What is a 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 Hirsute, rickrack 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 tuft-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 snobs. I mean by
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 others who are snobs
only in certain circumstances and relations of life.”
Or we may divide them into superior snobs, and inferior
snobs. That is, snobs who are up, and look down and snobs who are up 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 itch their new and unaccustomed position;
they carefully forget “the hole of the pit whence they were digger”. Their
former poverty and low position, and carefully snub and avoid all poorer people
who might remind them of it. They look down on all beneath them in social
position. And refuse to mix with them in a way.
Then there are snobs who are down and look up.
Their whole ambition is to be recognized and patronized by people above them.
The 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
sell 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.