The significance and appropriateness of the interpolated tale in Henry Fielding’s novels, Jonathan Wild, Joseph Andrews, Tom Jones and Amelia, is the subject of much discussion. Despite the attention devoted to the interpolated tale, there is no unanimity of opinion concerning what should be censured nor why it should be condemned. The lack of agreement over what constitutes an interpolated tale has given rise to conflicting opinions and statements.The interpolated tale, as Fielding develops it, has a retrospective quality and generally relates a character's experience or life history. The narration of the tale provides the listener with a contrasting standard to which he can compare his own values. Moreover, Fielding's utilization of the interpolated tale incorporates it into the structure of the novel.As a result of its incorporation into the structure of the novel, the interpolated tale has a thematic and structural relationship to the main narrative. Fielding uses the interpolated tale to expand his comments on the themes of appearance and reality, greatness and goodness, prudence and affectation. Affectation, Fielding believes, is a universal shortcoming of mankind that appears either as vanity or hypocrisy. Vanity is a consequence of an individual falling short of his desired reputation. But hypocrisy arises from an individual's attempts to project an image that is the reverse of his true nature. The latter form is found most frequently in the city where men attempt to impress others more often. The former variety occurs more frequently in a rural setting because men can be more honest in the country. Just as the tale has a thematic purpose, so it also becomes part of the structure of the novel. The tales narrated by characters in the novel are amalgamated into the basic narrative itself and thus contribute to the development of the plot. Whether the interpolated tales have an autobiographical element or not, they become an integral part of the novel.The interpolated tale, in Fielding's novels, functions much as the rehearsal or scene-within-a-scene does in his dramas. Fielding employs the rehearsal scene to expand the range of his comment upon society and its problems and refines the technique to meet his needs in developing the novel. In Jonathan, Wild, Mrs. Heartfree's tale unifies the narrative by relating Fielding's development of the Wild and Heartfree episodes to the theme of affectation. "The History of Leonora" and "The History of Two Friends" in Joseph Andrews provide examples of affectation for the edification of the characters, and Mr. Wilson's history recounts the consequences of inadequate training. The three interpolated tales in Tom Jones, the Quaker's the Man of the Hill's, and Mrs. Fitzpatrick.'s, are related for the benefit of the listeners and specify the results of affectation. The tales in Amelia, Miss Matthews', Captain Booth's, Mrs. Bennet's, and Captain Trent's, provide a further commentary on affectation and its consequences. A further refinement of the rehearsal scene developed by Fielding centers around his development of the rehearsal scene as a precursor to the flashback. In Amelia, Fielding begins the novel in media res and employs the interpolated tale to provide background information.Fielding's adaptation of the rehearsal scene to fit the needs of his novels constitutes an example of his keen perception of the applicability of the device to another genre. Through his skillful development of the interpolated tale, Fielding has contributed significantly to the evolution of the novel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/179062 |
| Date | January 1971 |
| Creators | Newhouse, Edward B. |
| Contributors | Adrian, Daryl B. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | ii, 209 leaves ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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