Introduction
Do you know how some books feel less like a story and more like a mirror? That’s what William Makepeace Thackeray did in Vanity Fair (1847–48). He didn’t just craft a Victorian novel; he exposed a stage where people play roles—greedy, ambitious, foolish, and occasionally noble. Unlike the polished heroes and heroines of his contemporaries, Thackeray gave us “a novel without a hero.”
Wait, get this—while Dickens was filling his pages with heartwarming morality, Thackeray chose satire, irony, and a sharp jab at human pretensions. Vanity Fair is less about romance and more about raw ambition, survival, and the absurd theater of society. But don’t worry, we’ll make sense of this rich, sprawling text through both an analysis of Vanity Fair and a complete summary of its storyline.
Vanity Fair in Context
To really appreciate this novel, you need to step back into the 19th century. England was at the height of empire, class hierarchies ruled, and marriage was often less about love and more about money. Into this backdrop, Thackeray drops two central women: Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley.
One is ambitious, sharp-tongued, and unapologetic. The other? Sweet, gentle, and heartbreakingly naïve. Together, they form the beating heart of the story, navigating wars, bankruptcies, marriages, betrayals, and society’s endless games.
Summary of Vanity Fair
This isn’t a book you can sum up in one neat paragraph—it’s sprawling. But here’s the condensed journey:
Becky Sharp’s Rise
Becky, born poor but clever, vows not to live a life of servitude. She charms her way into high society, first trying to marry Amelia’s wealthy brother Joseph Sedley. When that fails, she sets her sights elsewhere and eventually weds Rawdon Crawley, a somewhat dim but socially connected officer.
Her life becomes a constant dance of manipulation—securing invitations, currying favor with the rich, and dazzling influential men. But Becky’s glittering ambition often blinds her to real loyalty or love.
Amelia Sedley’s Struggles
In contrast, Amelia’s world collapses when her fiancé George Osborne dies at the Battle of Waterloo. Her family loses money, her social standing evaporates, and she spends years in near-poverty, obsessively clinging to George’s memory.
Meanwhile, Captain William Dobbin—George’s friend—quietly loves Amelia from the sidelines. His loyalty is almost painful to watch, as Amelia remains blind to his devotion.
The Two Women Diverge
Becky thrives (at least outwardly) in worldly affairs, but scandals eventually catch up. Rumors of affairs, unpaid debts, and betrayals stain her reputation. Rawdon leaves her, and Becky spirals into infamy, surviving on scraps of charm and cunning.
Amelia, on the other hand, finds redemption. Eventually, she sees Dobbin for what he truly is—a man who stood by her when everyone else abandoned her. The novel closes with Amelia and Dobbin’s marriage, a quiet but hard-earned happiness.
As for Becky? She survives, always scheming, always restless, an emblem of the vanity and hunger Thackeray wanted us to recognize.
Analysis of Vanity Fair and Its Themes
Here’s where it gets interesting. Vanity Fair isn’t just about Becky or Amelia—it’s about us, the readers, and the society Thackeray skewers.
A Novel Without a Hero
Thackeray deliberately denies us a “hero.” Becky is fascinating, but morally slippery. Amelia is kind but spineless. Even Dobbin, the closest to a moral compass, is frustratingly passive. The point? Perfection doesn’t exist, and humans are messy, contradictory creatures.
Satire of Social Climbing
Money and marriage fuel almost every plot twist. Thackeray laughs at the obsession with titles, inheritances, and reputations. His narrator often breaks the fourth wall, poking fun at characters—or directly at us—for our complicity in these games.
The Role of Women
At its heart, Vanity Fair is a novel about women navigating a world where their choices are painfully limited. Becky refuses to be meek, but society punishes her. Amelia embraces meekness, but that too comes at a cost. Their journeys expose the rigid gender expectations of the era.
War as Background Noise
Strange, right? The Napoleonic Wars (including the famous Battle of Waterloo) form a backdrop, but they’re never glorified. Thackeray treats war almost casually—less about heroism and more about its disruption of social lives.
Why Vanity Fair Still Resonates
Why does a novel written in 1848 still matter? Because people haven’t changed much. Social media, for instance, is its own Vanity Fair—people chasing status, attention, and fleeting applause. Becky Sharp would have thrived on Instagram; Amelia would have quietly scrolled, heartbroken, but loyal.
Thackeray’s genius was to write about ambition, hypocrisy, and survival in ways that still sting. Reading it today feels uncomfortably modern.
Conclusion
Therefore, what do we do with a book like this? We don’t walk away with a hero to idolize. Instead, we walk away with a sharper eye. Vanity Fair is a satire that still laughs at us, centuries later, daring us to admit—yes, we too sometimes live for appearances, applause, and ambition.
Personally, I find that haunting. Becky is terrible, yet magnetic. Amelia is pure, yet suffocating. Dobbin is noble, yet tragically overlooked. And Thackeray? He just sits behind the curtain, smirking at humanity’s little parade.
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