Marriage Issues in Tom Jones Essay - 923 Words

Marriage Issues in Tom Jones Throughout Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, there are many examples of marriage. There is Squire Westerns marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Fitzpatricks marriage, the mentions of Allworthys wife, the marriage of Nightengale and Nancy, and the marriage of Nightengales cousin and the clergyman, and finally the marriage of Tom and Sophia. Some of these marriages end with a happy ending and some do not and we, the reader, are supposed to look at these marriages and see why they went wrong or why they are good. Through all these examples of marriage, Fielding is urging us to question the current institution of marriage and what it is based on. Fortune is a big issue in the book, especially when†¦show more content†¦Fielding wants us to question these things, like why should two people who have no feeling for each other be married just to better their estates? And why should one partner in the marriage have no voice? An important issue that Fielding raises is the issue of gender equality in a marriage. In most of the marriages presented in this book, we see that the man has control of the money as well as all other aspects of life. We also see in Mr. Allworthys (who is supposed to be one of the most virtuous and kind characters in the book) speech on pages 574-575 how he thinks a good wife is supposed to act. Mr. Allworthy says, [Sophia] always shewed the highest Deference to the Understandings of Men; a Quality absolutely essential to the making a good Wife(575). I think that Fielding instills this belief in Allworthys character to show the reader that even though this man is the perfect man, he still has this backward way of thinking. And we see throughout the book numerous accounts of miserable marriages between unequal partners. Through the characters of Nightengale, Nancy, cousin Nightengale and the clergyman, we are warned of what will happen when we press our child too much to bend to our will. Fielding also wants the reader to see that maybe with this new generation of children comes a new way of thought. These characters marry because of love. He wants theShow MoreRelatedEssay on A Pro-Gay Marriage Argument836 Words   |  4 Pagesdropping economy, marriage is no longer a priority to some. Still to others, overlooking the fact that many no longer see marriage as crucial, they are determined to save what they consider constitutes the model for marriage. For years, marriage opportunities for homosexuals has been an ongoing debate, and it still continues today. Many critics of the ordeal pose the argument that the allowance of same-sex unions would single-handedly demolish the already fragile structure of marriage (Head). 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