Study Guide
Tom Jones Book 17, Chapter 4
By Henry Fielding
Advertisement - Guide continues below
Book 17, Chapter 4
An Extraordinary Scene Between Sophia and Her Aunt
- The narrator uses the (kind of creepy) image of a doe escaping from the forest into the world of man and getting hunted down and eaten, no matter how she tries to escape, to describe Sophia's current marital situation.
- (Again, we're just going to take a second to draw attention to the extreme ickiness of that comparison. Sophia on the marriage market = doe getting hunted to death. Marriage in the eighteenth century must really have been a treat.)
- So, as soon as Sophia thinks that she has escaped Mr. Blifil, this new guy (Lord Fellamar) becomes a serious threat.
- Mrs. Western informs Sophia that Lord Fellamar is coming by that afternoon.
- Mrs. Western thinks it's dishonoring her family name not to accept such a great match.
- Mrs. Western threatens that, if Sophia won't see Lord Fellamar this afternoon, than Mrs. Western will throw her back to Squire Western the next day.
- Sophia tells her aunt straight out that Lord Fellamar grabbed her and put his hand on her breast.
- It was only Squire Western's arrival that prevented him from assaulting her further.
- Mrs. Western can't believe that Lord Fellamar had any bad intentions.
- So Sophia tries another method to get Mrs. Western to leave her alone about this.
- She reminds Mrs. Western that she has always boasted that she had tons of suitors as a young woman, and she broke all their hearts.
- One of them even had a title.
- How can Mrs. Western ask Sophia to marry a man for his title when she herself refused to?
- Mrs. Western immediately starts talking about her own (probably made-up) charms when she was young.
- Sophia flatters her so much that Mrs. Western agrees that Sophia has the right to be distant to Lord Fellamar.
- Mrs. Western even stays in the room with Sophia and Lord Fellamar when he visits that afternoon.
- So things are looking up for Sophia.
Tom Jones Book 17, Chapter 4 Study Group
Ask questions, get answers, and discuss with others.
Tired of ads?
Join today and never see them again.
More on Tom Jones
Navigation
- Introduction
-
Summary
- Book 1, Chapter 1
- Book 1, Chapter 2
- Book 1, Chapter 3
- Book 1, Chapter 4
- Book 1, Chapter 5
- Book 1, Chapter 6
- Book 1, Chapter 7
- Book 1, Chapter 8
- Book 1, Chapter 9
- Book 1, Chapter 10
- Book 1, Chapter 11
- Book 1, Chapter 12
- Book 1, Chapter 13
- Book 2, Chapter 1
- Book 2, Chapter 2
- Book 2, Chapter 3
- Book 2, Chapter 4
- Book 2, Chapter 5
- Book 2, Chapter 6
- Book 2, Chapter 7
- Book 2, Chapter 8
- Book 2, Chapter 9
- Book 3, Chapter 1
- Book 3, Chapter 2
- Book 3, Chapter 3
- Book 3, Chapter 4
- Book 3, Chapter 5
- Book 3, Chapter 6
- Book 3, Chapter 7
- Book 3, Chapter 8
- Book 3, Chapter 9
- Book 3, Chapter 10
- Book 4, Chapter 1
- Book 4, Chapter 2
- Book 4, Chapter 3
- Book 4, Chapter 4
- Book 4, Chapter 5
- Book 4, Chapter 6
- Book 4, Chapter 7
- Book 4, Chapter 8
- Book 4, Chapter 9
- Book 4, Chapter 10
- Book 4, Chapter 11
- Book 4, Chapter 12
- Book 4, Chapter 13
- Book 4, Chapter 14
- Book 5, Chapter 1
- Book 5, Chapter 2
- Book 5, Chapter 3
- Book 5, Chapter 4
- Book 5, Chapter 5
- Book 5, Chapter 6
- Book 5, Chapter 7
- Book 5, Chapter 8
- Book 5, Chapter 9
- Book 5, Chapter 10
- Book 5, Chapter 11
- Book 5, Chapter 12
- Book 6, Chapter 1
- Book 6, Chapter 2
- Book 6, Chapter 3
- Book 6, Chapter 4
- Book 6, Chapter 5
- Book 6, Chapter 6
- Book 6, Chapter 7
- Book 6, Chapter 8
- Book 6, Chapter 9
- Book 6, Chapter 10
- Book 6, Chapter 11
- Book 6, Chapter 12
- Book 6, Chapter 13
- Book 6, Chapter 14
- Book 7, Chapter 1
- Book 7, Chapter 2
- Book 7, Chapter 3
- Book 7, Chapter 4
- Book 7, Chapter 5
- Book 7, Chapter 6
- Book 7, Chapter 7
- Book 7, Chapter 8
- Book 7, Chapter 9
- Book 7, Chapter 10
- Book 7, Chapter 11
- Book 7, Chapter 12
- Book 7, Chapter 13
- Book 7, Chapter 14
- Book 7, Chapter 15
- Book 8, Chapter 1
- Book 8, Chapter 2
- Book 8, Chapter 3
- Book 8, Chapter 4
- Book 8, Chapter 5
- Book 8, Chapter 6
- Book 8, Chapter 7
- Book 8, Chapter 8
- Book 8, Chapter 9
- Book 8, Chapter 10
- Book 8, Chapter 11
- Book 8, Chapter 12
- Book 8, Chapter 13
- Book 8, Chapter 14
- Book 8, Chapter 15
- Book 9, Chapter 1
- Book 9, Chapter 2
- Book 9, Chapter 3
- Book 9, Chapter 4
- Book 9, Chapter 5
- Book 9, Chapter 6
- Book 9, Chapter 7
- Book 10, Chapter 1
- Book 10, Chapter 2
- Book 10, Chapter 3
- Book 10, Chapter 4
- Book 10, Chapter 5
- Book 10, Chapter 6
- Book 10, Chapter 7
- Book 10, Chapter 8
- Book 10, Chapter 9
- Book 11, Chapter 1
- Book 11, Chapter 2
- Book 11, Chapter 3
- Book 11, Chapter 4
- Book 11, Chapter 5
- Book 11, Chapter 6
- Book 11, Chapter 7
- Book 11, Chapter 8
- Book 11, Chapter 9
- Book 11, Chapter 10
- Book 12, Chapter 1
- Book 12, Chapter 2
- Book 12, Chapter 3
- Book 12, Chapter 4
- Book 12, Chapter 5
- Book 12, Chapter 6
- Book 12, Chapter 7
- Book 12, Chapter 8
- Book 12, Chapter 9
- Book 12, Chapter 10
- Book 12, Chapter 11
- Book 12, Chapter 12
- Book 12, Chapter 13
- Book 12, Chapter 14
- Book 13, Chapter 1
- Book 13, Chapter 2
- Book 13, Chapter 3
- Book 13, Chapter 4
- Book 13, Chapter 5
- Book 13, Chapter 6
- Book 13, Chapter 7
- Book 13, Chapter 8
- Book 13, Chapter 9
- Book 13, Chapter 10
- Book 13, Chapter 11
- Book 13, Chapter 12
- Book 14, Chapter 1
- Book 14, Chapter 2
- Book 14, Chapter 3
- Book 14, Chapter 4
- Book 14, Chapter 5
- Book 14, Chapter 6
- Book 14, Chapter 7
- Book 14, Chapter 8
- Book 14, Chapter 9
- Book 14, Chapter 10
- Book 15, Chapter 1
- Book 15, Chapter 2
- Book 15, Chapter 3
- Book 15, Chapter 4
- Book 15, Chapter 5
- Book 15, Chapter 6
- Book 15, Chapter 7
- Book 15, Chapter 8
- Book 15, Chapter 9
- Book 15, Chapter 10
- Book 15, Chapter 11
- Book 15, Chapter 12
- Book 16, Chapter 1
- Book 16, Chapter 2
- Book 16, Chapter 3
- Book 16, Chapter 4
- Book 16, Chapter 5
- Book 16, Chapter 6
- Book 16, Chapter 7
- Book 16, Chapter 8
- Book 16, Chapter 9
- Book 16, Chapter 10
- Book 17, Chapter 1
- Book 17, Chapter 2
- Book 17, Chapter 3
- Book 17, Chapter 4
- Book 17, Chapter 5
- Book 17, Chapter 6
- Book 17, Chapter 7
- Book 17, Chapter 8
- Book 17, Chapter 9
- Book 18, Chapter 1
- Book 18, Chapter 2
- Book 18, Chapter 3
- Book 18, Chapter 4
- Book 18, Chapter 5
- Book 18, Chapter 6
- Book 18, Chapter 7
- Book 18, Chapter 8
- Book 18, Chapter 9
- Book 18, Chapter 10
- Book 18, Chapter 11
- Book 18, Chapter 12
- Book 18, Chapter 13
- Themes
-
Characters
- Tom Jones
- Squire Thomas Allworthy
- Bridget Allworthy
- The Narrator
- Deborah Wilkins
- Jenny Jones/Mrs. Waters
- Doctor Blifil
- Captain John Blifil
- Benjamin Partridge
- Mr. Blifil
- Mr. Thwackum
- Mr. Square
- Sophia Western
- Squire Western
- Mrs. Western
- Mr. Supple
- Lady Bellaston
- Lord Fellamar
- Harriet Fitzpatrick
- Molly Seagrim
- Honour Blackmore
- Black George, the Gamekeeper
- The Man of the Hill
- Brian Fitzpatrick
- The King of the Gypsies
- Mr. Nightingale
- Analysis
- Quotes
- Premium