Web Assignment 2- Sophia Western and the Process of Knowing

In Henry Fielding’s novel Tom Jones (1749), Tom Jones and Sophia Western are two teenage lovers separated by the expectations of class in 18th Century English society. Although they wish to be together, their legal guardians refuse to allow them to marry, since Sophia is a lady of high status while Tom is an illegitimate child from unknown origin. Tom is adopted by an affluent member of the community, but due to his birth he cannot receive any property and therefore is considered worthless as a suitor by Sophia’s father. Through a series of unfortunate events, Tom is thrown out of the community, destroying all hopes of ever seeing Sophia again. He leaves without any real plan except wanting eventually to join the war against Catholic rebels. Unbeknownst to Tom, Sophia, outraged by her father’s harsh treatment of her lover, sets out after him. She dedicates herself to following his path. Meanwhile, Tom tries to remain faithful to Sophia, but he is seduced by a woman he rescues from a rapist. He takes her to a hotel, where she convinces him to sleep with her. That same night Sophia coincidentally stops at the hotel.

Upon learning that Tom is sleeping in a nearby room with another woman¹, Sophia is devastated. She decides that he is a cheating “wretch”² and, upon further consultation with her servant Mrs. Honour who often shows an acute hatred for Tom, determines that all Tom is a no longer worthy of her affections³ and should from that point on be “the object of [her] contempt.”⁴ Before leaving, she has the chambermaid send her muff to Tom.⁵

Sophia’s use of the process of knowing is interesting because she uses reasoning to come to an acceptable conclusion but may realize that it was unjustly influenced by emotions of the moment. Her test is set in the hopes of proving her own conclusion wrong, trusting her mutual decision with Tom to commit themselves to one another more than her own reasoning.

1. Perception- The process of taking data in from the senses. Here, Sophia listens to a chambermaid who tells her that a young man named Tom Jones is sleeping with an unknown woman in his room.
2. Categorization- The process of classifying data abstractly. Here, Sophia places Tom in the broad category of cheaters based on the information she has perceived.
3. Evaluation- The process of prioritizing our data. It is often affected by our subjective relationship to the data, the mystique we give it, and the people around us. Here, Sophia places more value on this breach of trust by Tom than she does on all his previous signs of love for her because her judgment is affected by her present emotions, and Mrs. Honour slants the situation to emphasize further Tom’s wrongdoing.
4. Symbolism- The process of choosing words that accurately convey the intended meaning. Here, Sophia chooses words that target Tom for ill feelings, distance herself from him, and demean his humanity and goodness.
5. Testing- The process of putting our knowledge into motion in the physical world. Here, Sophia tests Tom’s faithfulness by sending him a symbol of herself, hoping that he will react by pursuing her and proving her beliefs incorrect.
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