How did William Makepeace Thackeray portray snobbery in The Book of Snobs?

In The Book of Snobs (1848), William Makepeace Thackeray defines a snob as someone who "meanly admires mean things," a characterization that serves as the foundation for his critique of 19th-century social behavior. Originally published as a series of sketches in the British periodical Punch, the work utilizes quick, satirical character drawings to expose the hypocrisy and vanity inherent in society.12

Rather than focusing on a single type of person, Thackeray portrays snobbery as a pervasive social ailment. He analyzes and deplores the tendency of individuals to fawningly admire or vulgarly seek association with those they perceive as their superiors. By documenting these behaviors, he highlights the moral shortcomings of a society obsessed with status and appearance. Throughout his broader literary career, Thackeray maintained this focus, viewing the analysis of such human behaviors and societal hypocrisies as a fundamental and essential function of the novelist.13