Read Aloud the Text Content

This audio was created by Woord's Text to Speech service by content creators from all around the world.

Text Content or SSML code:

Originally a schoolteacher, Mr. Partridge is cast out by the community after allegedly beating his wife and fathering Jenny Jones' child - neither of which he is responsible for. He later meets up with Tom as Little Benjamin and accompanies him on his travels, in the hope of winning Allworthy's favor again. Partridge remains a loyal and devoted friend to Tom, even though he is something of a bumbler. Partridge is the teacher whom Allworthy accuses of being Tom's father. He is a kind of comedic Harlequin character (Fielding even compares him to Harlequin). Although pathetic, bumbling, and cowardly, Partridge remains a loyal servant to Jones and deserves his reward at the end of the novel. Partridge has a passion for speaking in Latin non sequiturs. Although Partridge creates problems for Tom and Sophia by boosting Tom's reputation and defiling Sophia's to all and sundry, Tom cannot help forgiving Partridge, who always has the best of intentions.