Goldsmith

Goldsmith, Oliver, 1730?-1774, Anglo-Irish author. The son of an Irish clergyman, he was graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1749. He studied medicine at Edinburgh and Leiden, but his career as a physician was quite unsuccessful. In 1756 he settled in London, where he achieved some success as a miscellaneous contributor to periodicals and as the author of Enquiry into the Present State of Polite Learning in Europe (1759). But it was not until The Citizen of the World (1762), a series of whimsical and satirical essays, that he was recognized as an able man of letters. His fame grew with The Traveler (1764), a philosophic poem, and the nostalgic pastoral The Deserted Village (1770). However, his literary reputation rests on his two comedies, The Good-natur'd Man (1768) and She Stoops to Conquer (1773), and his only novel, The Vicar of Wakefield (1766). His comedies injected a much-needed sense of realism into the dull, sentimental plays of the period. They are lively, witty, and imbued with an endearing humanity. The Vicar of Wakefield is the warm, humorous, if somewhat melodramatic, story of a country parson and his family. Although he earned a great deal of money in his lifetime, Goldsmith's improvidence kept him poor. Boswell depicted him as a ridiculous, blundering, but tenderhearted and generous creature. He had the friendship of many of the literary and artistic great of his day, the most notable being that of Samuel Johnson.

(born Nov. 10, 1730, Kilkenny West, County Westmeath, Ire.—died April 4, 1774, London, Eng.) Irish-born British essayist, poet, novelist, and dramatist. Goldsmith attended Trinity College in Dublin before studying medicine in Edinburgh. Settling in London, he began writing essays, some of which were collected in The Citizen of the World (1762). In 1764 he became an original member of Samuel Johnson's famous Club. He won a reputation as a poet with The Traveller (1764), confirmed by his famous pastoral elegy The Deserted Village (1770). The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) revealed his skill as a novelist. The charming farce She Stoops to Conquer (1773) was his most effective play. Noted for his exceptionally graceful, lively style, Goldsmith was a friend of many literary lights of his day, who agreed that he was one of the oddest personalities of his time.

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(born Nov. 10, 1730, Kilkenny West, County Westmeath, Ire.—died April 4, 1774, London, Eng.) Irish-born British essayist, poet, novelist, and dramatist. Goldsmith attended Trinity College in Dublin before studying medicine in Edinburgh. Settling in London, he began writing essays, some of which were collected in The Citizen of the World (1762). In 1764 he became an original member of Samuel Johnson's famous Club. He won a reputation as a poet with The Traveller (1764), confirmed by his famous pastoral elegy The Deserted Village (1770). The Vicar of Wakefield (1766) revealed his skill as a novelist. The charming farce She Stoops to Conquer (1773) was his most effective play. Noted for his exceptionally graceful, lively style, Goldsmith was a friend of many literary lights of his day, who agreed that he was one of the oddest personalities of his time.

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Goldsmith is a city in Ector County, Texas, United States. The population was 253 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Goldsmith is located at (31.982441, -102.615714).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 253 people, 101 households, and 67 families residing in the city. The population density was 795.8 people per square mile (305.3/km²). There were 113 housing units at an average density of 355.4/sq mi (136.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.14% White, 0.40% Native American, 9.09% from other races, and 2.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.72% of the population.

There were 101 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.1% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $38,125, and the median income for a family was $47,321. Males had a median income of $32,000 versus $15,000 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,237. About 7.9% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under the age of eighteen and 28.3% of those sixty five or over.

Education

Goldsmith is served by the Ector County Independent School District.

References

External links