Amelia

Henry Fielding’s novel Amelia (1751) follows a young woman who marries a man against her family’s wishes; they move to another city to start a new life together. Raising questions about married life, gender equality, and justice, Amelia is one of Fielding’s most popular novels. Fielding, an 18th-century novelist who wrote literary fiction and romance, is remembered for his satire, humor, and sharp, insightful writing. Before writing novels, Fielding worked as a magistrate and helped to form London’s first police force, the Bow Street Runners.

A stubborn and independent young woman, Amelia believes that women should make their own decisions. Her mother, on the other hand, thinks she knows what is best for her daughter. When Amelia declares her love for William Booth, a British Army captain, her mother forbids the match. Unsurprisingly, Amelia doesn’t heed her mother’s advice.

Amelia marries William in secret. When her mother finds out, she furiously demands Amelia comes home. Amelia and William decide that the only way they can be happy is to run away together. They flee to London, hoping to make a new life for themselves. Unfortunately, they don’t have any idea how to support themselves or live on their own. Before long, they run into financial difficulties.

One night on the streets of London, William ends up in a scuffle. Falsely accused of theft, the police arrest him, taking him to Newgate Prison where it is expected that he will serve a life sentence. Amelia doesn’t know what to do. Refusing to go home to her mother, she dedicates herself to getting William out of prison.

William struggles to cope with the realities of his situation. Tired, hungry, and lonely, he doesn’t give much thought to Amelia: He’s too busy admiring another woman in the prison, Miss Matthews, and trying to find out who the real thief is. As time goes by, it seems that William forgets about his life outside the prison.

In the meantime, Amelia dotes on William, remaining devoted to him, doing everything in her power to secure his release. One day, while walking along the street, a carriage hits her. Although she is mostly unharmed, she breaks her nose. The physician tells her that her nose will never look the same again. She is glad that William cannot see her because she’s sure that he wouldn’t love her anymore.

One day, William secures his release from prison. When he sees Amelia, he still loves her dearly. He tells her that she will always be beautiful, no matter what happens to her face. He can’t believe that she is still devoted to him, despite how much attention she receives from other men. Just as their marriage gets back on track, William ends up in jail again.

In prison, William finds comfort in the arms of Miss Matthews. She tells him the story behind her own imprisonment. Miss Matthews killed someone, but she claims that it was justified. Bold, brash, and outspoken, she is everything that Amelia isn’t. Despite his efforts to resist her charms, William falls for her, betraying Amelia.

William tells Miss Matthews the story of how he met Amelia. He admits that, although he knew Amelia for many years, he didn’t fall in love with her immediately. However, he couldn’t help falling in love with her mind. She is the most intelligent woman that he knows, and she taught him that women should be regarded as intellectually equal to men. Women don’t need men to look after them—women like Amelia are more than capable of looking after themselves.

Although William loves Amelia, there is one woman whom he loved more—his sister, Nancy. His brotherly affection for Nancy overshadows any other feelings that he has. He describes how painful it was to watch Nancy descend into madness one night and die from a violent fever. Miss Matthews wonders if William ever shared these stories with Amelia. Feeling like William’s confidant, she wants him all to herself.

Finally, William secures his release from prison. He tells Amelia what happened between him and Miss Matthews. Although Amelia is heartbroken, she wants to forgive him. She wonders if they married too fast and if they should now spend time getting to know each other. It is a long process, but they both promise to give the relationship their best shot.

Unfortunately, William accrues multiple debts that he can’t repay. He is sent to a debtor’s prison, and Amelia wonders if she will ever see him again. In the meantime, her mother dies, leaving her the entirety of the estate. Amelia secures William’s release and they retire to the countryside to begin a new life for themselves. He forgets about Miss Matthews entirely.