The Vicar of Wakefield: Week 1: May 4-10: Chapters 1-10

[Frances, Moderator]

Welcome to the first week of our Vicar of Wakefield discussion.

In this section we are introduced to the family of Dr Primrose, the Vicar of the title, his wife Mrs Primrose, and their children George (educated at Oxford, meant for a profession), Olivia, 18 at the start of the novel, who is the beauty, Sophia, 17, who is less beautiful but perhaps more attractive on better acquaintance, Moses (educated at home, meant for business), and two more sons born 12 years after Moses.

The family has been left a small fortune by relatives, and on first meeting them they are well-established as a reasonably well-liked and well-off family in their neighbourhood, known for their hospitality and conviviality. However chapter three ends when, on the brink of marrying off their eldest son, the Vicar learns that the family fortune has been lost, and as he had somehow turned over his income from his present position to the clergy and orphans of the diocese, the family is obliged to move to a distant parish where, with the £15/year from his stipend and the income from a small farm attached to the vicarage, the family will be able to manage on much reduced income, while Oliver, whose marriage was cancelled on the loss of the family fortune and therefore his support, is sent to town to earn money through his education.

The family sets off to their new home and life in chapter 3, and our tale begins in earnest.

1. Who are the various personages met along the way, and how do you think they will affect the family going forward?
2. Our Vicar narrator expresses his love and tenderness for his family and friends on multiple occasions-does this feel sincere to you?
3. What dangers to do you see for the family in their new situation?
4. Were there scenes in which you thought the humour came through quite strongly?
5. At this point, how much is being played straight, and what if anything is satirical?

Please share your thoughts on this opening section.

[Bill]

We have seen before, as with Frances Burney, that in the 18th-century the novel was at a very early stage of development & if we expect believable plots & realistic characters, we'll be disappointed. This period in the middle of the century is sometimes called 'the Age of Sentiment' & many found the good-hearted but naive Vicar endearing. Readers felt lots of nostalgia for traditional country life, which was disappearing as the result of enclosure & a little later the beginnings of industrialisation. £15/year probably wouldn't be enough. My impression is that an agricultural labourer's family would need double that to be comfortable. (Which we'll see later is about what a gentlewoman-companion might get, too.)

[Lori, Moderator]

I was also thinking it reminded me of Frances Burney, and is reading like a morality tale. Authors of this time also tended to use "cried" A LOT as a dialog tag and it's really distracting.

[Jaylia3]

I didn't read the background material until I was about halfway through this week's reading, and I was quite surprised to see that Oliver Goldsmith was seen as dissolute, at least by Boswell. I assumed he was a pious vicar like Dr. Primrose, who I find a bit overly pious and sometimes unlikeable, like when he tipped over the face wash his daughters were making over the fire.

[Robin P, Moderator]

The reversal of fortune made me think of the TV show Schitts Creek, where a rich family becomes poor and learns to appreciate each other and a simpler life. I am rather cynical about that, thinking of Bronson Alcott, who moved his wife and daughters to a utopian community, hoping to teach them simple virtues. What his daughter Louisa learned was that it was terrible to be poor and she would do anything she could to earn money and never be in that position again.

[Frances, Moderator]

What do you think of the two male characters that the family have met so far?

Mr Burchell, who seems hopeless with money and has in fact pocketed some of Mr Primrose's meagre reserves, as they both seem to be generous to a fault-in this case literally-by giving away money to others which they need themselves to pay their bills.

Squire Thornhill, their new landlord, is described as ...one who desired to know little more of the world than its pleasures, being particularly remarkable for his attachment to the fair sex...no virtue was able to resist his arts and assiduity, and that scarce a farmer's daughter...but what had found him successful and faithless.

What did you make of the "town ladies" who accompanied Squire Thornhill on his visit?

[Lori, Moderator]

There is something "off" about those two "ladies" -- again reminding me of an incident in Evelina by Burney.

[Nancy]

The Vicar can certainly seem too strict with his wife and daughters by today’s standards; however, by the standards of the mid-eighteenth century, he is probably somewhat indulgent. He appears to genuinely love his family and sees his daughters as individuals, rather than simply as chattel to be married off to the highest bidder. His desire to curb the family’s grander instincts (such as wearing too much finery to church) seems appropriate in light of their reduced circumstances and a need to accommodate themselves to a new community. Most impressively, he remains cheerful despite the new difficulties in their lives.

[Neil]

I am enjoying the story thus far and I especially liked the ballad in chapter 8-did anyone notice the reference to a cricket chirping in the hearth? (a Christmas story by Dickens that we read last December).
I agree with Bill that the plot thus far is notexciting or realistic, but I hope things may improve as we read on.

[Lindenblatt]

Anyone else reading an illustrated edition? Mine (from 1890, available online) has around 180 (!) illustrations by Hugh Thomson, who also illustrated Jane Austen's novels. I really like them! Here are the vicar and his wife:

[Neil]

Yes, I have an illustrated paperback copy, I bought it in a charity shop for the Princely sum of £1.99 ! I dare say that I’m finding the illustrations more entertaining than the novel, but it’s early days yet.The trouble I find with illustrated copies If you’re not careful, they can give the story away before you’ve had chance to read it.

[Robin P, Moderator]

Yes, in the children's classics I used to read there was a "frontispiece" with a picture from somewhere in the book. I'm quite sure that in the young people's version of our recent book, The Three Musketeers, that picture was of a young woman being strung up from a tree. Besides being a disturbing image for kids, that scene doesn't occur until at least halfway into the book.

[Lindenblatt]

Indeed, the frontispiece in my edition hints very strongly at what is going to happen! Still, I am glad to have these illustrations as I agree with Neil that they are currently more entertaining than the novel itself.

[Deborah, Moderator]

I’m enjoying the book so far. I, too, fine the visiting ladies suspicious. The different focuses of both the vicar and his wife concerning the daughters made me smile. The wife is all for pale, soft skin; dresses; and appearances to the community to attract marriageable men. The vicar to propriety and fitting into there new area.

[Ian]

Hugh Thomson has a Wikipedia article, which describes his meticulous research for historical details. It also has a link to a digital (Internet Archive) edition of his illustrated “Vicar,” in a list of the “Cranford” series of illustrated novels. Finding it directly on the Archive is difficult, since there are a great many editions.

[Frances, Moderator]

Lindenblatt wrote: "Anyone else reading an illustrated edition? Mine (from 1890, available online) has around 180 (!) illustrations by Hugh Thomson, who also illustrated Jane Austen's novels. I really like them! Here ..."

Thanks for sharing that! I don't have illustrations so much appreciated.

[Trev]

I am entirely on the side of the vicar and applaud his actions so far.

In these early stages I get the ‘Tom Jones’ vibes and it seems to me that everything the Squire does is designed to lure one or other (or both) of the vicar’s daughters into his ‘infidelities.’ No doubt the Squire has his ‘chaplain’ on hand at all times so that he can organise a quick ‘sham marriage’ whenever it is necessary. I pondered whether or not a juvenile Lord Byron might have read this novel and made notes of the Squire’s schemes for his own use in later life.

I was surprised at the way the vicar’s wife seemed to be so gullibly handing over her daughters to the Squire, eg. via the fine ‘town ladies’ (probably prostitutes.) However, like many, she must have been dazzled by wealth and title. At that moment the vicar had the sense to step in but how long can he hold out against his landlord?

The ‘poor’ Mr Burchell is an interesting character. He has already saved Sophia from drowning. Is he going to be the ‘hero’ that saves her again? This time from a fate worse than death?

[Trev]

I was curious about the word ‘pomatum’ applied on their hair by the ladies in readiness for their first day at their new church.

’ They punctually obeyed my directions; but when we were to assemble in the morning at breakfast, down came my wife and daughters, drest out in all their former splendour: their hair plaistered up with pomatum, their faces patched to taste, their trains bundled up into an heap behind, and rustling at every motion.

It was mainly used for those big hair dos and all sorts of substances were applied.

Here are two fascinating articles about the use of pomatum or pomades.

https://www.geriwalton.com/pomatum-po...

https://onlivinghistory.blogspot.com/...


(Portrait of Mrs. Mary Graham by Thomas Gainsborough - 1777)

[Frances, Moderator]

Trev wrote: "I was curious about the word ‘pomatum’ applied on their hair by the ladies in readiness for their first day at their new church.

’ They punctually obeyed my directions; but when we were to assemb..."

In the absence of shampoo or regular hair washing, I suspect the hair would have been quite smelly and greasy after all that!

[Brian E]

Jaylia3 wrote: "a pious vicar like Dr. Primrose, who I find a bit overly pious and sometimes unlikeable,.."

He is that. I find myself feeling empathy for his family but little empathy for him.

[Julinda]

Lindenblatt wrote: "Anyone else reading an illustrated edition? Mine (from 1890, available online) has around 180 (!) illustrations by Hugh Thomson, who also illustrated Jane Austen's novels. I really like them! Here ..."
I do not have the illustrations. How wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I too am suspicious about the two fine "ladies" and the Squire. I doubt that he's the marrying kind! As for Mr. Burchell, he's certainly a hard worker and helps them do chores around the farm.
The two daughters and Mrs. Primrose were doing just fine being poor until the Squire had that dance. I think that they're going to look ridiculous pretending they're not poor. Plus, all those washes that they use on their skin can't be healthy.

The chapter where they rode, or tried to ride, the work horses to church was funny.