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Vanity Essay

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Vanity is theme not uncommon to folklore, religious stories, and novels. Vanity has many times been the downfall of major characters and historic figures. One of the most famous examples of the dangers of vanity is the story of David and Goliath. When the ten foot tall giant faced the small shepherd boy, rather than preparing for a fight like he would with any other soldier, Goliath laughed and taunted David. He had such great pride and overconfidence in himself that he most likely did not even see the stone that caused the fatal blow to his head. Vanity was his downfall, and like Goliath, many other characters carry this negative trait. Kovalyov is a prime example of being vain. He thinks the world of himself and although it does not lead …show more content…

Along with verbal insults, continual physical violence against others add to the idea that Kovalyov’s treatment of others stems from his over inflated ego. While on the hunt for nose, Kovalyov has the idea to run an ad in the paper in the hopes of capturing his nose. He orders his driver to head for the newspaper office with great haste, “pummelling the driver in the back” the whole way through. This blatant mistreatment has an almost slave like notion too it. Kovalyov believes simply because of his higher social status that his actions are justified no matter who he hurts or how terribly he treats them. Overall, Kovalyov’s conceited character drives his treatment of others. Kovalyov’s egotistic nature stems from his high value of his rank in society.
Kovalyov’s vanity derives from his value of rank. Although his title of collegiate assessor is more of a formality than a product of hard work, he still holds his position with the utmost pride. Kovalyov’s love for his career fuels his stuck nature and priorities in life. In order to “give more weight to his status,” Kovalyov goes by the title “Major” just to make himself feel more important. This could very well be one of most vain things conceivable. It takes a very certain type of character to make others address you in a different way just to feel more powerful. His high

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