How does The Citizen of the World satirize English society?

In The Citizen of the World, Oliver Goldsmith satirizes English society by employing the literary device of an Oriental visitor to London. Through a series of letters written by this Chinese philosopher to his home, Goldsmith provides a shrewd and tolerant, yet critical, perspective on the customs, social structures, and behaviors of the English people.12

By observing Western society through the eyes of an outsider, the author is able to highlight the contradictions and peculiarities of 18th-century life in England. This narrative technique allows Goldsmith to distance himself from his subject matter, enabling a satirical examination that remains characteristically good-natured and charitable in its final judgments, even while exposing the flaws of the era.12