Henry Fielding (1707-1754).ppt

Henry Fielding （1707-1754） Teaching objectives: knowing Henry Fielding’s life, works and contributions Teaching contents: 1. Introduction: his life 2. Main Literary works 3. Tom Jones 4. Features of Fielding’s novels 1. Introduction: his life Fielding was born on 22 April 1707 and was educated at Eton College. After a romantic episode with a young woman that ended in his getting into trouble with the law, he went to London where his literary career began. In 1728, he travelled to Leiden to study classics and law at the University. However, due to lack of money he was obliged to return to London and he began writing for the theatre, some of his work being savagely critical of the contemporary government under Sir Robert Walpole. Almost by accident, in anger at the success of Richardsons Pamela, Fielding took to writing novels in 1741 and his first major success was Shamela. He followed this up with Joseph Andrews (1742). In 1743, he published The History of the Life of the Late Mr. Jonathan Wild the Great. His greatest work Tom Jones was published in 1749. Eton College Joined by his younger half-brother John, he helped found what some have called Londons first police force, the Bow Street Runners in 1749. Fieldings ardent commitment to the cause of justice as a great humanitarian in the 1750s, coincided with a rapid deterioration in his health to such an extent that he went abroad to Portugal in 1754 in search of a cure. He died in Lisbon two months later on 8 October 1754 and his tomb in the city English Cemetery may be visited, which also has the St. Georges Church (Anglican church for Lisbon) inside the cemetery. Entrance to English Cemetery - Lisbon. Henry Fielding gravesite which contains Anglican church of St. George nearby in the cemetery. St George church is the Anglican church for Lisbon. Fielding gravesite is about 150 feet away. …a man of extraordinary vitality and capacity. Today Fielding is chiefly known for his four great novels: Joseph Andrews (17