The Vicar of Wakefield n/e (Oxford World's Classics)

Product Information

In the end, Miss Wilmot regains her fortune, and Sir William gives Olivia the allowance he gave the Squire. At Dr. Primrose’s request, the Squire isn’t punished for his actions. Sir William also chooses to marry Sophia, and Dr. Primrose marries them along with George and Miss Wilmot.

As it seems like the girls will indeed soon leave for town, the vicar decides to sell the family’s other horse to obtain a better one. This time, he travels to the fair himself. The butler has become a friend to the vicar since the latter convinced Mr Arnold not to fire him. He informs the vicar that Squire Thornhill has made overtures to Miss Wilmot, and will be visiting. When the squire does arrive to pay his compliments, he is surprised to find the vicar there and asks after Olivia. The vicar accompanies the man to a magnificent mansion, where they continue to discuss politics over dinner. The man proves to be almost radical in his opinions, boasting that liberty is his ultimate goal. The vicar agrees that liberty is important, but believes that some men are born to rule while others are born to submit. He also argues that the rich are helpful because they diminish monarchial power by trying to claim it for themselves. It is within the middle class that art, wisdom, and virtue may be found. The vicar concludes by saying that he has known of many people who claim to be for liberty even though they are truly tyrants.One could perhaps criticize this flurry of calamity as exploitative if it was not so wonderfully set up by the family’s character flaws. The vicar’s misfortune is these chapters is paralleled by a reawakening of his virtue, a recognition of his own blindness. In this way, the novel explores the tragedy that often befalls human life, while also suggesting the comfort we might find by remaining strong and honest to ourselves throughout. In the conclusion, George marries Arabella and Sir William marries Sophia. The squire lives with a melancholy relative far away. The vicar’s fortune is restored when the merchant who stole it is caught. Happiness and felicity reign and the vicar hopes he will be as thankful to God during the good times as he was during the times of adversity. The Vicar of Wakefield Themes Humor: The novel employs humor to lighten the mood and provide comic relief, balancing the more serious themes and moments with moments of levity and wit. Religion and Faith: The novel explores the theme of religion and faith, as characters draw on their religious beliefs and practices to navigate the challenges of life.

Though both Olivia's health and the vicar's own health are fading, he refuses to make peace with Squire Thornhill until Jenkinson brings word that Olivia has died. Anguished, the vicar sends a letter of peace to Squire Thornhill, who refuses to compromise because of the letter the vicar sent to Sir William. Main characters [ edit ] Choosing the Wedding Gown by William Mulready, an illustration of Ch. 1 Charles Primrose [ edit ] Finally, Mr Burchell’s presence in these early chapters provides the alternative that the family is too proud and money-obsessed to see. With the exception of Sophia, everyone slowly turns their attention from Burchell to Squire Thornhill. The fact that Mr Burchell possesses the virtues they pretend to profess (ability to discuss intellectual matters, simple kindness, humility) ultimately mean less to the family than do the delusions of grandeur with the squire allows. It is telling that the squire’s ballad – which is also included as an example of Goldsmith’s proficiency with language and theatrical sense – warns against this very sin. It tells of a family whose obsession with money almost costs the daughter her future happiness. The ballad foreshadows the trouble yet to come and serves as a warning that the family is simply too proud to hear. They cannot see the truth that is right in front of their faces – a fact doubly apparent when Burchell’s true identity is later revealed. Analysis of Chapters IX-XVIAt one point, Mr Burchell points out Squire Thornhill’s home and explains how the squire is dependent on the generosity of his introverted uncle, Sir William Thornhill. The vicar has heard of Sir William and knows his excellent reputation of “consummate benevolence” (19). Mr Burchell confirms this impression, explaining that Sir William was dissolute and foolish when he was young, but has since grown more respectable in penance for those youthful follies. At one point during the journey, Sophia falls from her horse into a stream. Without a moment’s thought, Mr Burchell heroically leaps after her and saves her life. The description of the family of Wakefield; in which a kindred likeness prevails as well of minds as of persons They lose their simple manners and grow more prideful and vain as their hopes for Olivia and the squire increase. However, the more they attempt to present themselves as above their station, the more embarrassments they encounter. For instance, both the vicar and Moses are duped when attempting to sell the family's horses in exchange for more fashionable ones. The Vicar of Wakefield, subtitled A Tale, Supposed to be written by Himself, is a novel by Anglo-Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith (1728–1774). It was written from 1761 to 1762 and published in 1766. It was one of the most popular and widely read 18th-century novels among Victorians.

Deborah whispers her approval to the vicar, noting that Sophia has potentially made a “conquest” as Olivia had with the squire (40). The chaplain tells them that that the squire intends to throw a ball for the girls on the following night, and then asks Sophia if she will grant him her first dance. However, she refuses, saying that she should grant her first dance to Mr Burchell. To the vicar’s surprise, the young man politely refuses to attend. Analysis of The Vicar of Wakefield Several hours pass and the vicar can hardly interest anyone in the horse since it seems the beast has several medical conditions. Eventually, the vicar agrees to have a drink with a fellow clergyman. In the ale-house, the vicar is impressed by a respectable older gentleman, who both seems intelligent and exhibits charity when he gives a poor boy some money.The vicar then learns of Sophia’s abduction. Almost instantly, George is imprisoned. The imprisonment follows George challenging Thornhill to a fight. In his distress, the vicar preaches to the prisoners. When they reach the neighboring town, he meets a wise man who invites him for a party. The vicar is astonished by his host’s beautiful mansion. He then realizes that the man is a servant when the master, Mr. Arnold, arrives. Mr. Arnold is Miss Arabella’s uncle, who is delighted to see the vicar. Arabella’s love for George has not dwindled. However, it is rumored that she is marrying Thornhill. Passon’s article is useful in the way it attempts to find a balance between these two views of the novel. On one hand, many see it as a simple pastoral, idyllic novel. On the other hand, many see the flaws in that depiction and assume Goldsmith was crafting a satire. Passon tries to find a middle ground, suggesting that “these views are presented, in tension, in juxtaposition; one view constantly jostles and qualifies the other. Sentimentalism needs continually to be encountered and undercut by irony; satire needs continually to be softened, to be made less brittle, by romance.” In other words, the problem is not that both possibilities are present; the problem is a reader’s assumption that the novel must way in only one way.

He then recites a long ballad, which tells of a hermit who invites a lost traveller to spend the evening in his cell. While they rest by the hermit’s fire, the hermit tells the traveller how he is at peace with his surroundings, but notices that the traveller seems heartbroken. As he tries to convince the traveller to forget about his earthly love, the hermit realizes that the traveller I, in fact,t a woman. The woman then tells her story, about how her father once tried to marry her to all the worthwhile suitors in the land, while she loved only a poor but wise man named Edwin. Deborah broaches the topic of sending the girls to town with the vicar, and he agrees to ask the fashionable ladies about it directly. They agree that Olivia and Sophia could succeed there, but note that they must first attain confirmation of the girls’ reputations, simply as a formality. They offer to attain the reference from Squire Thornhill, whom Lady Blarney identifies as her cousin. The vicar and Deborah are quite proud, certain that the squire will provide a good reference. Education and Knowledge: The novel examines the theme of education and knowledge, as characters seek to expand their horizons and better themselves through learning and intellectual pursuits. Happier prospects begin to appear. Let us be inflexible, and fortune will at last change in our favourEventually, the squire asked George to fight a duel on his behalf, in a matter concerning a lady’s honour. Though he felt terribly about, he performed well. Gender proves an interesting theme because of how closely the novel adheres to the traditional gender norms of 18th-century British society. The men make the decisions and hold the power; the vicar is the unequivocal patriarch who determines the conduct of his family members. His daughters are vain and romance-oriented and are notable only for their nubile, marriageable status. Arabella is viewed in the same way, despite being more genteel and elegant. Only the vicar and his sons are allowed to enter the public sphere and engage in commercial transactions. By contrast, when Olivia leaves the family home to elope with the squire, she is considered utterly ruined and beyond redemption. Her virtue is her most salient characteristic, as it was with all young women during the time. The novel is a perfect encapsulation of the way gender was viewed in Goldsmith’s era, which is interesting considering how wonderfully he challenges narrative conventions throughout the story. Analysis of Chapters I-VIII I-VIII The Vicar of Wakefield, Oliver Goldsmith’s most famous work, is often classified as a sentimental novel, and many of that genre’s elements are already apparent in these early chapters. These elements include main characters who are paragons of virtue; an idyllic pastoral setting; and most importantly, a change in fortune that challenges their morality and delicacy. (See the Additional Content section of the study guide for more information on sentimental fiction). Misfortunes will continue to beset the family as the novel proceeds, and it is already clear that the primary conflict will lie in how they adapt their virtue in the fact of these troubles.