Abstract

Tom Jones is one of Henry Fielding’s masterpieces. In this great novel, the author created many a character, among whom Tom and Blifil, the two conflicting heroes, are the most outstanding. This thesis begins with a brief introduction to the author and his Tom Jones, and then the differences between Tom Jones and Blifil are analyzed in detail respectively in terms of their social status and class, their character, and their love for Sophia, aiming to disclose Fielding’s purpose of highlighting the hommization of the hero Tom Jones, maintaining a stark sense of good and evil, and thereby exposing the corruption of society.

Key words: Tom, Blifil, goodness, hypocrite, human nature
Contents

1. Introduction    1
2. Demonstration    1
2.1 Difference in social status and class    2
2.2 Differences in character    4
2.2.1 Tom’s virtue vs. Blifil’s hypocrisy    5
2.2.2 Tom’s imprudence vs. Blifil’s soberness    6
2.3 Differences in their love for Sophia    7
2.3.1 Tom’s love: faithful but sometimes promiscuous    7
2.3.2 Blifil’s love: hollowhearted and disingenuous    8
3.Conclusion    10

Works Cited    11
Bibliography    12