The Vicar of Wakefield
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The Vicar of Wakefield is a novel by the Irish author Oliver Goldsmith. It was written in 1761 and 1762, and published in 1766. It is briefly mentioned in George Eliot's Middlemarch, Jane Austen's Emma, Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Charlotte Brontë's The Professor, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther as well as his Dichtung und Wahrheit.
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Dr. Primrose, his wife Deborah and their six children live an idyllic life in a country parish. On the evening of his son George's wedding to Arabella Wilmot, the vicar loses all his money through the bankruptcy of a merchant.
The wedding is called off, George is sent away to town and the rest of the family move to a new and more humble parish on the land of Squire Thornhill. On the way, they hear about the dubious reputation of their new landlord. Also, references are made to the squire's uncle Sir William Thornhill, who is known throughout the country for his worthiness.
A poor and eccentric friend, Mr. Burchell, whom they meet at an inn, rescues Sophia from drowning. She is instantly attracted to him, but her ambitious mother does not encourage her feelings.
Then follows a period of happy family life, only interrupted by regular visits of the dashing Squire Thornhill and Mr. Burchell. Olivia is captivated by Thornhill's hollow charm, but he also encourages the social ambitions of Mrs Primrose and her daughters to a ludicrous degree.
Finally, Olivia is reported to have fled. First Burchell is suspected, but after a long pursuit Dr. Primrose finds his daughter, who was in reality deceived by Squire Thornhill. He planned to marry her in a mock ceremony and leave her then shortly after, as he had done with several women before.
When Olivia and her father return home, they find their house in flames. Although the family has lost almost all their belongings, the evil Squire Thornhill insists on the payment of the rent. As the vicar cannot pay, he is brought to gaol.
What follows now is a chain of dreadful occurrences. The vicar's daughter Olivia is reported dead, Sophia abducted and George is also brought to gaol in chains and covered with blood, as he had challenged Thornhill to a duel, when he had heard about his wickedness.
But then Mr. Burchell arrives and solves all problems. He rescues Sophia, Olivia is not dead and it emerges that Burchell is in reality the worthy Sir William Thornhill, who travels through the country in disguise. In the end there is a double wedding: George marries Arabella, as he originally intended, and Sir William Thornhill marries Sophia. Finally even the wealth of the vicar is restored, as the bankrupt merchant is reported to be found.
[edit] Structure and narrative technique
The book consists of 32 chapters which fall into three parts:
- chapter 1 - 3: beginning
- chapter 4 - 29: main part
- chapter 30 - 32: denouement
Chapter 17, when Olivia is reported to be fled, can be regarded as the climax as well as an essential turning point of the novel. From chapter 17 onwards it changes from a comical account of 18th century country life into a pathetic melodrama with didactic traits.
There are quite a few interpolations of different literary genres, such as poems, histories or sermons, which widen the restricted view of the first person narrator and serve as didactic fables.
The novel can be regarded as a fictitious memoir, as it is told by the vicar himself by retrospection. Comic situations come from the fact that the reader is often leading in knowledge, because sometimes hints are given which point to the happy ending of the novel.
[edit] Reception
In literary history books the Vicar of Wakefield is often described as a sentimental novel, which displays the belief in the innate goodness of human beings. But it can also be read as a satire on the sentimental novel and its values, as the vicar's values are apparently not compatible with the real "sinful" world. It is only with Sir William Thornhill's help that he can get out of his calamities.
Moreover, an analogy can be drawn between Mr. Primrose's suffering and the Book of Job. This is particularly relevant to the question of theodicy.
[edit] External link
- The Vicar of Wakefield, available at Project Gutenberg.
