Pride

In the very first chapter Mr. Lapham establishes a major theme when he has Johnny read Bible verse after Bible verse about the sin of pride. The subject of proper and improper pride runs throughout Johnny Tremain. On the one hand there is, "the pride of your power" an arrogance which is apparent in things as small as Johnny's pleasure in using his superior status to boss and belittle his fellow apprentices and as large as the British army's attitude toward the colonists. The entire Lyte family demonstrate their enormous pride by engraving everything they own, from carriages and cups to gloves and walking sticks with the family crest, in contrast with the even richer John Hancock, whose attention is not concentrated on his own magnificence but on the needs of others. Even when the skill which gave rise to his pride is destroyed Johnny's pride, in its...