The Danger of Selfishness by Isabella

The Danger of Selfishness by Isabella - June 2022 Scholarship Essay

Lydia Bennet from Pride and Prejudice taught me both how to get anyone to throw a party and that selfishness can destroy a family. The key to being invited to the most fabulous balls is quite simple. After all, how hard is it to shame your sister’s future husband into hosting balls -- all while that same sister is sick? While Lydia’s selfish manipulating brought about some harmless fun, it also brought about immense trouble for her family.
During Lydia’s trip to Brighton, she spent the majority of her time spending her family’s money on useless accessories, not caring that her family was incredibly poor. Furthermore, she gave only gave a single thought to her impromptu elopement with someone she barely even knew: George Wickham. She saw her spontaneous elopement to Scotland simply as “a good joke” and failed to think of the repercussions her actions would have on her family. Wickham abandoned her in Scotland and ruined not only her reputation, but her family’s reputation as well. Her family had received berating letters from many and she had jeopardized her sisters’ futures, but she still made no efforts to make any sort of thoughtful action. When one of her sister’s fiancée’s managed to bribe Wickham to marry her in order to save her from further disgrace, she complained about his interference in her relationship.
While Lydia’s wild and impulsive ways presented her as an entertaining character, her reckless abandon nearly led her family to ruin. She lived the rest of her life on the brink of poverty always begging random family members for money. Her poor choices showed me that selfishness can be so affecting and destructing. While the story encouraged me to be a bit more selfless, I definitely have no shame asking my friends to throw me parties.