Write in short about the characterization by Fielding
Ans.
There is little to say about Fielding’s characterization. Basically, the characters in a comic novel are static rather than dynamic. The major characters in the novel do not change and this dictated largely by the demands of the comic novel. They are enveloped in events without being involved by them, and this is largely the source of the fun in the novel. For example, Squire Allworthy is vital to the character to evolve the plot of the novel. He is the same character from the beginning to the end. Like Square Allworthy. Squire Western is an important character of this novel, and he is the same character all along. He is always a specimen of the ignorant, hard-hearted Tory landlord. Fielding has an abiding and sincere affection for him.
He is the eternal boy who hates whom he does not like but forgives and forgets others faults and follies very easily Mrs. Western is the parody of the amateur politician. She is wise and farsighted about the affairs of the nation, but blind and unheeding to the needs of her own sex. Partridge is a foolish Jacobite, although he is a highly comical character. Square and Thwackum deserve a little more notice. In their characterizations, they help to clarify Fielding’s intellectual and moral position. Square stands for abstract ethics, while Thwackum represents an unenlightened and slavish devotion to authority and reliance on the doctrine of salvation by faith. Thwackum is cruel and selfish, but he honestly believes that he is a true Christian. His precepts furnish fragmental support of Blifils sordid self-interest. Through these two characters, Fielding leads the readers to believe that good nature is indispensable in a man if he is to lead a truly happy life.
Fielding is the creator of a multitude of diverse figures in Tom Jones. Most of his characters are from the lower and middle classes. Many of them are homely and pedestrian. Characters of Tom Jones are basically embodied with human nature. Fielding’s characters are angelic nor devilish. They are compounded of both good and bad elements as human beings naturally happen to be. Fielding attributes flesh and blood vitality to his characters by distinguishing them from one another. He never forgets to give realistic details to his characters. With few exceptions, most of Fielding’s characters are based on men and women from real life.
He shows the contrast of characters with each other. Fielding is always aware to make the connection between the plot and characters. We see the avoidance of caricature in the novel Tom Jones by the author at the time of creating a character. In short, Fielding’s characters are typical Englishmen and women of the eighteenth century. They are not only English but also they are embodiments of the basic elements in human nature all through the ages.
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