Vanity Fair is a classic novel written by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published as a monthly serial from 1847 to 1848. Set during the Napoleonic era in England, the novel centers around the scheming social climber Becky Sharp and her arch rival, Amelia Sedley. As the two women take part in the travails of British high society, their relationships with various characters help them to reflect on the nature of class, money, and morality.
Vanity Fair begins when childhood friends Amelia and Becky are separated but eventually reunite in a boarding school. There they meet their respective mentors, Miss Pinkerton and Madame Marabou, each one teaching them lessons about social ambition and etiquette. While at school, Amelia develops a more trusting nature and values her friendships, while Becky develops a more calculating attitude and is determined to cleverly navigate social rules for her own gain.
After leaving school, Amelia and Becky both find marriages with very different outcomes. Amelia is stuck in a loveless marriage with a wealthy but dull baronet. Becky, on the other hand, marries the profligate son of a Marquess, who dies quickly leaving her a fortune – although not enough to secure her place in British high society. Nevertheless, her gumption and sharp wit help to elevate her to the upper echelons of British upper-class circles, and she finds work as a governess – while simultaneously trying to find a wealthier husband to match her ambitions.
Meanwhile, Amelia and her husband retire to a country home, where she finds solace in the company of her close friends George Osbourne and Captain William Dobbin, who both love her deeply. However, her life starts to unravel when George proposes marriage to Becky, who quickly rejects him. Amelia is shocked and hurt, and her conflicting emotions cause her to eventually overwhelm and leave their home without telling anyone.
Throughout the novel, the interplay between money, ambition and morality constantly resurfaces. After Amelia leaves home, William Dobbin advises Becky to leave her gilded circle and make amends for her past wrongs, although she initially refuses. Later, when Becky eventually does face society’s consequences for her immoral behaviour, Amelia steps in to help, revealing a newfound empathy that she has gained from her hardships.
The novel ends with Amelie and Dobbin's marriage, providing a happy ending for her. Becky on the other hand, winds up cornered in a brothel, where she finally learns the consequences of vanity and ambition.
Vanity Fair is an insightful and beautifully crafted novel, offering both social commentary and an astute critique of class and morality. Its characters are both sharply observed and endearingly human, while its biting wit and complex themes, have also made it a classic of English literature.
