The Vicar of Wakefield · Chapter
Chapter XXVIII explained
The Vicar receives a report that Mr.
What happens
The Vicar receives a report that Mr. Thornhill refuses all submission and is preparing for marriage. Sophia is kidnapped by a well-dressed man in a post-chaise. The Vicar despairs but receives a cheerful letter from George, who is happy and favored by his colonel. The Vicar's wife confesses she wrote a letter urging George to avenge them, but it miscarried. The Vicar refuses to submit to Thornhill to free himself, even as Olivia's health declines. A fellow prisoner suggests writing to Sir William Thornhill. The chapter ends with a noise of tumult from the prison below.
Themes in this chapter
Forgiveness and Redemption
The Vicar struggles with forgiving Mr. Thornhill and his daughter's situation, while Olivia seeks reconciliation before her death.
Providence and Fate
The Vicar and his wife acknowledge Providence's role in the miscarriage of the angry letter, preserving George from ruin.
Hypocrisy and Morality
Mr. Thornhill's cruel refusal of submission and his impending marriage while Olivia languishes highlight his hypocrisy.
Characters to notice
- Dr. Primrose
The Vicar refuses to submit to Mr. Thornhill, despairs over Sophia's kidnapping, and receives George's letter.
- Olivia Primrose
Olivia visits her father in prison, looking deathly ill, and urges him to submit to Mr. Thornhill.
- Sophia Primrose
Sophia is kidnapped by a well-dressed man in a post-chaise while walking with her mother.
- Deborah Primrose
Deborah brings news of Sophia's kidnapping and confesses to writing a letter urging George to avenge them.
- George Primrose
George's letter is read aloud; he is happy, favored by his colonel, and unaware of the family's misfortunes.
- Mr. Thornhill
Mr. Thornhill rejects the Vicar's submission, is preparing for marriage in three days, and is described as facetious and cruel.
Key passages
“He can at once be facetious and cruel; but let him use me as he will, I shall soon be free, in spite of all his bolts to restrain me.”
The Vicar acknowledges Mr. Thornhill's ability to be both witty and harsh, but asserts that he will find freedom in death despite imprisonment.
The Vicar's resignation to his fate and his defiance of Thornhill's power.
“I am now drawing towards an abode that looks brighter as I approach it: this expectation cheers my afflictions.”
The Vicar sees death as a brightening destination that comforts him in his suffering.
The Vicar's religious hope in the afterlife as a solace.
“Providence, indeed, has here been kinder to us than we to ourselves. It has reserved that son to be the father and protector of my children when I shall be away.”
The Vicar acknowledges that divine intervention has been more merciful than their own actions, preserving George to support the family after his death.
The theme of Providence and the Vicar's gratitude for George's safety.