He is noted for his sly personality, his childish selfishness, his gluttony and his smugness. Jarvis disapproves of "white-on-white empathy" and "white smugness". He roused people from an independence-induced smugness. The dog's perceived "smugness" has helped him appear on several "best of" lists. Some of these are directed against generalised British middle-class smugness in the post-atomic world. She demands that the Boy create an image that will destroy the husband's smugness.