Abstract
We know that Becky Sharp is hardly morally praiseworthy, yet we root for her as her story unfolds. We sympathize with this anti-heroine who embodies some of the traits we fear in real-life others but would like for ourselves – at least to a degree. If we were more like Becky, we would not only be in a position to more effectively better our condition but we would also have much more fun in the process. If Becky is a heroine, then not in the way Smith appears to have in mind when he writes about the “heroes of tragedy and romance.” We admire Becky not because she learns a moral lesson or exemplifies a particular virtue, but because of her irrepressible vivacity, resilience, joy and ruthlessness. Our readerly admiration for Becky the protagonist contrasts with the envy and hostility she inspires in the female population of VF. While we enjoy seeing Becky rise, her rivals in VF naturally resent her success. This concluding chapter discusses why we want Becky to win and why we are attracted to this deeply ambiguous role model.
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Notes
- 1.
See, for example, Jean Racine’s Phèdre (which allows us to “enter into” the feeling of remorse); Voltaire’s Mahomet (which shows the dangers of religious fanaticism); and L’Orphelin de la Chine (offering the spectator insights into ambition, love, and character) (TMS 83, 198, 238).
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Slegers, R. (2018). Conclusion. In: Adam Smith’s Moral Sentiments in Vanity Fair. Issues in Business Ethics, vol 49. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98731-6_9
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