Vanity Fair & Male Vanity Essay Example for Free

egoism Fair Male vanity EssayThrough the course of hi report as sex relates to either sex, the flamboyance of either gender is dependent upon culture. The manly birds of the Amazon are typically more colorful than their female counterparts, and their mating trip the light fantastic is very unique in its structure, and the female for her part does not have to go through the loops of much(prenominal) ritual as the male does. This is true for separate animals as well from the battle of rams to the dolphin fights in the ocean the importance of strength and beauty has dominated the sexual history of animals. This is also true for the humans race, and in no other culture and time in history as in the straightlaced culture is the human male more colorful than the female. The idea of vanity as it is expressed in Vanity Fair will be explored throughout this essay. William Makepeace Thackeray explores this concept in his partings and how vanity, or the color of the male gender in the Victorian culture, is the motif of everyday living for such protagonists. This idea will be presented in this essay will textual support from Vanity Fair as well as Laura Georges article The Emergence of the Dandy and Russell A.Frasers Pernicious Casuistry A Study of Character in Vanity Fair. Throughout the course of the saucy, Thackeray employs the recurrent theme of the squire or as George states, sparks, fops, beaux, swells, coxcombs, popinjays, macaroni, butterflies (George 2), a name that advise be used to describe men who aspire to be genteel. The fashion plate was envisioned by a man who went by the name of George Beau Brummell, as George states, Brummell frequently represented all that was abjected by modern masculinity love of fashion, of fabric, of the shape and cut of ones clothes.Brummell himself bore a conglomerate relationship to the emerging regime of masculine fashionable austerity (George 1). By focusing upon this concept of the dandy and the effects i t can have upon an individuals personality, Thackeray decides to focus upon his male characters, Joseph Sedley and George Osborne, in particular. While the other characters within the novel are capable of accepting whatever amount of dandyism they might have, it is these two characters that detain transfixed upon their ability to maintain universe dandy, which ultimately lead them to their unfortunate deaths.They were withal consumed with thoughts about manner both physically and socially to the extent it affected their ability to function in the world of Vanity Fair. In other words, these characters are seen being prime examples of how Thackerays novel is forethoughted with how distributively characters presentation will determine their success or failure. Soon aft(prenominal) Thackeray introduces his readers to the world of Vanity Far, the reader learns too quickly that these characters belonging to the middle class aspire to be part of the aristocracy hence the role of the dandy coming into play.It has often been said that the aristocratic dandies, is at once a unique person- the model of dandyhood for all time- an embodiment of a common middle-class illusion of aristocratic distinction ( Cole, 137), which is why we see many of Thackerays characters constantly finding opportunities to better themselves, and their send in society. Sir Rawdon Crawley, for example, was the one of few characters belonging to the aristocracy and was happily willing to give it up when he married Miss Rebecca Sharp.In the passage, By these attentions, the veteran rake, Rawdon Crawley, found himself coveted into a very joyous submissive married man (191) indicates that while Joseph Sedley and George Osborne would be unhappy had they lost their rank in society, Thackeray illustrates at how some people are content with the simpler things in life, things not involving money. The dandy or in the illustration of Vanity Fair, Sedly and Osborne were distracted by other things i n life, contempt their apparent unimportance to livelihood and more to do with ambiance, as George states of the dandy (and as it illustrates the dandys vanity in Thackerays novel) on that point are traces of the man of fashion as thing usage earlier, but the habit seems to coalesce just about the time of the Restoration, and for hefty reason. Throughout the tumultuous seventeenth century, the relations between masculinity and fashion were violently contested, as the various Stuart courts were accused of conspicuous consumption, luxury, and effeminacy (along with a regrettable tendency to belive in their confess divine rights) as Puritans pointed to the theological meanings of clothes as domestic texatile manufactourers (as opposed to traders) sought an economic articulatio and as the stakes and status of imported fabrics changed.It was in this context, as David Kuchta has argues, that Charles II adopted the three writing suit as the new sartorial model for masculinity (George 4) Joseph Sedley is the epitome of a dandy in Thackerays novel, and he illustrates of each of these points made by George. It seems that the gaining of wealth is the main preoccupation of the characters in Thackerays novel, and it was with the dandy that this wealth was displayed best to the public.Joseph Sedleys nickname in the novel is Waterloo Sedley because of his uncanny obsession with the Duke of Wellington. It seems that throughout the novel, Joseph Sedley, attaches himself to nobility purely on the grounds of their nobility as he relates himself with victor Tapeworm despite his impecunious state merely because he is a lord. Joseph Sedley pays extra attention to his appearance, more so than the pages describing the women getting prepared to go out.In all, the essence of a dandy is one whose ego is large(p)r than his lowliness and this is exceedingly true for Joseph Sedley as he does not concern himself with others judgments (except if they are august) and eats and drin ks and parties in a constant orgy around London (when he is in London). He does not like military life and is said to quaver at the sound of a canon at one point in the novel. Joseph Sedley fears any authority figure who could cut him d confess in strawman of nobility (such as his father) and he only pays attention to his own appearance and not to any politics, or other socially engaging conversation.Also, Joseph Sedleys egoism is so large and his dandy state corresponds to this that he does not change throughout the course of the novel. Joseph Sedley believes that his state of being is appropriate and he is happy being who and what he is to care to change. It is through this fault of being a dandy and having such a large ego and such a selfish personality that Becky is able to ensnare him into marriage. With Rawdon Crawleys rejection of the aristocratic ideal, Thackeray uses this to portray the idea of the dandy being solely a middle-class virtue.It appears that this flamboyant a ristocratic model of the 18th century was gradually rejected and supplanted by a restored and virtuous (Reed) high class, which is why characters like Lord Steyne can still be considered dandy without sacrificing their own ideals even though, he tries to exude his fantasies of Rebecca. Again, none of his actions can be compared to those of George Osborne. For example, when Dobbin publicly embarrasses George about the lack of affection he has towards his fiancee Amelia, George decides to corroborate his affections by purchasing a gift for his dear Amelia.Although Georges act of kindness is provoked as a gesture to prove his feelings for Amelia to the ever judgmental William Dobbin, he still decides to pursue what Thackeray displays as being a mockery of the middle-class gentleman. A true gentleman would not need to borrow money from his fighter as George is seen doing when deciding to buy Amelias gift, to a man he is already trying to prove himself. Georges inability to conjure up the sufficient funds indicates his lack of knowledge of what it means to be dandy.In allege to truly exude the essence of being a dandy, the use of flamboyance displayed in clothing as well as a countenounce of style must be utilized, which it seems George lacks as his reserve is spurred by jealousy and a certain essence of revenge and a little pride in his buying Amelia a gift, not as a dandy would buy a gift for the propose of sharing their flamboyance but more to prove another man wrong, which is more white-collar than noble (as the nobility in the definition of the dandy was the main element in society they wanted to portray).hither it seems that George, in the analogy of the animal kingdom and the male having to display his power and beauty in order to waylay other men from victorious his choice in female, George is truly playing the part of the dominating male. Thus, his definition of a dandy may be split in half.His actions speak towards being too masculine and paying t oo much attention to the jealousy and revenge and pride in his character on how much he loves his girl, while the other part of him is paying strict attention to his dandy nature in him buying her a gift in order to win her affections, thus saltation for her. However it is in his intentions with the gift that George can closely decidedly not be a dandy. In order to have a true lack of definition of a dandy to apply to George Osborne, a more thorough review of the main definition of a dandy is needed, as George writes,Anxieties about younker sparks selling land in order to waste money on the transitory notions of fashion ascertain at least to the Renaissance, but in the wake of the Puritan Commonwealth and in the midst of concern about Stuart affiliations with the French court, the political stakes of fashionable choices seemed particularly starkAddison and Steel were particularly pie-eyed by the fops who troubled boundaries they were working to stabilize.That is, as fashionable consumption enriched manufacturers and shopkeepers at the expense of the aristocracy, Addison and Steele sough yearling portray fashion itself as feminine in particular ways as prone to rumbustious appetites, unreasonable fancies, and as generally wasting in its seductive powers. Men who gave into its allure risked becoming feminine, or risked losing their humanity altogether. The figure of the Romantic era dandy, then, addressed old concerns, stirred up old fears, and challenged powerfully defended distinctions between masculinity and fashion (George 5).According then to this statement, Georges obsession with proving himself to his fellow male friends would place him the category of half a dandy as he does not display all of the required traits that being a true dandy entails. However, it is his vanity that truly defines Georges personality. His vanity on how he will appear to his friends is what initiates his gift-giving and thus, it is vanity that is the main propellant to thi s characters impetus on most of his actions in the course of the novel.His vanity in his own ego just like Sedleys drives this character forward in Thackerays work, and it is vanity which engulfs him in relationship with Amelia. By failing to exhibit many of the traits of what defines a gentleman throughout the novel, George is seen trying to hold on to this idea of being a dandy, a trait he obviously lacks. It is in his pursuits that Thackeray appears to be a making a mockery of George and what he believes makes him superior to his much hated rival, Rebecca.However, the two of them are very much alike, each character is seen as taking advantage of each opportunity to better their bewilder in society, and it is their pursuits that Thackeray allows the English class clay to shine through in his novel. For instance, when Rebecca is seen writing a letter to her beloved Amelia about her first materialize with Rawdon Crawley where she writes Your Indian Muslin and your pink silk, dear est Amelia, are said to become me very well.They are a good deal worn now but you know, we poor girls cannot afford des fraiches toilettes (Thackeray 115), Thackeray has her ending the letter with the story of her scarf joint. This scarf does not represent a gift, but a class distinction. He wants to remind his audience of the different privileges available to the middle class, and it is through the use of the dandy that his message is conveyed. In Rebeccas position as a penniless governess her only exposure to anything Indian would be this scarf that Amelia herself did not want.This scarf appears to be Amelia indirectly displaying her thoughts of the lower class believing them to only be worthy of her trashor it could also be her tactless manner and her own inability to see beyond the scope of her own world and thus her giving this as a gift is her ignorance being displayed in Thackerays novel and how privileged women are not always the smartest despite their positions.Interesting ly, Rebecca took it as an act of kindness, and as something of value. It appears that by her taking advantage of the scarf it is her way of holding on to some piece of the middle class, her wearing of the trim is a way to fool people of the reality of her situation. Despite her tactless manner, it seems that Amelia is one of the only save characters in Vanity Fair, again this may be attributed to her ignorance, as Fraser writes