Aspects of Rivalry

Rivalry is a force, which plays a central, yet sometimes covert role in the complex relationships between men in the William Makepeace Thackeray novel, Vanity Fair. A larger variety of actions in Thackeray's work can be explained via the notion of competing, than first meets the eye. Conduct is examined through a modern perspective, which interpreted certain elements of male behaviour as ones acting on or against instincts of rivalry. The book - while unearthing certain sexual motives - attempts to show that these instincts of competing in Vanity Fair comprise a complex, wide-ranging phenomenon, which has to be suppressed, conquered or utilised by the characters. The analysis aims to highlight Thackeray's use of rivalry between men as an ambiguous concept, in adherence with his philosophy of attempting to depict the truth. Through this modern viewpoint, the book attempts to show that conflicts between males in the novel prove how modern the 19th century masterpiece really is. It should be of interest to all Thackeray and Victorian Age readers, along with those who like to examine and read about deeper layers of human behaviour in literature.