The Man in Black | The Citizen of the World by Oliver Goldsmith | Summary, Analysis
Best known for his comic play "She Stoops to Conquer" and the novel "The Vicar of Wakefield," Oliver Goldsmith was also one of the most prominent essayists of the 18th century. "The Character of the Man in Black" appears in Goldsmith's most popular essay collection, "The Citizen of the World." Although sometimes described as a novel, Oliver Goldsmith’s ‘The Citizen of the World’ (1760) is united by a very slight plot. A collection of letters written by Lien Chi Altangi, a fictional Chinese visitor to London, the letters were originally published individually in the daily journal ‘The Public Ledger’ as a series that ran between January 1760 and August 1761. There are 119 letters, some 700 pages, in all; in them, Goldsmith uses his fictitious author to deliver witty and frequently damning criticism of contemporary British culture. In the process, he incidentally also reveals a lot about contemporary British conceptions of Chinese culture and the state of British trade relations with China.
The major theme of The Citizen of the World is to emphasize ‘Internationalism’ while condemning ‘National Prejudices.’
The Character of The Man in Black, also known by the title The Man in Black is perhaps the most famous essay from the pen of Oliver Goldsmith. Along with his Beau Tibbs, it ranks among the greatest English essays. Goldsmith has drawn a memorable character through this essay. The Man in Black is a sort of roving ambassador of kindness and generosity. The essay is a character sketch of an English man which is a testimony to the writer’s maturity as a humourist and his peculiar style of writing. His character is a curious mixture of contradictory qualities. He is generous in the extreme but loves to be known as a great miser. His talk gives the impression of a cruel and ill-natured man, a misanthrope who hates mankind. But while he is talking ill-naturedly, his cheek is glowing with pity. He tries his utmost to hide his noble feelings as though he feels ashamed of them. But his pretence of being what in reality he is not, is often exposed to a very casual observer. The greater part of the essay deals with this strange paradox of this most lovable man’s character. Goldsmith gives three concrete instances of his conduct with the poor and needy persons, and in all these instances his innate good nature becomes more and more attractive.
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