汤姆琼斯的矛盾.docx

汤姆琼斯的矛盾.docx

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汤姆琼斯的矛盾

TOMJONES——AMANOFCONTRASTS

By

XX,X

AThesis

SubmittedtotheDepartmentofForeignLanguages

inpartialfulfillmentoftherequirements

forthedegreeof

BachelorofArtsintheEnglishLanguageandLiterature

Supervisor:

X,XX

OxbridgeCollege

KunmingUniversityofScienceandTechnology

June,2013

Contents

Acknowledgements……………………………………………..………............…….......i

Abstract…………………………………………………………………............................ii

摘要………………....……………………………..……………………….....…..............iii

1.Introduction...…….………………………..………...………...…………….................1

2.LiteratureReview.............................................................................................................4

3.SocialBackground...........................................................................................................6

4.Tom’sContradictoryPersonality......................................................................................7

4.1DishonestbutKind-Hearted.......................................................................................8

4.2UprightbutIrrational..................................................................................................9

5.Tom’sAttitudestowardLove.........................................................................................10

5.1LoyaltytoLove.......................................................................................................11

5.2BetrayalofLove.......................................................................................................12

6.Tom’sContradictoryIdentity..........................................................................................14

7.Conclusion......................................................................................................................16

References……..................................................................................................................18

Acknowledgements

Iwouldliketoexpressmygratitudetoallthosewhohelpedmeduringthewritingofthisthesis.Igratefullyacknowledgethehelpofmysupervisor,Mr.XXxwhohasofferedmevaluablesuggestionsintheacademicstudies.Inthepreparationofthethesis,hehasspentmuchtimereadingthrougheachdraftandprovidedmewithinspiringadvice.Withouthispatientinstruction,insightfulcriticismandexpertguidance,thecompletionofthisthesiswouldnothavebeenpossible.

IalsooweaspecialdebtofgratitudetoalltheprofessorsinDepartmentofForeignLanguage,fromwhosedevotedteachingandenlighteninglecturesIhavebenefitedalotandacademicallypreparedforthethesis.

Ialsoowemysinceregratitudetomyfriendsandmyfellowclassmateswhogavemetheirhelpandtimeinlisteningtomeandhelpingmeworkoutmyproblemsduringthedifficultcourseofthethesis.

Abstract

AsthefounderofEnglishrealisticliterature,HenryFieldingnotonlygivesusapanoramicviewofEnglishlifeinthe18thcentury,butalsopicturesthemostoutstandingcharacterTomJonesinhismasterpiece.FromHenryFielding’sacknowledgementstoGeorgeLyttleton,ESQ,hestatesthatoneofhispurposetowritethenovelis“displayingthatbeautyofvirtuewhichmayattracttheadmirationofmankind.”

HenryFieldingobjectstothebloodlessherowithnofaultsinchivalryromance.So,TomJonesisacontradictorymixtureofrationandperception.ToexplainmorefullythecontrastsofTomJones,thisarticleundertakesadialecticaldiscussionofhisqualities.ThroughananalysisofthecharacterofTomJones,thispaperaimsatdealingwiththecontrastsintermsofhispersonality,loveandidentity.

KeyWords:

HenryFielding;TomJones;Contrasts;Personality;Love;Identity

摘要

作为英国现实主义小说的创始人亨利•菲尔丁不仅向我们全景展示了英国十八世纪的社会生活也在他的巨著《汤姆琼斯》中描绘了汤姆•琼斯这样一位杰出的人物。

在他写给乔治•利特尔顿先生的“献词”中作者声言写作此书的其中一个意图是“展示道德所具有的朴实的美以促使人们向往它。

”

菲尔丁反对骑士传奇里那种十全十美没有血肉的“英雄”。

因此他笔下的汤姆•琼斯是一个充满理性与感性的矛盾混合体。

为了更加详尽地阐述汤姆•琼斯身上所具有的矛盾性这篇论文将会对他个人品质的好与坏展开辩证地讨论。

通过对汤姆琼斯人性的分析本课题旨在从他的性格,他的爱情观以及他社会身份所反映的矛盾展开研究。

关键词：

亨利•菲尔丁；汤姆•琼斯；矛盾；性格；爱情；身份

TOMJONES——AMANOFCONTRASTS

1.Introduction

HenryFielding,thegreatestnovelistanddramatistoftheeighteenthcentury,andoneofthegreatestthatEnglandeverproduced,wasbornonthe22ndofApril1707inthefamilyofGeneralFielding.Hewaswelleducated,havingspentseveralyearsatthefamousEtonschool,andtakenadegreeinlettersattheUniversityofLeydenin1728.Moreover,hehadadeeperknowledgeoflife,gainedfromhisownvariedandsometimesriotousexperience.HenryFieldingisdirect,vigorous,hilarious,andcoarsetothepointofvulgarity.Heisfullofanimalspirits,andhetellsthestoryofvagabondlife,notforthemoralizing,orforemphasizingaforcedrepentance,butsimplybecauseitinterestshimandhisonlyconcernis“tolaughmenoutoftheirfollies”.Sohisstory,throughitaboundsinunpleasantincidents,generallyleavesthereaderwithstrongimpressionofreality.In1742,HenryFieldingpublishedhisfirstnovel,JosephAndrews.HislaternovelsareJanathanWild,thestoryofarogue,whichsuggestsDefoe’snarrative;TheHistoryofTomJones,aFoundling,andhisbestnovel:

Amelia（1751）,thestoryofgoodwifeincontrastwithanunworthyhusband.Inhisworks,FieldingstronglycriticizessocialrelationsinthecontemporaryEngland.Heusednaturalscenestoexpresshismeditationandfeelings.

TheHistoryofTomJones,aFoundling,oftenknownsimplyasTomJones,isacomicnovelbytheEnglishplaywrightandnovelistHenryFielding.ThenovelisbothaBildungsromanandPicaresquenovel.In1749,afterspendingmanyyearsoccupiedinvariousprofessions,duringwhichtimehesufferedsicknessandproblems,HenryFieldingfinallyfinishedhisgreatestnovelTheHistoryofTomJones,AFoundlingwhichintroducesustoahealthy,heartyfigure,whogoodasnearlybalancesevilasitdoesinreallife.Thenovel,totaling346,747words,isdividedinto18smallerbooks,eachprecededbyadiscursivechapter,oftenontopicstotallyunrelatedtothebookitself.AsoneofthepioneersofEnglishrealisticliterature,Fieldingportrayedthereallivesofmenwithoutdisguisinganythingatthattime.Heexposedthehypocrisyanddepravityoftheupperclass,andpicturedthepovertyandinnocenceofthelowerpeople.TomJonesisanewgenerationofcivilianclass.Thenovelreflectsthathumanbeingsareeagerlytosetfreefromtheindustrializationofmaterialism.Inthenovel,FieldingmockedtheBritishlawsystem,illustratedhowthebourgeoisiemanipulatelawsandhowajudgebendsthelawforpersonalgain.Inthenovel,thewritertoldastoryaboutajudgewhousesauthoritytoextortmoneyfromthepoor.Inordertogetasumofmoney,thejudgeengagesasecondlawsuit.Thisisawaytheyoftenusetoenrichthemselves.Fieldingrevealedthecorruptionofjudicialorgansnakedly.Hedenouncedthecorruptionofthejudgefuriously.Fieldinghasalwaysbeenstandinginthepositionoftheworkingpeople.Onthecontrary,TomJonesisprogressiveinpolitics.“Joneshadsomehistoricingredientsinhiscomposition,andwasaheartywell-wishertothegloriouscauseoflibertyandoftheProtestantreligion.”（Fielding,1967,p.251）So,itisnowonderthatthecircumstanceshouldoccurtohimtoserveasavolunteerinthisexpedition.IndepictingTom,Fielding’spurposewasobviouslytoemphasizethecontrastbetweenagood-heartedyoungmanandothers.Thenovelfullyexhibitsthesociallandscape,thelifestyleofpeoplelivinginurbanandruralplace.

TomJones,theheroofHenryFielding'sgreatworkshowsustruehumanitywhichweadmirefor.Onthecontrary,hisdemeritsarerevealedinthenovelaswell.Justbecausethecontradictionsofthefigurereflectedinthenovel,TomJonesreceivespraiseandalsocriticismfromallwalksoflifehomeandabroadcontinuously.HenryFieldingsaid:

“Though,aswehavegoodauthorityforallourcharacters,nolessthanthevastauthenticdoomsday-bookofnature,”（Fielding,1967,p.338）ThatistosaythatHenryFieldingisunwillingtodescribeTomJonesassuperhero.HenryFieldingwriteshishumannaturefromhispersonality,hisattitudestowardsloveandidentity.

ThispaperfocusesoncontrastingaspectsofTomJones,andtriestomakepeopleanalyzethequalityofindividualsdialectically.Thethesisconsistsofsixparts.PartoneisabriefintroductionofHenryFieldingandhisnovelTheHistoryofTomJones,AFoundling.Wecouldhaveabetterunderstandingofthewriterandthenovelthroughtheintroduction.Thesecondpartwillgivealiteraturereviewtodealwiththesubjectconvincingly.Thethirdpartgivesasocialbackgroundabouttheprejudiceofillegitimatechildrenduringthattime.PartfouranalyzesthemeritsanddemeritsofTomJones’personality.Forexample,Tomispublic-spiritedandkindhearted.Healwaysoffersothersahelpinghand.Partfiveisthekeypartwhichdiscusseshisattitudestowardlove.Thesixthpartanalyzeshiscontrastingidentity.TheheroofthenovelisanewgenerationofcivilianclassofEnglishsocietyin18thcentury.Wecouldrealizethatthesocialenvironmenthasastrongimpactonthewholehuman’smaritalstatusandresponsibility.

Takentogether,thepaperanalyzesthehero’scomplicatedhumanity.Andwewillfindhisthoughtsandbehaviorsarerealaslife,buthisartisticvitalityliesinthetruthofhumannature.Aftertheanalysis,thewriterdrawsacomprehensiveconclusionwhichcontainsthemajorfindingsofthestudyandthelimitationsoftheresearch.

2.LiteratureReview

ChineseandforeignscholarshavebeenresearchingTheHistoryofTomJones,aFoundlingforalong