Epic Scope: The novel follows Tom Jones, an abandoned child who grows up to experience various adventures and challenges, traveling through different social classes and encountering a diverse range of characters. The story spans many years and encompasses various significant events.
Epic Hero: Tom Jones, the protagonist, can be seen as a typical epic hero. He is of humble origins, but he possesses admirable qualities like courage, resilience, and determination. Throughout his journey, he must overcome obstacles and overcome adversaries, such as the villainous Blifil, to achieve fulfillment.
Mockery and Satire: The novel employs humor and satire to poke fun at human nature and society's conventions. Fielding often uses ironic situations and exaggerations to highlight the absurdity and follies of his characters. He criticizes the hypocritical and materialistic attitudes of the upper class and exposes the gap between appearances and reality.
Narrative Voice: The novel is narrated by an omniscient narrator who frequently addresses the reader directly. The narrator provides commentary, explains motivations, and engages the audience in a conversational tone. This narration adds a sense of intimacy and immediacy, making the reader feel involved in the story.
Romance: While the adventures of Tom Jones are central, the novel also incorporates a romantic element. Tom's relationship with Sophia Western is a significant part of the plot, and their love story unfolds amid all the other events and intrigues of the novel.
Didactic Elements: Although humorous and entertaining, "Tom Jones" contains moralistic elements. Fielding uses Tom's journey to explore and illustrate virtues like honesty, loyalty, and charity, while condemning vices like greed, hypocrisy, and selfishness.
By combining these elements of an epic, humor, satire, characterization, and moral lessons, "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" can be considered a quintessential comic epic in prose.