In this compelling interdisciplinary study of what has been called the "century of illegitimacy," Lisa Zunshine seeks to uncover the multiplicity of cultural meanings of illegitimacy in the English Enlightenment. Bastards and Foundlings pits the official legal views on illegitimacy against the actual everyday practices that frequently circumvented the law; it reconstructs the history of social institutions called upon to regulate illegitimacy, such as the London Foundling Hospital; and it examines a wide array of novels and plays written in response to the same concerns that informed the emergence and functioning of such institutions. By recreating the context of the national preoccupation with bastardy, with a special emphasis on the gender of the fictional bastard/foundling, Zunshine offers new readings of "canonical" texts, such as Steele's The Conscious Lovers, Defoe's Moll Flanders, Fielding's Tom Jones, Moore's The Foundling, Colman's The English Merchant, Richardson's Clarissa and Sir Charles Grandison, Burney's Evelina, Smith's Emmeline, Edgewort's Belinda, and Austen's Emma, as well as of less well-known works, such as Haywood's The Fortunate Foundlings, Shebbeare's The Marriage Act, Bennett's The Beggar Girl and Her Benefactors, and Robinson's The Natural Daughter.

The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling by Henry Fielding: Enter the world of 18th-century England with Henry Fielding's classic novel "Tom Jones." This humorous and picaresque tale follows the adventures of Tom Jones, a charming foundling, as he navigates love, society, and the complexities of his time. Key Aspects of the Book "The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling": Picaresque Adventure: The novel takes readers on a rollicking journey through the various escapades and encounters of its eponymous hero, Tom Jones. Social Satire: Fielding's wit and humor are evident in his satirical portrayal of 18th-century society, offering commentary on class, morality, and human foibles. Character Development: Tom Jones's personal growth and moral development are central to the narrative, making it a coming-of-age story with enduring appeal. Henry Fielding, born in England in 1707, was a novelist and playwright known for his contributions to the development of the English novel. "Tom Jones" is considered one of his masterpieces, showcasing his storytelling prowess and satirical wit.

This carefully crafted ebook: "The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. Tom Jones or, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling is a comic novel by English playwright and novelist Henry Fielding. It is both a Bildungsroman and a picaresque novel. It was first published on 28 February 1749 in London, and is among the earliest English prose works to be classified as a novel. It is the earliest novel mentioned by W. Somerset Maugham in his 1948 book Great Novelists and Their Novels among the ten best novels of the world. The novel is highly organized, despite its length. Samuel Taylor Coleridge argued that it has one of the "three most perfect plots ever planned." Tom Jones is generally regarded as Fielding's greatest book and as a very influential English novel.