Title: The Grounded Patriot: Oliver Goldsmith as Historical Compiler
Abstract: Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) began his career as a writer in London in 1757 and laboured as an anonymous hack until he leaped into literary stardom with the publication of his first, major poem, The Traveller (1764). His industriousness did not cease until his death, and he continued to produce numerous works. Not only does the quantity of his outputs impress us today, but his engagement in diverse fields of writing was arguably unmatched by his contemporaries.
However, of Goldsmith?s diverse writerly portfolio, much attention has been directed towards his great poetical, theatrical and novelistic works, at the expense of his historical compilations: An History of England, in a Series of Letters from a Nobleman to his Son (1764), the Roman History (1769), the History of England (1771) and the Grecian History (1774). Indeed, from the late-eighteenth century onwards, these texts have been enduringly and progressively dismissed as lesser works.
Broadly speaking, this thesis attempts to dismantle the lowly regard with which Goldsmith?s histories continues to be regarded. To this extent, firstly, the deepening trend towards pushing these compilations to the outer reaches of the Goldsmithian orbit is traced in detail and a robust defence against such an outlook is provided. The great, potential value they hold as materials of scholarly import is thus established. Following this, the histories are used to discover specific aspects of Goldsmith?s mindset. To begin, the History of England is examined to reveal his socio-political inclination. It is argued that he was a relatively objective and principled historian with an increasingly strong desire to warn his English readers of the dangers that they faced as a nation and earnestly sought to forward his belief in the need for a more equitable distribution of wealth. Then, his approach towards Ireland and the Irish is looked at by comparing his two English histories. It is established that while he increasingly valued his sense of English identity, there was enough of an Irishman left in him that he, in 1771, voiced concern over Britain?s neglectful and overbearing treatment of Ireland both politically and economically. Lastly, his religious tendencies are revealed by considering all of his histories. It is asserted that while he was never able to extrapolate himself from the common prejudices of the time, he still fought to make a case for amicability and toleration, for the sake of social cohesiveness and power.
In conclusion, the need to reconsider Goldsmith?s histories as valuable works in and of themselves is asserted and, by drawing the strands of what has been discovered in the preceding chapters, it is proposed that he should be acknowledged as a grounded patriot; as one who soberly reflected upon the realities of the moment to champion the cause of both Britain and Ireland.
In terms of methodology, the historical context is paid attention to, and the manner in which Goldsmith had, in composing his historical compilations, deviated from, modified and re-conveyed…
Publication Year: 2019
Publication Date: 2019-01-01
Language: en
Type: dissertation
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Cited By Count: 2
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