Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair

by William Thackeray

by William Thackeray

(1847-48)

(1847-48)

Contextualization

Contextualization

William Thackeray achieved fame

William Thackeray achieved fame

with the satirical novel Vanity

with the satirical novel Vanity

Fair, which appeared in monthly

Fair, which appeared in monthly

instalments between 1847 and

instalments between 1847 and

1848 and which describes the

1848 and which describes the

social rise and fall of the

social rise and fall of the

unscrupulous adventurer , Becky

unscrupulous adventurer , Becky

Sharp.

Sharp.

Plot I

Plot I

This novel is set in England at the time of

This novel is set in England at the time of

the Napoleonic wars.

the Napoleonic wars.

The main characters are two school friends,

The main characters are two school friends,

Becky Sharp, the orphaned daughter of a

Becky Sharp, the orphaned daughter of a

poor artist, and Amelia Sedley, the

poor artist, and Amelia Sedley, the

daughter of a rich City merchant.

daughter of a rich City merchant.

Becky is an ambitious and adventurer, who

Becky is an ambitious and adventurer, who

tries to make her way through a

tries to make her way through a

convenient marriage with the son of Sir

convenient marriage with the son of Sir

Pitt, Rawdon.

Pitt, Rawdon.

Plot II

Plot II

Later Becky becomes the lover of

Later Becky becomes the lover of

Amelia’s husband, George

Amelia’s husband, George

Osborne, and when George is

Osborne, and when George is

killed at the battle of Waterloo,

killed at the battle of Waterloo,

she meets Lord Steyne, whose

she meets Lord Steyne, whose

“financial contributions” allow

“financial contributions” allow

her to keep a place in society.

her to keep a place in society.

Plot III

Plot III

She is discovered by her husband

She is discovered by her husband

and they separate. Time passes and

and they separate. Time passes and

Amelia does not succeed in getting

Amelia does not succeed in getting

over the death of George until

over the death of George until

Becky, who is now a respectable

Becky, who is now a respectable

lady, tells her of his infidelity.

lady, tells her of his infidelity.

In the end, Amelia marries Dobbin

In the end, Amelia marries Dobbin

who has always loved her.

who has always loved her.

Main characters

Main characters

The characters can be

The characters can be

divided into two groups:

divided into two groups:

1.

1.

The

The

BAD

BAD

(Becky and

(Becky and

George)

George)

2.

2.

The

The

WEAK

WEAK

(Amelia and

(Amelia and

Wiliam)

Wiliam)

•

Becky is the

Becky is the

personification of

personification of

intellect without

intellect without

heart, of the new

heart, of the new

woman able to face

woman able to face

a society which has

a society which has

sunk to the level of

sunk to the level of

a market.

a market.

•

Amelia has heart

Amelia has heart

without intellect

without intellect

and embodies

and embodies

the Victorian

the Victorian

model of “the

model of “the

angel of the

angel of the

hearth”.

hearth”.

The male characters

The male characters

•

George Osborne is

George Osborne is

very conceited and

very conceited and

thoughtless.

thoughtless.

•

William Dobbin is

William Dobbin is

awkward and

awkward and

sincere and

sincere and

represents good in

represents good in

antithesis to the evil

antithesis to the evil

embodied by Becky.

embodied by Becky.

Themes

Themes

•

Exposure of the hypocrisy

Exposure of the hypocrisy

and snobbery of so-called

and snobbery of so-called

respectable society.

respectable society.

•

Condemnation of

Condemnation of

unscrupulous villains who

unscrupulous villains who

rebel against this society and

rebel against this society and

violate its moral principles.

violate its moral principles.

Conclusion

Conclusion

“

“

as the Manager of

as the Manager of

the Performance sits before the

the Performance sits before the

curtain on the boards, and looks into

curtain on the boards, and looks into

the Fair, a feeling of profound

the Fair, a feeling of profound

melancholy comes over him in his

melancholy comes over him in his

survey of the bustling place”

survey of the bustling place”

By

By

…

…

Cecilia

Cecilia

Frosoni &

Frosoni &

Annarita De

Annarita De

Santis…

Santis…