"Vanity Fair" by William M.

Essay by ryaltheyreHigh School, 10th grade May 2003

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Summary The materialistic society described in Vanity Fair centers on Becky Sharp, Amelia Sedley, good-natured but naive boarding-school friends, whose destinies are intertwined but different. Clever and ambitious Becky is born into poverty as the daughter of a artist and actrice (commoners of the lowest sort). She planed to marry Amelia's brother Joseph, but fails. She is in charge of her own marriage because she was left an orphan. She ends up marrying Rowdon Crawley, he is disinherited later on. And Becky, true to her crafty nature, manages to live in fashion because of the patronage of Lord Steyne. When Rowdon finds out, he leaves to become governor of Coventry Island. Becky is ostracized (once again) and she moves to the Continent. Meanwhile Amelia's father is ruined. She is loved by William Dobbin but, she marries George Osborne (who was her sweet-heart and the one who she was brought up to marry) but he dies at Waterloo.

Amelia's son is left to grandfather, who dies and leaves him a fortune. Amelia travels in the Continent with her brother where she meets up with Becky. Dobbin returns from India and still disapproves of Amelia's kindness to Becky. Older and finally come to terms Dobbin and Amelia can marry. Becky regains her hold over Joseph (like she had in the begining of the book) and he dies in a suspicious manner. Becky's husband dies, and Becky is left at the end a widow. Å@ Notes and Ideas.. Charlotte Bronte's character Jane Eyre is almost the opposite of Becky Sharp... Charlotte Bronte also wrote about William Makepiece Thackery that "There is a man in our own days whose words are not framed to tickle the ears... I think I see in him an intellect profounder and more unique than his...