Tom Jones读后感英文版

2010级英贸三班王香伊20101115040040（17）The History of Tom Jones, a FoundlingSome weeks ago, I studied the famous English novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling at my English Literature class. Since I was moved by the leading character Tom‟s kindness and admire the author‟s excellent writing skill, I did more research about this great book after class.The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, often known simply as Tom Jones, is a comic novel by the English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. The novel is both a Bildungsroman and Picaresque novel. Tom Jones is among the earliest English prose works describable as a novel.The novel is divided into 18 smaller books, each preceded by a discursive chapter, often on topics totally unrelated to the book itself.Tom Jones is a foundling discovered on the property of a very kind, wealthy landowner, Squire Allworthy, in Somerset in England's West Country. Tom grows with Master Blifil , who was the son of Allworthy's sister, and Sophia Western , his neighbor‟s daughter . Year after year, Tom became a vigorous and lusty, yet honest and kind-hearted youth and develops affection for Sophia Western. Blifil is a selfish and hypocritical person; he wants Allworthy's property, so he pretends to be modest and humble. All people like the …good‟Blifil but hate the …bad‟ Tom, except Sophia. Sophia Western is a beautiful girl, she is kind and soft, her father loves her very much. Sophia believes Tom is kind and honest and she loves him. But she dislikes the hypocritical Blifil.Blifil wants Sophia‟s property, so he says many things bad about Tom. Finally, Tom has to leave family. After Tom‟s leaving, Sophia was forced tomarry Blifil. She refuses and leaves her family to find Tom. Tom lives a hard life after leaving home, he had affair with a prostitute and Sophia happened to know it. Sophia is so angry; she leaves Tom a letter and goes to London. Tom feels so regret, he decides to look fo r Sophia. Sophia lives in Lady Bellaston‟s home. Bellaston is a leading figure in London society, she takes Tom as a good lover, so she prevent Tom to see Sophia and tries to force Sophia into marriage to a Lord by having her raped by him. After a period time with Bellaston, Tom finally gets rid of her. But Tom‟s bad luck doesn‟t end, Blifil and Bellaston work together to get Tom into prison, they want him to die. Maybe just like the old Chinese saying …good guy deserves good ending‟, just before the final declaration, Tom is proved to be a good person, he is the son of Allworthy's sister. Every one finds out what kind of person Blifil is. Tom, now fully kitted-out as a young gentleman of wealth, then accompanies his uncle to Mr. Western's house. Sophia is also decked out in all her finery and the two are left alone by the uncle and father and are eventually reconciled when Tom kisses her on her dear lips. Western once more bursts into the room, and Sophia says she will be obedient to her father by agreeing to marry Tom. The pair are privately married the next day in the chapel at Doctors' Commons but a joint wedding feast is held afterwards at Mrs. Miller's house with Nightingale and his bride, Nancy (who have been reconciled with old Mr. Nightingale through the mediation of Mr. Allworthy).So, the story reaches its conclusion.The narrator informs his reader of the fate of his characters. Allworthy refused to see Blifil; but he settled an annual income of £200 on his nephew. The latter moved to one of the northern counties, hoping to purchase a seat in the next parliament and turning Methodist in the hope of ensnaring a rich wife. Mrs. Fitzpatrick divorces her husband and maintains a close friendship with the Irish peer who aided her escape from Ireland. Mr. Nightingale and his wife purchase an estate in the neighborhood of Jones. Mrs. Waters receives a £60 annual pension from Allworth and marry Western's Parson Supple. Partridge sets up a school and a marriage to Molly Seagrim is on the cards. Mr. Western moved out of his country seat into a smaller house, liking to playwith his granddaughter and grandson, while Tom and Sophia love Mr. Allworth as a father. And, as for Tom: "Whatever in the nature of Jones had a tendency to vice, has been corrected by continual conversation with this good man, and by his union with the lovely and virtuous Sophia. He hath also, by reflection on his past follies, acquired a discretion and prudence very uncommon in one of his lively parts."The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling is a social-life which contains everything of 18th century‟s English life. Henry Fielding drew us a vivid picture of English real life: the every life on English farms, countryside, cities, hotels, markets, courts, prisons, variety stores and the up class. The book describes so many special characters, from the eminent bourgeoisies to the thieves and hoodlums. The theme of this book is the fight between kindness and evilness. Tom, Sophia and Allworthy symbolize kindness and virtue, while Blifil and Bellaston symbolize evilness. In this book, Fielding exposes the English bourgeoisies‟ decay and hypocrite through Tom and Sophia‟s fighting for marriage and happiness. The love between Tom and Sophia reflects the romantic comedy genre that was popular in 18th-century Britain. However, Tom's status as a bastard causes Sophia's father and Allworthy to oppose their love; this criticism of class friction in society acted as a biting social commentary. The inclusion of prostitution and sexual promiscuity in the plot was also original for its time, and the foundation for criticism of the book's "lowness.” The main theme of the novel is the contrast between Tom Jones‟good nature, flawed but eventually corrected by his love for virtuous Sophia Western, and his half-brother Blifil‟s hypocrisy. Secondary themes include several other examples of virtue (especially that of Squire Allworthy), hypocrisy (especially that of Thwackum) and just villainy (for example Mrs. Western, ensign Northerton), sometimes tempered by repentance (for instance Square, Mrs. Waters née Jones).Both introductory chapters to each book and interspersed commentary introduce further themes. For instance, introductory chapters dwell extensively on bad writers and critics, quite unrelated to the plot but apologetic to the author and the novel itself; and authorial commentary on several charactersshow strong opposition to Methodism, calling it fanatical, heretical, and implying association of hypocrites, such as the younger Blifil, with it.The book also shows the feminism. Tom is a handsome young, he is frank and open, kind, disinterested, and, though quick-tempered, devoid of malice. His outstanding qual ity is …good nature‟ and …goodness of heart‟. He gets involved in several fleeting love affairs. But his lightness gives way to serious love when he meets Sophia, the daughter of a neighboring Squire Western. Young Blifil, contrary to Tom, is shy and faith less. Having an eye to his uncle‟s money, he blackens Tom in Mr. Allworthy‟s eyes. Deceiving by Blifil‟s backbiting, Mr. Allworthy banishes Tom from his home. Sophia‟s father, Squire Western, infuriated upon learning of his daughter‟s attachment to the fou nding, threatens to marry her off by force to the rich heir, young Blifil. Then Sophia flees to the capital fearing the very idea of marriage to hateful Blifil. When her father forces Sophia to marry the man who does not like or like her, she ran away lonely in the dead of night and went to a completely strange city—London. Here manifested feminism to defend own dignity, blind made the filial sacrificial victim in no way, also was not self-deprecatory, the grievance sought perfection viewpoint. Simultaneously also manifested feminists dare to revolt, break traditional though. On the other hand, Sophia first tells in love with Tom without saying it. But when she discovers that he is desperately in love with her, it takes some courage to love a man whom everyone around her speaks ill of. Here manifested feminism to dare to persue own love and happy viewpoint.Jane Eyre also shows this feminism. Jane Eyre is an orphan being raised by Mrs. Reed, her cruel, rich aunt; she spends more years at Lowood, six as a student, and two as a teacher. After teaching for two years, Jane wants to get new experiences. She then accepts a family tutor job at a big house called Thornfield. There she teachers a lively French girl named Adele. Jane‟s employer is an impassion man name s Rochester. Jane find herself fall in love with him, she becomes depress when she see Rochester bring home a beautiful but bad woman. She believes that Rochester willpropose to the woman, but to her surprise, Rochester proposes to Jane, and she agrees. The wedding day arrives. When Jane and Rochester prepare to exchange their rings, a man comes and cried out that Rochester already has a wife. Rochester is very surprised, but he does not deny the man‟s claim. He explains that he does marry a woman named Bertha when he is young, but Bertha has gone mad. Knowing that it is impossible for her to stay with Rochester, Jane escaped from Thornfield. Jane Eyre, in the aunt family who resides temporarily, has conflict with her overbearing cruel cousin, though she is thin and small, Jane dare to wrestle with her cousin, and angrily rebukes him: “Your this boy really is virulent and also brutal, you look like Rome emperor. ” Here manifested feminism‟s self-respect and independent, and rebellion viewpoint. After Jane found she has fallen in love with the master deeply in the status so disparate situation, she dare to love, because she believed human spiritual is equal.A poor teacher with great courage falls in love with a high character, in the rank deep strict social concept, it is just as beggar hope to be a king, therefore this itself is to challenge to social and prejudice. Here manifested feminism pursue spirit freed and equal viewpoint. Jane‟s emotion to Rochester is unusual sincerity and single-minded, this mainly displays in her to Rochester rigid and in the intense love. When John Eyre proposes to her, wants her to take him assistant and goes together in India for missionary work, although Jane thought “He is a good person”, but has refused his proposing. Because looked like in Jane Eyre, he loves is not herself, he loves is God. More importantly, regardless of how he treats her, in her heart what she loves is still Rochester, because a pastor to her love is incomplete. But when Jane knew Rochester had the insane legitimate wife, she also rejected his love, she was not willing to cultivate the behavior the lover, what she wanted is a true significance complete love. Here has manifested feminism pursue true sense and complete love view.Among all the characters, I like Sophia most. Sophia Western, the heroine of the story, is the “Somersetshire angle” she is her father‟s “little darling”, and she returns all his affection with angelic tenderness. To her, “her father‟s word was a law” in almost everything. On one point, however, she stands out against himinflexibly—nothing can induce her to marry a man whom she dislikes. She steadfastly defends the principle of the right of children to resist the tyrannical compulsion of a parent, so far as their life—happiness is concerned. At any cost she is resolved to indicate it. Instead of consenting to an unwilling marriage, she leaves her father‟s house in the dead of night, and to hide herself in London, a city entirely unknown for her. We can not but admire the tender but courage character of this young girl, who, without any hysterical fuss, but with firm determination, insists on her right to choose her own mate, and finally, realize her own happiness. Her character and behavior were rather advanced for her time, when the compulsory marriage was universally prevailing. In her relation with her lover Tom, she is also admirable. She first tells in love with Tom without saying it. But when she discovers that he is desperately in love with her, she does not disguise the tenderness she feels for him. It takes some courage to love a man whom everyone around her speaks ill of. Moreover, she is not ignorant of Tom‟s faults, but she knows the good qualities of her lover, and does not expect perfection. However, she can not pardon his relation with lady Bellaston. Only at the very last, when she is thoroughly convinced of Tom‟s repentance, and feels quite sure that she can rely on his faithfulness in the future, does she consent, in a delightful manner, to give him her hand.The novel takes place against the historical backdrop of the Forty-Five. Characters take different sides in the rebellion, which was an attempt to restore Roman Catholicism as the established religion of England and to undo the Glorious revolution. At one point Sophia Western is even mistaken for Jenny Cameron, the supposed lover of Bonnie Prince Charles. Good-natured characters are often modestly loyalist and Anglican, even Hanoverian, while ill-natured characters (Mrs. Western) or only mistaken ones (Partridge) can be Jacobites or (like Squire Western) just anti-Hanoveria Tom Jones (bastard/ward of Squire Allworthy, eventually revealed his nephew and the son of a long-de ceased parson‟s son.After read this book, I realize that how important the good qualities are. Whatever we meet, we should insist on our goodness, we should not forget what kind of people we deserve to be. When we meet difficulties, we should teach Tom, to face them and dissolve them with courage; when we meet love, we should learn Sophia, pursue the love and do not influenced by other people.。