# Ambition and Worldly Success in Eminent Victorians

> Theme guide for Eminent Victorians by Lytton Strachey.

The narratives of Manning and others explore the psychological conflict between personal ambition, desire for power and status, and the spiritual or moral ideals that supposedly governed Victorian public life.

## Where it surfaces

- [Cardinal Manning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/cardinal-manning): Manning's career is portrayed as a triumph of practical ability and ambition, allowing him to navigate and succeed in a modern, progressive society while embodying ancient ecclesiastical traditions.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/i): Manning's relentless ambition is a central theme, from his early political dreams to his eventual acceptance of a clerical career.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/iv): Manning's diary reveals his intense conflict between worldly ambition (honour, preferment, society) and his spiritual ideals, a key theme in his personal crisis.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/v): Manning's rapid rise from a middle-aged neophyte to Archbishop of Westminster is depicted as a result of his ambition and strategic maneuvering.
- [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/vi): Manning's 'born autocrat' appetite for dominion and his strategic maneuvering to consolidate power highlight the theme of ambition in religious leadership.
- [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/vii): Manning's skillful maneuvering and influence at the Council, earning him the epithet 'Il Diavolo del Concilio,' illustrate his personal ambition and worldly success within the Church hierarchy.
- [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/viii): Manning's long career culminates in being made a Cardinal, a 'Princedom of the Church,' highlighting his ambition and eventual worldly success.
- [Chapter IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/ix): Manning's near-election to the papacy and the political maneuvering over Newman's cardinalate highlight the interplay of ambition, power, and ecclesiastical honour.
- [Manning's Final Years and Legacy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/x): Manning reflects on his life, questioning whether his accomplishments were worthwhile and comparing himself to figures like Macaulay and Gladstone.
- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/i): Florence's relentless drive to achieve her nursing vocation, despite family opposition and societal norms, illustrates a powerful ambition that prioritizes a 'true and rich life' over conventional happiness.
- [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/ii): Nightingale's relentless drive and indomitable will enabled her to overcome official opposition and achieve extraordinary influence, though at great personal cost.
- [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/iii): Nightingale's relentless drive to reform the War Office and her refusal to rest despite her health epitomize ambition. Sidney Herbert's career, however, illustrates the tragic cost of such ambition, as he is consumed by the struggle and dies in defeat.
- [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/iv): Nightingale's drive for power and influence, her seclusion as a means of control, and her legendary status illustrate the theme of ambition.
- [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/v): Despite her diminished influence, Nightingale's lifelong achievements in nursing and sanitation are recognized with the Order of Merit.
- [The End of General Gordon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/the-end-of-general-gordon): Gordon's personal ambition and sense of honour drive him to hold out against the Mahdi, forcing the government's hand. His final letters reveal a concern for his pecuniary affairs and his duty, reflecting the tension between personal glory and official policy.
- [Bibliography](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/chapters/bibliography): Gordon's life and the accounts of his career highlight themes of personal ambition and the pursuit of worldly renown.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/themes/ambition_and_worldly_success
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/eminent_victorians_se/themes