. His family and servants gather as he distributes his wealth, giving a generous amount to Tom, which angers Master Blifil. Tom cares only about Allworthy’s health and is excited when Allworthy recovers, leading him to get drunk and fight Master Blifil. Meanwhile, Bridget dies in London. To hide her affection for Tom, Sophia pays more attention to Blifil when they are together, leading Sophia’s aunt, Mrs. Western, to believe Sophia and Blifil are in love. Squire Western wants Sophia to marry Blifil to gain property from the Allworthy estate. Blifil lies to Allworthy, claiming Tom celebrated his near-death on the day Allworthy was ill, leading to Tom’s banishment.

Tom’s banishment seems to force Sophia to marry Blifil, whom she dislikes, so she flees. Expelled from Allworthy’s estate, Tom travels across Britain and eventually reaches London. Along the way, he meets Partridge, a barber banished for being thought to be Tom’s father. Partridge becomes Tom’s loyal companion, hoping to restore his reputation. During their journey, they stay at an inn where Tom meets Mrs. Waters, a woman he rescued. A man mistakenly enters their room, thinking Mrs. Waters is someone else. Later, Sophia and her maid arrive at the same inn, and Partridge accidentally reveals Tom’s relationship with Mrs. Waters. Sophia leaves with her cousin, Mrs. Fitzpatrick, and heads to London. They meet Lady Bellaston, who seduces Tom, causing more pain for Sophia. Tom reiterates his love for Sophia and fights Mr. Fitzpatrick, leading to his brief imprisonment. Blifil hires thugs to force Tom into a life at sea, but Tom avoids this fate.

Eventually, the secret of Tom’s birth is revealed after a scare involving Mrs. Waters. Mrs. Waters is actually Jenny Jones, Tom’s supposed mother, and Tom fears he committed incest. However, this is not true, as Tom’s mother was Bridget, who had a child with a young man who died around Tom’s birth. Tom is thus Squire Allworthy’s nephew. After learning of Blifil’s villainy, Allworthy disowns Blifil and gives most of his inheritance to Tom. With Tom’s true parentage revealed, he and Sophia marry, as Squire Western no longer opposes their union. Sophia and Tom have a son and a daughter, and the couple lives happily with the blessings of Squire Western and Squire Allworthy.

Style

The narrator in Tom Jones is a key part of the story. Each book starts with a chapter at the beginning that speaks directly to the reader, and the narrator gives ongoing thoughts about the characters and events. Wayne C. Booth says the connection between the reader and the narrator is similar to a subplot in a story. As the book progresses, the reader grows more connected to the narrator, ending with a sincere goodbye.

Henry Fielding shows a wide picture of life in 18th-century Britain, including characters from many different social classes and jobs. For example, Lady Bellaston is thought to be based on a real person named Etheldreda Townshend. However, Ian Watt writes in The Rise of the Novel that Fielding did not focus on showing lifelike details or deep psychological descriptions, as authors like Richardson did. Instead, Watt argues that Fielding aimed to explore many topics with intelligence and offer thoughtful judgments about life.

Themes

The main idea of the novel is the difference between Tom Jones's kind but imperfect nature, which is fixed by his love for the virtuous Sophia Western, and his half-brother Blifil's dishonest behavior. Other important ideas include examples of good behavior (like that of Squire Allworthy), dishonesty (such as that of Thwackum), and bad actions (like those of Mrs. Western and Ensign Northerton). Some characters show regret for their actions, such as Square and Mrs. Waters née Jones.

The first chapters of each book and comments throughout the story introduce many more themes. These chapters often talk about poor writers and critics, which are not connected to the story but explain the author's intentions. The author also strongly disagrees with Methodism, calling it extreme and wrong, and incorrectly links it to dishonest people like the younger Blifil.

The story happens during the Jacobite rising of 1745, a rebellion that tried to bring back Roman Catholicism as England's official religion and undo the Glorious Revolution. At one point, Sophia Western is mistaken for Jenny Cameron, who was believed to be the lover of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Characters with kind hearts are usually loyal to the government or the House of Hanover, while those with bad intentions (like Mrs. Western) or mistakes (like Partridge) may support the Jacobites or oppose the House of Hanover, such as Squire Western.

List of characters

• Master Thomas "Tom" Jones, an illegitimate child and the ward of Squire Allworthy
• Miss Sophia "Sophy" Western, the only daughter of Squire Western, known for her goodness, beauty, and strong moral character. It is believed that Sophia was inspired by Charlotte Cradock, Henry Fielding's wife
• Master William Blifil, the son of Captain Blifil and Bridget; a dishonest person and a rival to Tom Jones
• Squire Allworthy, a wealthy landowner in Somerset who is Tom's guardian and known for his good character and kindness
• Squire Western, a wealthy landowner and hunter who owns land near Squire Allworthy's estate; a simple-minded man who wants to marry his daughter Sophia to Allworthy's heir (first Blifil and then Jones)
• Miss Bridget Allworthy (later Mrs. Blifil), the sister of Squire Allworthy
• Lady Bellaston, Tom's lover and a prominent member of London society who attempts to force Sophia into marriage with a lord by having her attacked by him, so she can be with Jones
• Mrs. Honour Blackmore, Sophia's maid; a self-centered person who is not loyal to her employer
• Dr. Blifil, the brother of Captain Blifil; dies from sadness after his brother rejects him
• Captain John Blifil, an army officer and husband of Bridget Allworthy; has beliefs similar to those of Methodists
• Lawyer Dowling, a legal professional
• Lord Fellamar, a member of the nobility and a social figure who fails to work with Lady Bellaston to attack Sophia and force her into marriage
• Brian Fitzpatrick, an Irishman who mistreats his wife, Harriet Fitzpatrick
• Harriet Fitzpatrick, a former ward of Squire Western and wife of Brian Fitzpatrick; a cousin and friend of Sophia, but not as virtuous as she
• Miss Jenny Jones (later Mrs. Waters), a servant in the Partridges' household; a highly intelligent woman believed to be Tom's mother
• Mrs. Miller, the mother of Nancy and Betty Miller
• Miss Betty Miller, a young girl and daughter of Mrs. Miller
• Miss Nancy Miller (later Nightingale), a kind-hearted girl who is taken advantage of by Mr. Nightingale, leading to harm for her and her family due to her lack of moral strength
• Mr. Nightingale, a young man who spends his time leisurely; saved from harming his first love by Tom Jones's efforts
• Mr. Benjamin "Little Benjamin" Partridge, a teacher, barber, and doctor; suspected to be Tom Jones's father
• Mrs. Partridge, Partridge's first wife, known for her unpleasant personality
• Mr. George "Black George" Seagrim, a gamekeeper for Squire Allworthy and later Squire Western; a poor man who receives help from Tom
• Miss Molly "Moll" Seagrim, Black George's second daughter and Tom Jones's first romantic interest; has an illegitimate child, possibly not Tom's
• Mr. Thomas Square, a philosopher and tutor for Tom and Master Blifil; a dishonest person who dislikes Tom and supports Blifil, but later regrets his actions
• The Rev. Mr. Roger Thwackum, a tutor for Tom and Master Blifil; a dishonest person who dislikes Tom, supports Blifil, and plots with him against Tom
• Miss Western, the unmarried sister of Squire Western, who incorrectly believes she understands both international and national politics and social customs
• Mrs. Deborah Wilkins, a servant to Bridget

Adaptations and influences

• In 1765, the story of Tom Jones was turned into an opera by François-André Philidor. This opera was not successful at first, but a revised version in 1766 helped it gain popularity again.
• In 1907, Edward German wrote a comic opera called Tom Jones. Hayden Coffin played the main character in this opera.
• The book Tom Jones was adapted into a 1963 film. John Osborne wrote the film, Tony Richardson directed it, and Albert Finney played Tom. The film was well-received and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
• In 1964, a musical version of Tom Jones was recorded by Theatre Productions Records. Clive Revill narrated the story, Bob Roman played Tom, and Karen Morrow played Mrs. Waters. Bob Roberts composed the music, Ruth Batchelor wrote the lyrics, and Peter Matz arranged and conducted the music.
• In 1966, Joan Macalpine wrote a stage adaptation of the story.
• In 1975, Stephen Oliver created an opera based on the book.
• A 1976 film called The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones featured Trevor Howard as Squire Western and Terry-Thomas as Mr. Square.
• In 1985, Bob Coleman wrote The Later Adventures of Tom Jones, a sequel to Henry Fielding’s original story. Set in 1774, it follows Tom Jones as he becomes involved in events connected to the American Revolutionary War.
• In 1997, the BBC produced a television adaptation of Tom Jones. Simon Burke adapted the story, and Max Beesley played Tom.
• In 2014, Jon Jory adapted the novel for the stage.
• In 2020, it was announced that Tom Jones would be adapted into a jukebox musical called What's New Pussycat?. This musical would use songs by the singer Tom Jones and set the story in the 1960s.
• In 2023, a TV miniseries based on the book aired on PBS and ITVX. It was produced by Masterpiece and ITV and starred Solly McLeod, Hannah Waddingham, and Sophie Wilde. The series received mixed reviews.