The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling Book 9, Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis

Tom and Mrs. Waters make it to Upton. He leaves her in a room at the inn and goes to find the landlady, to get her some new clothes. But the landlady thinks the new woman is a “wench” involved in sex work and grabs a broom as a weapon to shoo the woman out. She runs into Tom, who asks her for the clothes, only to get attacked by the blunt end of the broom. The landlord joins the fight too, and Tom seems outnumbered, until suddenly Partridge swoops in and grabs the landlady’s broomstick.

This passage once again shows how external appearances can be deceiving, as the landlady sees Tom arriving with a partially undressed woman and assumes the worst about them, not realizing that Tom has in fact done the virtuous thing by saving Mrs. Waters from danger. This passage shows the potential pitfalls of judging circumstances too quickly based on first impressions.

Active Themes

The half-naked Mrs. Waters hears the commotion and runs down the stairs, joining the melee. This seems to give Tom and Partridge the advantage until Susan, a fearsome maid at the inn, joins in on the other side. Partridge is knocked down, and Tom rushes to his aid. Finally, the battle pauses when a coach arrives at the door, prompting the landlord, the landlady, and Susan to quickly clean themselves up.

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The novel often has a slapstick quality to it as simple misunderstandings escalate to the point of physical violence. This shows how England was divided at the time not just in big ways like the Jacobite rising of 1745 but also in smaller, interpersonal ways.

Active Themes

The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling: Book 9, Chapter 3 Summary & Analysis