Show Character Sketch of Doctor Primrose IT is said that Goldsmiths Goldsmith's characters are not products of his own imagination tion bUt blit are taken from people whom E he knew or remembered If this is true one can not doubt that his affections have so color colored d some as to make themI them I appear unreal and this perhaps is true truet truel l' l lf t f. in the case of Doctor Primrose This man mad ari in whom are are combined so many r t quiet virtues made I more ore unassuming the writers writer's overburdened r by style seems V with simplicity This is not displeasing ng Ie however for fore we e are attracted by the quaintness of the vicar and as ag the story i advances advances' find ourselves liking him very G i. i much even though he may be un lifelike v r His character is s best shown in the speeches he makes to h his family usually ending with so some e great truth or remark L upon upon human nature nature e spoken ir in such a am away m way as to im impress press one with his artlessness Goldsmith has given him some weak touches and perhaps one of the most noticeable is the anger he evinces when he hears of Olivias Olivia's leaving home His excitement is forced and childish and is isa a weak point in the characterization But the very opposite of this is shown i in the speech he makes to the mother 1 whose reception o. o of the wayward girl is not what the father expected This l firmness is a kind well befitting him and strengthens him in inthe the mind of the f the reader H His is high sense of right is made more impressive by his his' force in opposing what he thinks to be he wrong Charity hospitality generosity are all traits of his and are peculiarly shown by small occurrences in his family life T There here is a fine fire strain of humor running through his up make-up and though delightful delightful delightful de de- it i is sometimes marred by a alack alack alack lack of delicacy of feeling which in some parts of the novel is quite marked His domestic life is extremely quiet and amusing His mildness in correcting correcting correcting correct correct- ing his wife and daughters for their folly charmes us He is al always ways teaching them to be contented and to live so that they can make companions of their own thoughts and feelings The most pathetic part of his nature is pictured in the way he lie treats Olivia His as assurances assurances assurances as- as loving words and the stories he tells to comfort her show a deeply sympathetic nature His life lite before his family is one of cf precept and practice II gentle government and wise blindness That simplicity which is such a marked feature of his character is very becoming to his spiritual life What could be more simple and beautiful than the lesson of duty and obedience he teaches his people on the way to the prison He draws pure moral truths from everyday happenings and wherever he goes and whatever the circumstances circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances teaches hopefulness and submission submission submission sub sub- mission in adversity The lessons he daily gives his family are carried with the same purity puri ty of heart and purpose into his teachings to his people Nor does he fail to train his family religiously religiously for in their misfortunes he joins with them in prayers for help and in prosperity returns thanks to the Creator Whether we think the character of the vicar is true to life or whether we think Goldsmith has painted only an ideal person the fact remains that he gains our William Black says II There is enough human natu nature e in inv v Doctor Primrose for fifty novels of that age a and d one might add and add and virtues too The author had a definite purpose in view in drawing the character of Doctor Primrose and almost every turn of the story seems designed to throw into relief a different phase of his make make- up This man is the medium through which the purpose of the story is worked out and the fact that he is not true to nature does not not- in the least detract from the value of the truths he teaches It seems not unreasonable to suppose that Goldsmith gave him a weak foolish wife wile so as to throw out still more boldly some of the husbands husband's ds d's traits At any rate our author has succeeded in picturing picturing I ing a man that we are better off for having known Virginia Bush j |