La Narrativa de Henry Fielding y la Sociedad Inglesa del Siglo XVIII

La Narrativa de Henry Fielding y la Sociedad Inglesa del Siglo XVIII
de inculcar en Sophia la necesidad de ser prudente a la hora de casarse, y hacer
que el matrimonio sea su medio de hacer fortuna y prosperar. Para esta dama
el matrimonio es:
“a fund in which prudent women deposit their fortune ... in order to receive
a larger interest for them than they could have elsewhere.” (VIII, 3).
Esta visión del matrimonio como una inversión prudente es
precisamente lo que Fielding ridiculiza. Tom llegará a la misma conclusión
cuando también se dé cuenta de cuales son los sentimientos de Sophia y los
suyos propios, lo que le hará sentir un gran desasosiego:
“He was truly sensible of the great Worth of Sophia. He extremely liked
her Person, no less admired her Accomplishments, and tenderly loved her
Goodness. In reality, as he had never once entertained any Thought of possessing
her, nor had ever given the least voluntary Indulgence to his Inclinations, he had
much stronger Passion for her than he himself was acquainted with. His heart now
brought forth the full Secret, at the same Time that it assured him the adorable
Object returned his Affection.” (V, 2).
De esta manera, Fielding establece las bases de la relación entre Sophia y
Tom, y define la personalidad y el carácter de ambos. Tom reconoce
cualidades en Sophia que resultaban admirables en una mujer de clase alta del
siglo XVIII: belleza moral, espiritual y física, educación refinada y altruismo.
También se da cuenta de la diferencia entre sus sentimientos hacia Molly,
quien sólo le atraía físicamente, y lo que siente hacia Sophia. Por lo tanto, la
relación entre Tom y Sophia se basa en los valores que Allworthy propone.
Tom no puede evitar sus sentimientos hacia Sophia, pero también es
consciente de la imposibilidad de su relación, ya que Squire Western nunca
permitirá que su hija contraiga matrimonio con un hombre como él.
“Besides, if he [Tom] could hope no Bar to his Happiness from the
Daughter, he thought himself certain of meeting an effectual Bar in the father; who,
though he was a Country Squire in his Diversions, was perfectly a Man of the
World in whatever regarded his fortune; had the most Violent affection for his only
Daughter, and had often signified, in his Cups, the Pleasure he proposed in seeing
her married to one of the richest Men in the County. Jones was not so vain and
senseless a Coxcomb as to expect, from any Regard which Western had professed
for him, that he would ever be induced to lay aside these Views of advancing
Daughter. He well knew that Fortune is generally the principal, if not the sole
Consideration, which operates on the best of Parents in these Matters. …” (V,2)
Todas estas razones hacen comprender a Tom que su unión con Sophia
es imposible. Sus diferentes realidades desde el punto de vista social, así como
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