if someone occasionally makes mistakes Tom Jones is a good example Tom behaves recklessly at times He steals food to help Black George He also engages in many romantic affairs Yet his heart is pure and he always acts out of generosity and love Mr Allworthy sees Tom s good nature and says I am convinced my child that you have much goodness generosity and honour in your temper Fielding suggests that a person s goodness is not about being perfect Goodness is about having the right intentions and learning from mistakes In contrast characters like Blifil and Thwackum represent fake morality They follow the outward rules of religion and society Yet their hearts are full of selfishness and malice Fielding s narrator says Both religion and virtue have received more real discredit from hypocrites than infidels could ever cast upon them This means hypocrites harm the name of religion and goodness more than openly bad or non-religious people ever can Here Fielding is criticising hypocrisy particularly in characters like Thwackum and Blifil They use religion and morality as tools for manipulation Blifil pretends to be virtuous but he schemes to ruin Tom and gain Mr Allworthy s favor Thwackum uses religion as a tool to control and punish others Through these characters Fielding shows that people can hide their bad intentions behind a mask of morality Fielding also shows the importance of learning from life Tom s journey from innocence to experience shows that morality is not something fixed But it is something that grows with time By the end of the novel Tom recognizes his flaws and becomes wiser Sexuality in the Novel Fielding s approach to sexuality is remarkably open-minded for his era He does not blame sexual desire outright He treats it as a natural part of human life Tom s romantic adventures show that physical attraction and love are important aspects of relationships However Fielding also warns about the dangers of uncontrolled passion and the chaos it can cause Tom s relationships with women like Molly Mrs Waters and Lady Bellaston often lead him into trouble These relationships show that sexual desire without genuine love can create problems For example Tom s affair with Molly is about physical attraction It lacks true commitment Similarly his relationship with Lady Bellaston is based on jealousy and lust which creates a lot of trouble Lady Bellaston even tries to harm Sophia to separate her from Tom She Lady Bellaston resolved to get rid of her Sophia by some means or other On the other hand Tom s love for Sophia is true This love is based on respect and mutual commitment Sophia is not just beautiful but also virtuous and intelligent Tom s love for her grows stronger as he matures In fine Fielding presents a realistic and forgiving view of morality and sexuality in his masterpiece Tom Jones He believes that true morality is about having good intentions learning from mistakes and kindness At the same time he recognizes that sexuality is a natural part of life But sexuality must be guided by love and respect to create harmony