Vanity and Self-Deception

Paper Summary:

The paper examines Hanley's analysis of the central theme of vanity in both Tobias Wolff's "The Night in Question" and Samuel Johnson's "Rambler". The paper discusses how the literary traditions of the eras of both authors reflect their social and cultural norms. The paper is of the opinion that the most remarkable feature of Hanley's essay is the author's ability to parallel two otherwise disparate works of literature.

From the Paper:

"Yet Wolff's moralism is not intentional as Johnson's was, and not nearly as overt. As Hanley notes, Johnson wrote from an orthodox Christian perspective offering pointed opinions that were "never ambiguous or softly hued," (p. 147). On the contrary, Wolff never strives for didacticism. Instead he allows his narrators to open the minds and hearts of readers to steer them in the general direction of self-awareness. If readers come just a tad closer to self-assessment and self-honesty then Wolff would be satisfied in Hanley's assessment. Part of the reason why Wolff succeeds in becoming a modern-day Johnson is his literary acumen. His narrative voice and characterization elucidates the central moral theme in Johnson's work: vanity."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hanley, Brian. "Modernity's 'Mr. Rambler': Tobias Wolff's Exploration of Vanity and Self-Deception in The Night in Question." Papers on Language and Literature. Spring 2003.

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