Much of the energy in Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones is said to stem from the main character's imprudence, but the moral impact of the novel is often said to depend on the hero's attainment of prudence. The development of a sense of prudence in Tom Jones is effective precisely because he is so imprudent, and his imprudence is accepted because it derives from his innocence rather than from not caring about being prudent. Tom's position as hero is indeed justified because he is an innocent and because he learns from his experiences.
William Empson makes this point when he writes, "Tom Jones is hero because he is born with good impulses. . ." He may be imprudent, but it is a question of his motivation as much as behavior. Fielding is a comic novelist and is happy to show the hero's foibles as well as the good side of his nature, but in the case of Tom Jones even his foibles derive largely from innocence rather than any defect in his character. This is important in the way Fielding depicts human failings. Fielding does not believe that actions have an absolute value which can be determined objectively, and instead he sees that every deed must be judged not only by its consequences but by the motives which brought it to life:
We have here one of the central ideas of the book, to wit, that the moral value of an action is essentially dependent upon the state of mind of the man who has committed it. In the moral teaching of Fielding, feeling holds the first place; on the one hand happiness does not lie in outward prosperity but in inward contentment; and in the same way perfection does not consist in the accomplishment of actions which are reputed virtuous, but in the consciousness of a good intention.
Tom Jones is the illegitimate child of Bridget Allworthy, though this is not known by the boy until he is quite grown. Her name suggests her character brother is Squire Allworthy, and his name indicates his character--h...