The Tradition Of Picaresque Novels And Fielding's Art Innovation

Henry Fielding (1707-1754) was the most outstanding novelist and the founder of English Realistic Novel of the 18th century. His masterpiece Tom Jones represented the highest achievement of artistic development in English novel during that period.The Spanish tramp novel emerged in 16th century; its features are projecting description of characters'nature, vivid language style and protagonist's life experience mingled with vast social environment. Because of these features, the tramp novel produced profound influence to the development of European modern novels.Every novelist's new creation is based on the existing mature experiences, of course including Fielding. His two famous novels Joseph Andrews (1742) and Tom Jones (1749), stamped with the indelible brand of the art of tramp novel.Fielding respectively inherited and developed the realism and romanticism elements of the tramp novel. In realism aspect it was mainly embodied: featuring the common earthly man as the protagonists, reflecting the realistic life, criticizing the social evils of the day, using the humor and wit language and opposing religion. In romanticism aspect it was mainly embodied: developing moral consciousness, carrying forward the sincere human nature, propagating the entertaining and educational social function and cultivating the optimism.However, Fielding's novel just inherited some techniques of expression or art inclination, at the same time added his unique creation in many aspects. So his novel wasn't equivalent with the tramp novel, but a transitional form in between the tramp novel and the critical realistic novel of 19th century.As the most excellent novelist of 18th century, Fielding is the first writer who described the society and human life massively, exposed mercilessly and satired bitterly variety of evil social practices and dark phenomenon in English political society. He epitomized the Spanish tramp novel and Defore's venture novel, mingled with Cervantes'and Swift's satiric novel traditions, especially merged his own experiences as a dramatist. Because of this, his novel showed unusual ingenuity and remained for a long time.In addition, Fielding follows a series of theory on novels crated according to the system of classical literary theory as well. They are all independent satirical essays or dissertations, mainly elaborating some artistic problems on novels and some of his feelings on social life and literary circles in England, and embodying the authors'special world outlook and life view. They have the high value of aesthetics.Since 200 years ago, many famous authors and critics have been giving high praise of Fielding's literary works. Engles equals him with Homes and Stendhal thinks that his novel compares well with Illiad. Fielding is acclaimed as one of"four great wheels", because he opens up a new realm for English novels on the creation of novels and theories, and set an example for the creation of novels in England and many other European countries in the 19th century.