What is Snob ? Here is a
dictionary definition :
" A person who vulgarly affects gentility or who pretends to a superiority he
does not possess, one who apes and cringes to his superiors and is overbearing
to those upon whom he looks as beneath him, one who regards wealth and position
rather than character ". It is significant that the word " snob " is connected
with the word " snub " for a snob is one who snubs anyone whom he considers to
be in a lower position to himself Thackeray wrote the amusing." The Book of
snobs " in which he gave humorous pictures of snobs of different types. There he
gave a list of snobs of various kinds." A trufl- hunter is a snob : A parasite
is a snob ; a man who allows the manhood within him to be awed by a coronet is a
snob ; the man who worships wealth is a snob ".
Snobs may be classified. For instance we may adopt Thackeray's classification, "
There are relative and positive, such persons as are snobs everywhere, in all
companies from morning till night from youth to the grave being by nature
endowed with snobbishness, and others who are snobs only in certain
circumstances and relations of life".
Or we may divide them into superior snobs and interior snobs that is snobs who
are up and look down and snobs who are down and look up. The snobs who are up
and look down are vulgar people who have risen in life and become wealthy and
prosperous. Exalted with their new and unaccustomed position they carefully
forget the who of the pit whence they were digged, their former poverty and low
positions and carefully snubs and avoid all poorer people who night remind them
of it. They look down on all beneath them in social position and refuse to mix
with them in anyway.
Then there are snobs who are down and look up. Their whole ambition is to be
recognised and partronized by people above them. They look down on those still
lower down and avoid people of their own social position for all their time is
taken up with trying to climb into social circles above theirs.
But snobs of all classes have one characteristic in common they all " regard
wealth and position rather than character ". They will shell their souls for a
smile from a duke or a compliment from a millionaire and would die rather than
be seen on friendly terms with a shopkeeper or a clerk.