and shape one would expect from a novel by Dickens, for example.

Although the action of the story is embedded within a recognizable social milieu, the emotions, the sensibilities on display, are universal and transcend the limitations of time and place. Somewhat inevitably, such universality is bought at the cost of specificity, which we would normally expect to see depicted through detailed descriptive writing.

The word sensibility had a different meaning in eighteenth and early nineteenth century than it does today. A synonym today would be sentimentality. The Vicar of Wakefield is considered a novel of sensibility because it is drenched in feeling or emotion. The second half, especially, is considered emotional or melodramatic, meant to excite the reader's compassion.

Sensibility is closely associated with Romanticism, a literary movement that tried to touch the emotions of readers, especially by depicting poor, distressed, marginalized, or despised people in the most favorable light possible. This, it was hoped, would raise people's sympathy for those who suffered. In both his poetry and prose writing, Goldsmith is seen as a precursor to the Romantic movement.

The novel engages readers' emotions because the virtuous Primroses suffer a series of misfortunes that begin with losing their money and being forced to live in humbler circumstances. Life for the Primroses becomes worse and worse as Olivia runs off with the evil Squire Thornhill, who deceives her with a false marriage ceremony. As events go from bad to worse, the Primrose house burns to the ground, and Dr. Primrose is thrown into prison for not being able to pay his rent. Heartstrings are tugged as well when readers are led to believe Olivia is dead.

Such idealized tableaus as the following are typical of the sentimental novel:

She [Olivia, falsely reported] was dead!—The next morning he returned, and found me with my two little ones, now my only companions, who were using all their innocent efforts to comfort me. They entreated to read to me, and bade me not to cry, for I was now too old to weep. "And is not my sister an angel, now, pappa," cried the eldest, "and why then are you sorry for her?"

It should also be noted that the novel is laced with a biting critique of the abuse of the poor and of the world's often corrupt morals.

The Vicar of Wakefield is quite reflective of sentimental fiction, a genre that is typically associated with eighteenth-century English works. Novels of sensibility typically comment on human nature, exploring human virtue, human relationships, and moral and intellectual development. Goldsmith’s novel is emblematic of the genre because of his depiction of ordinary life, his frequent emotional appeals to the reader, and his use of literary elements such as irony.

One of the key characteristics of novels of sensibility is a focus on virtue and virtuous characters navigating difficult yet realistic situations. Consider how the Primrose family faces a stream of unpredictable difficulties, primarily through no fault of their own. For example, Dr. Primrose faces sudden trying financial times, his daughter Olivia is abducted, he falls sick, Olivia dies, and his other daughter Sophia is abducted.

The characters face many tragedies but always face them in straightforward, practical ways. Their approaches to their problems make them come across as innocent people who become more knowledgable through tough human experiences. Through these characters, Goldsmith suggests that humans are good, virtuous creatures at their core and acquire knowledge by experiencing the sinful realities of the world around them. He suggests that moral development happens as a result of what is learned from tough experiences—a defining theme of a novel of sensibility.