Enlightenment

Henry Fielding: The History of Tom Jones (1749)

Fielding’s greatest work, Tom Jones (1749), tells the story of how a foundling came into a fortune. Like Richardson, Fielding allows the power of the individual to be more or less than his or her class, but he also emphasizes the impact of pressures from wider society. In Tom’s attempts to marry above his class Fielding shows how family and village can complicate and expedite the path to success.

Fielding (Henry), The History of Tom Jones. 4vols. 12mo. London, 1749.
[R.21.9-12]
Former owner: David Hughes (1727-77)