Analysis Of The Book Vanity - 964 Words

According the New Oxford American Dictionary, vanity has two definitions: 1. excessive pride in or admiration of one s own appearance or achievements; and 2. the quality of being worthless or futile. The narrator begins his story with a background of his home, specifically the death of the previous tenant, a priest who was anything but vain. In the narrator’s wanderings throughout the house, he finds the â€Å"air, musty from having been long enclosed, [hanging] in all the rooms, and the waste room behind the kitchen†¦littered with old useless papers† (Joyce 154). Outside, he explores the wild garden containing â€Å"a central apple tree and a few straggling bushes, under one of which [is] the late priest’s rusty bicycle-pump† (154). While on Earth, the priest placed little value in his material possessions; his home was modestly acceptable in an unassuming neighborhood. This contrasts starkly with the narrator, who eventually realizes he is a â€Å" creature driven and derided by vanity,† (158) through the motif of darkness, its contrast with light, and his own stubborn attitude throughout his short memoir. Darkness is first mentioned with the onset of winter, when â€Å"dusk fell before we had well eaten our dinners,† (154) leaving the narrator and his playmates to frolic beneath the somber violet sky. Regardless of their diminished sight, they run in the cold stinging air through dark muddy lanes to the doorways of dark dripping gardens and dark odorous stables. In the shadows cast by theShow MoreRelatedPride And Prejudice By Jane Austen1442 Words   |  6 PagesShe has for too long studied the behavioral books for young ladies available at the time. Mary represents the ideology of a woman who has not only pride but also vanity. This character’s poor relations and lack of understanding reflects a societal appreciation for those who have balance between morals, compassion, and pride and disdain for the ove rly learned, those uninterested in marriage and the sense of vainglory. Austen gives credence to this analysis through the use of diction and character dynamicsRead MoreJane Austen s Mood : Pride And Prejudice 1686 Words   |  7 Pagesmisconception of Darcy’s character as well. Memorable Quote, Line, Passage: â€Å"I admire all my three sons-in-law highly. Wickham, perhaps, is my favorite; but I think I shall like your husband quite as well as Jane’s† (Austen 256). Page 2: Character Analysis Elizabeth Bennet Characterization Support Commentary Main Conflict: Elizabeth hates Darcy after he separated Jane and Bingley, but Darcy loves her. 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