"Money (that's what I want)"

Here we go again with the pop culture references! In 1963, The Beatles covered the song, "Money (That's What I Want). The song lyrics state, "The best things in life are free/ But you can keep them for the birds and bees/ Now give me money". Aside from being a little bit capitalistic, the song also seems extremely greedy. However, this same concept is applied in The Vicar of Wakefield.  In the introductory paragraphs and chapters in the novel, the protagonist, Primrose discusses his reasoning for selecting his wife. He tells the reader, "[I] chose my wife as she did her wedding gown, not for a fine glossy surface, but such qualities as would wear well"(Goldsmith 37). In other words, Primrose selects  his wife for practical purposes, as she is someone who will be good at childrearing and cooking. He says that his wife selected her wedding gown to be worn again, possibly so money could  saved on future dresses. Considering the novel was written in the 18th century, each idea is practical in its own right. However, later in The Vicar of Wakefield, we see Primrose's wife almost contradict herself when she comes downstairs with her daughters dressed for church. Here, her outfit is too elaborate, and almost embarrassing. In fact, Primrose makes them all change, because their outfits are too showy for Sunday service. This is an interesting exchange because it almost makes the family seem like they are putting on a façade of wealth when they are really not. Furthermore, the family is extremely concerned that their daughters marry for money, rather than true love. While the practice was not entirely uncommon for the time era, and the situation ultimately untangles itself in the end, it still shows that Primrose and his family are not only a little strapped for cash*, but that they know that "The best things in life are free" but what they'd really rather have is money.

*Disclaimer: the Primrose family starts out with money, but through the events that transpire in the novel, they lose a lot of it (they drop in financial social standing). However, by the end of the book they are back on their feet and wealthier. It is far more beneficial to read this dynamic in the book than it is to try figure it out from a brief summary in a blog post, so if you want to learn more about the Primrose family, Read the book!