Amelia is certainly a change of direction from the writing style employed by Henry Fielding in Tom Jones and Joseph Andrews. Gone are the author's frequent interjections as narrator, as is much of the comic relief captured in the subsequently cited novels. Moving away from the comedic tone in his writing, Fielding introduces us to more realistic characters through Amelia and Booth. Fielding's more realistic interpretation of the "domestic sphere" in mid-18th-century London focuses on the daily struggles within these two characters' marriages, using the fears and uncertainties experienced by both Amelia and Booth to speak to the unrest felt on a larger sociopolitical scale by citizens. concerning the state of England. In fact, the underlying tone of the novel is that of fear; fear of an unjust social system, fear of unjust "big" men in power, fear of submitting the control of one's life to that of a Higher Power, as in the case of Booth. The novel distinguishes between great men, who are ambitious men who will manipulate their way to power, and good men, who have kind hearts. Through the novel's corrupt and powerful individuals, Fielding ultimately concludes that "great" men are often far from good. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Both Amelia and Booth seem to agree that men considered "great" are often those whose ambition for power and greatness leads them to do manipulative actions and corrupt tasks to get there. Amelia suggests that "great" men are inhuman and wonders, "are they born heartless?" (405) To which Booth replies, “One, indeed, sometimes…would be inclined to think so” (405-6). Both seem to recognize that men considered great by social standards may have committed vile acts, or at least acted without compassion towards others in order to elevate themselves. Although Booth and Amelia seem to agree about the vices of great men, in the passage's conclusion, the narrator states, "though he had in other places a high opinion of his wife's abilities, yet as a theologian or philosopher he knew it not." he held her in a very respectable light, nor did he attach much importance to her feelings in such matters” (406). Although moments earlier he and his wife are in agreement, when the topic begins to shift towards religion, Booth is no longer interested in what his wife has to say, also suggesting a lack of intelligence on his part and a fear of the topic. on Booth's side. This conversation changes so abruptly for such an innocuous reason that Fielding seems to use the irony as a commentary on how women's intelligence and education were viewed during that time in London society. Booth's opinion of his wife is that she cannot contribute intellectually on matters of such importance; However, Fielding is at pains to demonstrate that this idea is incorrect; Amelia has intellectual merits and Booth can't give her credit. In the passage, as she continues to converse about the goodness of man, Amelia reiterates what she calls “a sentiment of Dr. Harrison's, which he told me was in some Latin book; I am a man too and my heart is interested in whatever may happen to the rest of humanity. This is the feeling of a good man, and anyone who thinks otherwise is a bad man" (406). By absorbing Dr. Harrison's learning, Amelia shows that she is educated in the subject of true goodness and can keep up with Booth in conversation, bringing both his opinion and the teachings of others into the dialogue..