The History Of Tom Jones Analysis

Fielding himself suggests that his book, The History of Tom Jones, is the product of a new province of writing. The novel employs techniques stereotypical of various different genres, including romance, philosophy, and history. The multiple and overlaying genres fit in with an underlying theme whereby Fielding urges to the reader to vigorously question even the most basic of truths. When reading Tom Jones, the words of Voltaire came to mind: “Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” () It is in the way Fielding asks his questions, however, by which he should be judged. Fielding employs self-deprecation, satire, and suggestive narrative order in order to demonstrate to the reader the truths which may not be known by book alone. …show more content…
In what appears counter-intuitive, he suggests that learning is an inefficient means by which to gain knowledge. “There is another Sort of Knowledge beyond the Power of Learning...and this is to be had by Conversation.” (431) He goes on to suggest “that none are more ignorant of them than those learned Pedants, whose Lives have been entirely consumed in Colleges, and among Books.” (431) In this paragraph, Fielding fundamentally changes what might have been considered a conventional definition for the word knowledge. If a college student were to learn calculus, one might suggest that the student gained knowledge. Fielding rejects this claim, stating that the student only learned about a knowledge which was artificially invented. He defines knowledge in a very different way, claiming that conversation helps to understand “the Characters of Men” (431), adding: “For however exquisitely human Nature may have been described by Writers, the true practical System can be learnt only in the World.” In other words, learning about mathematics gives way to knowledge about mathematics; but of the most important knowledge, is the knowledge of human nature—which may be gained by learning about humans from humans. Fielding admits in the next line, that knowledge of human nature might be learned by books, but he questions its authenticity using metaphors of various professions: “Neither Physic, nor Law, are to be practically known from Books. Nay, the Farmer, the Planter, the Gardener, must perfect by Experience what he hath acquired the Rudiments of by Reading.” No matter how many books are read about a plant, the reader will never gain an understanding as accurate as having actually seen a plant. Likewise, no matter how many books are read on the subject of men, a reader will never gain as much of an understanding as they would in reality. This demonstrates to