← The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling · Chapters

Chapters explained

Chapter companions for The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding.

Read with companionsBook page

Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.

  1. Chapter 1

    Dedication

    Fielding dedicates his work to the Honourable George Lyttleton, crediting him with inspiring and supporting the composition of the history. He defends the moral purpose of the book, asserting that it promotes virtue and innocence, and humorously acknowledges his patron's modesty about public praise.

  2. Chapter 2

    The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling

    The opening chapter introduces the reader to the story of Tom Jones, a foundling discovered in the bed of the benevolent Squire Allworthy. It sets the stage for the novel's exploration of human nature, virtue, and the complexities of social and moral life.

  3. Chapter 3

    Book I

    The chapter introduces the foundling Tom Jones, discovered in the bed of the benevolent Squire Allworthy, and sets the stage for the circumstances of his birth and upbringing.

  4. Chapter 4

    A farewell to the reader

    The author bids farewell to the reader, comparing their journey through the book to fellow-travelers in a stagecoach. He sets aside jest and pleasantry for plain narrative, wishing the reader well and defending himself against accusations of scurrility.

  5. Chapter 5

    II

    Partridge reveals to Jones that Mrs. Waters is his mother, leading Jones into despair over incest. Black George visits, offering money and news of Sophia's improved situation with her father. Jones receives a letter from Mrs. Waters confirming the shocking revelation.

Free preview

224 more chapter companions sit beside the text in BetterReads — open a free preview to unlock the rest.

224 more companions → free preview
  1. Chapter 6III
  2. Chapter 7IV
  3. Chapter 8Chapter V
  4. Chapter 9VI
  5. Chapter 10VII
  6. Chapter 11Chapter VIII
  7. Chapter 12IX
  8. Chapter 13Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  9. Chapter 14XI
  10. Chapter 15Chapter XII
  11. Chapter 16XIII
  12. Chapter 17Book II
  13. Chapter 18A farewell to the reader
  14. Chapter 19II
  15. Chapter 20III
  16. Chapter 21IV
  17. Chapter 22Chapter V
  18. Chapter 23VI
  19. Chapter 24VII
  20. Chapter 25Chapter VIII
  21. Chapter 26IX
  22. Chapter 27Book III
  23. Chapter 28A farewell to the reader
  24. Chapter 29II
  25. Chapter 30III
  26. Chapter 31IV
  27. Chapter 32Chapter V
  28. Chapter 33VI
  29. Chapter 34VII
  30. Chapter 35Chapter VIII
  31. Chapter 36IX
  32. Chapter 37Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  33. Chapter 38Book IV
  34. Chapter 39A farewell to the reader
  35. Chapter 40II
  36. Chapter 41III
  37. Chapter 42IV
  38. Chapter 43Chapter V
  39. Chapter 44VI
  40. Chapter 45VII
  41. Chapter 46Chapter VIII
  42. Chapter 47IX
  43. Chapter 48Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  44. Chapter 49XI
  45. Chapter 50Chapter XII
  46. Chapter 51XIII
  47. Chapter 52XIV
  48. Chapter 53Book V
  49. Chapter 54A farewell to the reader
  50. Chapter 55II
  51. Chapter 56III
  52. Chapter 57IV
  53. Chapter 58Chapter V
  54. Chapter 59VI
  55. Chapter 60VII
  56. Chapter 61Chapter VIII
  57. Chapter 62IX
  58. Chapter 63Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  59. Chapter 64XI
  60. Chapter 65Chapter XII
  61. Chapter 66Book VI
  62. Chapter 67A farewell to the reader
  63. Chapter 68II
  64. Chapter 69III
  65. Chapter 70IV
  66. Chapter 71Chapter V
  67. Chapter 72VI
  68. Chapter 73VII
  69. Chapter 74Chapter VIII
  70. Chapter 75IX
  71. Chapter 76Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  72. Chapter 77XI
  73. Chapter 78Chapter XII
  74. Chapter 79XIII
  75. Chapter 80XIV
  76. Chapter 81Book VII
  77. Chapter 82A farewell to the reader
  78. Chapter 83II
  79. Chapter 84III
  80. Chapter 85IV
  81. Chapter 86Chapter V
  82. Chapter 87VI
  83. Chapter 88VII
  84. Chapter 89Chapter VIII
  85. Chapter 90IX
  86. Chapter 91Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  87. Chapter 92XI
  88. Chapter 93Chapter XII
  89. Chapter 94XIII
  90. Chapter 95XIV
  91. Chapter 96XV
  92. Chapter 97Book VIII
  93. Chapter 98A farewell to the reader
  94. Chapter 99II
  95. Chapter 100III
  96. Chapter 101IV
  97. Chapter 102Chapter V
  98. Chapter 103VI
  99. Chapter 104VII
  100. Chapter 105Chapter VIII
  101. Chapter 106IX
  102. Chapter 107Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  103. Chapter 108XI
  104. Chapter 109Chapter XII
  105. Chapter 110XIII
  106. Chapter 111XIV
  107. Chapter 112XV
  108. Chapter 113Book IX
  109. Chapter 114A farewell to the reader
  110. Chapter 115II
  111. Chapter 116III
  112. Chapter 117IV
  113. Chapter 118Chapter V
  114. Chapter 119VI
  115. Chapter 120VII
  116. Chapter 121Book X
  117. Chapter 122A farewell to the reader
  118. Chapter 123II
  119. Chapter 124III
  120. Chapter 125IV
  121. Chapter 126Chapter V
  122. Chapter 127VI
  123. Chapter 128VII
  124. Chapter 129Chapter VIII
  125. Chapter 130IX
  126. Chapter 131Book XI
  127. Chapter 132A farewell to the reader
  128. Chapter 133II
  129. Chapter 134III
  130. Chapter 135IV
  131. Chapter 136Chapter V
  132. Chapter 137VI
  133. Chapter 138VII
  134. Chapter 139Chapter VIII
  135. Chapter 140IX
  136. Chapter 141Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  137. Chapter 142Book XII
  138. Chapter 143A farewell to the reader
  139. Chapter 144II
  140. Chapter 145III
  141. Chapter 146IV
  142. Chapter 147Chapter V
  143. Chapter 148VI
  144. Chapter 149VII
  145. Chapter 150Chapter VIII
  146. Chapter 151IX
  147. Chapter 152Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  148. Chapter 153XI
  149. Chapter 154Chapter XII
  150. Chapter 155XIII
  151. Chapter 156XIV
  152. Chapter 157Book XIII
  153. Chapter 158A farewell to the reader
  154. Chapter 159II
  155. Chapter 160III
  156. Chapter 161IV
  157. Chapter 162Chapter V
  158. Chapter 163VI
  159. Chapter 164VII
  160. Chapter 165Chapter VIII
  161. Chapter 166IX
  162. Chapter 167Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  163. Chapter 168XI
  164. Chapter 169Chapter XII
  165. Chapter 170Book XIV
  166. Chapter 171A farewell to the reader
  167. Chapter 172II
  168. Chapter 173III
  169. Chapter 174IV
  170. Chapter 175Chapter V
  171. Chapter 176VI
  172. Chapter 177VII
  173. Chapter 178Chapter VIII
  174. Chapter 179IX
  175. Chapter 180Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  176. Chapter 181Book XV
  177. Chapter 182A farewell to the reader
  178. Chapter 183II
  179. Chapter 184III
  180. Chapter 185IV
  181. Chapter 186Chapter V
  182. Chapter 187VI
  183. Chapter 188VII
  184. Chapter 189Chapter VIII
  185. Chapter 190IX
  186. Chapter 191Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  187. Chapter 192XI
  188. Chapter 193Chapter XII
  189. Chapter 194Book XVI
  190. Chapter 195A farewell to the reader
  191. Chapter 196II
  192. Chapter 197III
  193. Chapter 198IV
  194. Chapter 199Chapter V
  195. Chapter 200VI
  196. Chapter 201VII
  197. Chapter 202Chapter VIII
  198. Chapter 203IX
  199. Chapter 204Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  200. Chapter 205Book XVII
  201. Chapter 206A farewell to the reader
  202. Chapter 207II
  203. Chapter 208III
  204. Chapter 209IV
  205. Chapter 210Chapter V
  206. Chapter 211VI
  207. Chapter 212VII
  208. Chapter 213Chapter VIII
  209. Chapter 214IX
  210. Chapter 215Book XVIII
  211. Chapter 216A farewell to the reader
  212. Chapter 217II
  213. Chapter 218III
  214. Chapter 219IV
  215. Chapter 220Chapter V
  216. Chapter 221VI
  217. Chapter 222VII
  218. Chapter 223Chapter VIII
  219. Chapter 224IX
  220. Chapter 225Wherein the history begins to draw towards a conclusion
  221. Chapter 226XI
  222. Chapter 227Chapter XII
  223. Chapter 228Chapter the Last
  224. Chapter 229Endnotes