|
Welcome to the discussion, astrangerhere! I am halfway through the book. It is funnier than I expected despite the family's continual decline and accumulation of misfortunes. Some chapters have no plot and are simply meant to be humorous.
The book is supposed to be autobiographical in many ways, although I haven't researched how in-depth yet to avoid spoilers. I know that the Vicar shares his name Charles with Goldsmith's father, also a Vicar who farmed neighboring land for extra income. There were 8 children, and his father was devoted to them. Goldsmith uses his childhood as a source for the happy and loving vignettes of family life in the novel. Because of that upbringing they had generosity and innocence that made them easy targets for the sharpers of the world.The Vicar is said to be a composite of his father, uncle and brother who were all clergymen. The boys George and Moses mirror attributes of himself. He also uses the Vicar's speechifying to express his own opinions on subjects such as the theatre and politics. The Vicar's speech on the monarchy is said to match Goldsmith's views expressed in An History of England.
|