Unit Five: William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair (1847–48)

Question 1

Who wrote Vanity Fair and when?

Answer 1

William Thackeray from 1847-1848

Question 2

Rebecca “Becky” Sharp

Answer 2

The protagonist of the novel and Rawdon Crawley’s wife. Becky is the orphaned daughter of an English artist and a French dancer. She is clever, scheming, manipulative, and charming. Becky’s goal is to acquire social standing and money, and she will use people in any capacity to further that goal.

Question 3

Amelia “Emmy” Sedley

Answer 3

The foil of the novel and wife of George Osborne and William Dobbin. Amelia is a passive and dependent woman who sees the good in people. She remains true to George after his death and devotes herself to her son, though she sacrifices her own happiness when she allows him to be raised by his grandfather.

Question 4

William “Dob” Dobbin

Answer 4

George’s best friend and Amelia’s second husband. The narrator calls Dobbin the only true gentleman in the novel. He is loyal, kind, helpful, and devoted to Amelia. For eighteen years, he sacrifices his happiness for Amelia’s. He secretly provides Amelia and Georgy with financial support.

Question 5

George Osborne

Answer 5

Amelia’s first husband and godson to the Sedleys. George and Amelia were promised to one another as children. He is spoiled, selfish, and impetuous, marrying Amelia even though he doesn’t love her and can’t support her. He dies in battle before Amelia can learn his true character and his hope to desert her for Becky.

Question 6

Rawdon Crawley

Answer 6

Becky’s husband and the younger son of Sir Pitt Crawley. Rawdon is a pleasure-seeking, non-serious, but charming young man. He has been raised in anticipation of inheriting from his wealthy aunt and is content to grift creditors with Becky. He has little desire to be a better man until he becomes a father.

Question 7

Lord Steyne

Answer 7

A marquess. Lord Steyne is a wealthy, older aristocrat who enjoys a close friendship, perhaps an affair, with Becky. He enjoys mocking people and being cruel to his wife and daughters-in-law. The narrator postulates that he seeks to drown out the pain and worry of his younger son’s madness.

Question 8

Joseph “Jos” Sedley

Answer 8

Amelia’s older brother. Jos works in the civil service in India but also spends time in England. Lazy, vain, and weak, Jos loves eating, drinking, and dressing flamboyantly. He mainly acts out of self-indulgence but supports his parents financially after the bankruptcy.

Question 9

John Osborne

Answer 9

George’s father. Mr. Osborne is a wealthy businessman who breaks off the engagement between George and Amelia after Mr. Sedley’s bankruptcy and disowns his son when they marry. He sees a relationship with his grandson Georgy as a way of reconciling with his dead son.

Question 10

Pitt Crawley

Answer 10

The oldest son of Sir Pitt and heir of Queen’s Crawley. Pitt is serious, pious, and dull. While he initially disapproves of Becky, he becomes attracted to her and believes her lies. Pitt inherits the family title after his father’s death.

Question 11

Sir Pitt Crawley

Answer 11

Baronet of Queen’s Crawley. Sir Pitt Crawley is a cheap, bad-natured, haughty, and uneducated noble. He spends his time engaged in lawsuits and cannot manage his estate successfully.

Question 12

Lady Crawley (Rose Dawson)

Answer 12

The second wife of Sir Pitt Crawley. Becky becomes governess to her two daughters.

Question 13

Mr. and Mrs. John Sedley

Answer 13

Amelia’s father and mother. Mr. Sedley is a wealthy man until his bankruptcy. Initially, he disapproves of Amelia’s marriage, but his views change after George dies in battle. Mrs. Sedley’s nature changes when the Sedleys lose their fortune.

Question 14

Lady Jane Sheepshanks

Answer 14

Pitt Crawley’s wife. Lady Jane is a kind, generous, and maternal woman well-loved by everyone except Becky.

Question 15

Miss Martha “Matilda” Crawley

Answer 15

Aunt of Rawdon and Pitt Crawley. Miss Crawley, the half-sister of Sir Pitt, is a wealthy spinster. Vulnerable to flattery, she intends to make Rawdon her heir until he marries Becky.

Question 16

George “Georgy” Osborne

Answer 16

Son of Amelia and George Osborne. Georgy is just like his father in looks and disposition. He is spoiled and self-centered as a child, but he undergoes positive changes under Dobbin’s influence.

Question 17

Rawdon “Rawdy” Crawley

Answer 17

Son of Becky and Rawdon Crawley. As a child, Rawdy worships Becky, but his feelings turn to hate. He has a close relationship with his father and comes to look upon Lady Jane as his mother and the Pitt Crawleys as his family.

Question 18

Bute Crawley

Answer 18

The younger brother of Sir Pitt Crawley. The rector of his brother’s estate, Rev. Crawley enjoys drinking, gambling, and sports, and he is in debt.

Question 19

Mrs. Bute Crawley

Answer 19

Wife of Rev. Bute Crawley. Mrs. Bute knows everything that happens at Queen’s Crawley. She schemes to help her poor family and lies to curry Miss Crawley’s favor and money, but her plans fail.

Question 20

Jane Osborne

Answer 20

George’s sister and Amelia’s sister-in-law. Jane is a spinster who looks after her father and the household as well as Georgy after he comes to live with them.

Question 21

Maria Osborne

Answer 21

George’s second sister. She increases her social standing by marrying Frederick Bullock and then snubs her own family.

Question 22

Arabella Briggs

Answer 22

Miss Crawley’s companion. After Miss Crawley’s death, Briggs works for Becky and takes care of Rawdy. She lends money to the Crawleys.

Question 23

Horrocks

Answer 23

Sir Pitt Crawley’s butler and drinking partner.

Question 24

Miss Horrocks

Answer 24

The daughter of Sir Pitt Crawley’s butler. She is a silly and dishonest young woman who hopes to marry Sir Pitt.

Question 25

Peggy O’Dowd

Answer 25

Wife of Major O’Dowd. Peggy is a voluble Irish woman who mothers all the soldiers in the regiment.

Question 26

Glorvina O’Dowd

Answer 26

Sister-in-law to Peggy O’Dowd. She is good-natured but fails to get Dobbin to marry her.

Question 27

Miss Swartz

Answer 27

An heiress of Black and Jewish ancestry whom the Osbornes befriend because they want George to marry her and acquire her wealth.

Question 28

Narrator

Answer 28

An unnamed character. The narrator meets Amelia and Dobbin in Germany and learns all about their history.

Question 29

Theme: The Pursuit of “Love”

Answer 29

In Thackeray’s “Vanity Fair,” love, or what masquerades as love, plays a central role despite the novel not being categorized as a romance. The pursuit of love motivates characters, particularly women, who prioritize making advantageous marriages. However, genuine affection is rare, as individuals seek love for personal gain, ego gratification, or escapism. Marriages are transactional, driven by economic motives rather than genuine affection. The shallow values and selfishness prevalent in society prevent the existence of truly happy marriages. Love in Vanity Fair entails trade-offs; for instance, Becky trades love for money, while Rawdon sacrifices for the sake of his relationship with her. Thackeray illustrates the detrimental effects of unrealistic romantic pursuits through characters like Dobbin and Amelia, who waste years chasing unattainable dreams. Even familial love is scarce, with children not receiving unconditional affection. In this world, genuine love is an exception rather than the norm.

Question 30

Theme: Vain Self-Interest as a Base Motivation

Answer 30

In “Vanity Fair” by Thackeray, the theme of vanity drives the characters to pursue social status, material wealth, power, and relationships that can elevate their standing. Throughout the novel, society is depicted as comprised of vain individuals who prioritize appearances over morality or wisdom. Characters willingly immerse themselves in Vanity Fair, showcasing how vanity dominates their lives and influences their decisions. Despite the fleeting pleasure and pride gained from their choices, these actions often lead to long-term consequences. Becky, a central figure, manipulates and deceives her way to the top using her charm and cunning. Similarly, characters like George marry for self-validation rather than genuine affection. Even minor characters reflect the pervasive influence of vanity, illustrating how snobbery permeates all levels of society. Virtue is rare, and few characters escape the allure of vanity in Thackeray’s world.

Question 31

Motif: Vanity Fair

Answer 31

The idea of Vanity Fair as a milieu, or social environment, not a physical setting, helps readers understand the society in which the Sedleys, Crawleys, and Becky Sharp operate. The residents of Vanity Fair are shallow and vain, deceiving others and striving for advantage but ultimately to little avail. Their lack of substance and their insistence on bowing to money, power, or even unrealistic ideals eventually lead to their downfall. As the novel demonstrates, the only people able to enjoy a happy life, and a happy ending, are the few virtuous ones, such as Lady Jane, who refuse to actively participate in this society. The narrator warns the audience at the beginning of what lies ahead as the puppet play is performed: “…this is VANITY FAIR; not a moral place certainly; nor a merry one, though very noisy.”

Question 32

Motif: Money

Answer 32

The acquisition of money lies at the heart of Vanity Fair. To have money is to hold power, and that is the reason that Becky and numerous other characters desire more and more of it. While people’s wealth varies and even changes over time, everyone recognizes the central role that money plays in their lives and futures. The amount of money and property a person or family possesses is correlated with their opportunities. In the world of Vanity Fair, these opportunities encompass marriage, work, freedom of action, and more. The richer a person is, the more liberty they have—witness Sir Pitt’s and Lord Steyne’s lascivious behavior toward Becky. It is fair to say that money defines who people are in Vanity Fair, how ambitious they may be, and whom they surround themselves with. At the same time, flaunting money or actively searching for money is considered crass, as typified when George claims to be too high-minded to marry for money. Therefore, Becky, or anyone, must tread carefully as they pursue money.