The Bonfire of the Vanities

The morally complex protagonist of the novel, Sherman McCoy is wealthy, well-educated, and handsome. Sherman is a dynamic, well-rounded character who changes over the course of the narrative. Acutely aware of his good looks, Sherman describes himself as having a full head of dark hair, a broad forehead, and an aristocratic chin. Sherman is also proud of his WASP—white Anglo-Saxon Protestant heritage—and the life he has built in Manhattan with his interior designer wife Judy and his adorable blond daughter, Campbell. At the start of the novel, Sherman is shown to be obsessed with image, preferring performance to reality. For instance, though he loves Campbell, he assumes being a good father is about appearing adorable with her, rather than actually spending time with his child. Similarly, Sherman likes to show the world he has a perfect life with Judy but does not follow this up with fidelity. Sherman is also shown to objectify women, look down upon people he deems socially inferior, and chase status thoughtlessly. However, while Sherman is shown to be morally dubious, especially since he is having a secret affair with the married Maria Ruskin, his interior