Oliver Goldsmith
(1728-1774)
In his early life he
was known for his wildness and stupidity.
He was a medical
student. He was a friend of Dr
Johnson
He was a member of
the famous ‘Literary Club’
Goldsmith had criticized
Garrick. Garrick rejects his
plays.
Garrick says that
Goldsmith “wrote like an angel even though he talked like poor Poll”
He reacted against
sentimental comedy. His long poem “The
Traveller” is dedicated to his brother, In the essay A
Comparison Between Laughing and Sentimental Comedy Goldsmith treats distress as
a source of entertainment.
Important works of
Goldsmith are The Vicar of
Wakefield (1766)
It is a good example
of sentimental novel.
It portrays rural
England. It deals with the
story of Dr Primrose and the love affairs of his daughters Olivia and Sophia. George Primrose’s
continental wanderings are inspired by
Goldsmith’s own travels of Europe.
Dr Primrose stands
for his father. Moses in the Vicar of
Wakefield, young Honey Wood in the
Good Natured Manand Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops to Conquer are his own autobiographical sketches. He worked as an
assistant to Richardson.
The novel includes
the famous poem “When Lovely Woman Stoops to Folly”. The Deserted Village (1770) She Stoops to Conquer
(1773)
Its central character
Marlow is uncomfortable with women of his own class.
The woman who stoops
to conquer Marlow is Miss Kate Hard castle.
The Bee (1759) It is a serial miscellany. It ran for eight weekly numbers.
An History of the Earth and Animated nature (1774). It is an eight
volume work.
Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning in
Europe.(1759)
In this work he mourns the demise of arts and culture in
general.
The Citizen of the World (1760-61)
The Chinese Letters which he contributed to the public
ledger were published together in 1762 as The Citizen of the World
It is written by a Chinaman visiting England.
Good Natured Man (1768). It is a sentimental comedy
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