“ if a man's character is to be abused, say what you will, there's nobody like a relation to do the business. ”
William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair (1847). copy citation
| Author | William Makepeace Thackeray |
|---|---|
| Source | Vanity Fair |
| Topic | abuse closeness |
| Date | 1847 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | https://www.gutenberg.org/files/599/599-h/599-h.htm |
Context
“She imparted these stories gradually to Miss Crawley; gave her the whole benefit of them; felt it to be her bounden duty as a Christian woman and mother of a family to do so; had not the smallest remorse or compunction for the victim whom her tongue was immolating; nay, very likely thought her act was quite meritorious, and plumed herself upon her resolute manner of performing it. Yes, if a man's character is to be abused, say what you will, there's nobody like a relation to do the business. And one is bound to own, regarding this unfortunate wretch of a Rawdon Crawley, that the mere truth was enough to condemn him, and that all inventions of scandal were quite superfluous pains on his friends' parts.”
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Meaning and analysis
