Vanity Fair (Thackeray)
Short summary
England, early 19th century. Two young women left Miss Pinkerton's academy: sweet Amelia Sedley and cunning Rebecca Sharp.
Rebecca attempted to ensnare Amelia's wealthy brother Joseph but failed. She became governess at Queen's Crawley, charming the family and secretly marrying Captain Rawdon Crawley, the nephew of wealthy Miss Crawley, which led to their disinheritance.
Meanwhile, Amelia married George Osborne against his father's wishes after her family's financial ruin. George's father disinherited him. The regiment departed for Belgium, where George flirted with Rebecca. George died at Waterloo, leaving Amelia a pregnant widow.
Rebecca and Rawdon lived extravagantly in London on nothing, accumulating debts. Rebecca charmed high society and attracted the attention of the powerful Lord Steyne. When Rawdon discovered Rebecca with Lord Steyne and her hidden wealth, he assaulted the lord and abandoned his wife, accepting a governorship abroad.
Amelia's son Georgy was adopted by his wealthy grandfather. Major Dobbin, who had loved Amelia devotedly for years, finally confronted her about her idealization of George. He declared:
No, you are not worthy of the love which I have devoted to you. I knew all along that the prize I had set my life on was not worth the winning... I will bargain no more: I withdraw.
Rebecca later revealed George's betrayal to Amelia, who finally recognized Dobbin's worth. They married and lived contentedly, while Rebecca continued her schemes under a veneer of respectability.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
School departures and Beckys first schemes
In early nineteenth-century London, two young women departed Miss Pinkerton's academy for young ladies. The beloved and gentle student received warm farewells and praise from her headmistress, while her companion, a clever but poor orphan employed as a teacher, was coldly dismissed. As their carriage pulled away, the orphan audaciously threw back a dictionary that had been given to her as a parting gift, an act of defiance that revealed her true nature.
During their journey to the Sedley family home, Rebecca revealed her cynical worldview and bitter past. Raised in poverty by an artist father and an opera-dancer mother, she had learned early to survive through wit and manipulation. Upon arriving at the comfortable Sedley household, Rebecca immediately set her sights on Amelia's unmarried brother, a wealthy collector from India, as a potential husband.
Becky as governess at Queens Crawley
Rebecca strategically charmed the vain and shy Joseph Sedley with flattery and feigned interest in India. Despite an embarrassing incident involving overly spicy curry and Joseph's subsequent drunkenness at Vauxhall Gardens, Rebecca nearly secured a proposal. However, Amelia's fiancé intervened, preventing the marriage. Joseph fled London in embarrassment, leaving Rebecca to accept a position as governess at Queen's Crawley.
Rebecca arrived at the gloomy London residence of the Crawley family, where she mistook the coarse and miserly baronet for a servant. The household proved to be a study in dysfunction and vulgarity. At the country estate, Rebecca encountered the crude Sir Pitt, his two awkward daughters, his sanctimonious eldest son, and most importantly, his wealthy, eccentric half-sister who held the family's financial future in her hands.
Rebecca quickly made herself indispensable at Queen's Crawley. She educated the daughters leniently, flattered the pious Mr. Crawley, and became Sir Pitt's confidante and secretary. Most significantly, she charmed Miss Crawley during her visits, winning the old woman's affection with her wit, French songs, and apparent liberal sympathies. The wealthy aunt particularly favored her younger nephew, a dashing cavalry officer and gambler, over his sanctimonious brother.
Secret marriages and preparations for war
Meanwhile, Amelia's family faced financial ruin when her father's speculations failed catastrophically. George Osborne's wealthy merchant father, who had always opposed his son's engagement to Amelia, seized the opportunity to break the match. He demanded George marry a wealthy heiress instead, threatening disinheritance. George's loyal friend, a tall and awkward major, championed Amelia's cause and convinced George to honor his commitment.
George defied his father in a furious confrontation, defending Amelia against insults and rejecting the proposed heiress. He married Amelia secretly, with Dobbin and Jos Sedley as witnesses. The newlyweds honeymooned in Brighton, where they unexpectedly encountered Rebecca and Rawdon Crawley. Rebecca had secretly married Rawdon, shocking the family when the truth emerged. Sir Pitt had even proposed to Rebecca himself, only to discover she was already wed. Miss Crawley, enraged by Rawdon's marriage to a penniless governess, disinherited him.
George's father responded to his son's disobedience with equal fury. He summoned his solicitor, removed George's name from the family Bible, burned his will, and completely disinherited his son. The crisis intensified when orders arrived for the regiment to deploy to Belgium, as Napoleon had escaped from Elba and war loomed. The two young couples prepared to face an uncertain future as military wives accompanied their husbands to Brussels.
In Brussels, the British community maintained a facade of gaiety despite the approaching conflict. George became increasingly infatuated with Rebecca, neglecting Amelia and flirting openly at social gatherings. Rebecca manipulated George's attentions while Rawdon prepared for battle. The famous ball on the eve of Quatre Bras brought the crisis to a head, as cannon fire interrupted the festivities and the officers rushed to join their regiments.
Brussels, Waterloo, and its aftermath
As the Battle of Waterloo commenced, Brussels descended into panic. Jos Sedley attempted a cowardly escape, trying to purchase horses at any price. Rebecca sold him her horses at an exorbitant sum, securing her financial position. Mrs. O'Dowd, the stalwart major's wife, prevented Jos from abandoning Amelia. News of the allied victory brought relief, but Amelia's joy turned to devastating grief when she learned that George had been killed on the battlefield.
George Osborne's death left Amelia a pregnant widow. His proud father refused all contact with her or aid for his future grandchild. Dobbin advocated passionately for Amelia to the old man, but Mr. Osborne remained unmoved. A year later, Amelia gave birth to a son, whom she named George after his father. She found solace only in her child, living in poverty with her bankrupt parents while Dobbin secretly provided financial support.
Ought I to be angry with her for being faithful to him? Ought I to be jealous of my friend in the grave, or hurt that such a heart as Amelia’s can love only once and forever? Oh, George, George, how little you knew the prize you had, though.
Dobbin, deeply in love with Amelia, accepted that her heart belonged entirely to her dead husband's memory and their son. He prepared to leave for India, knowing his devotion would never be returned. Meanwhile, Rawdon and Rebecca thrived in Paris, living extravagantly on nothing through Rawdon's gambling skills and Rebecca's manipulation of creditors. After an incident involving a duel, they returned to London, leaving their neglected infant son behind.
Separate paths: Beckys schemes and Amelias poverty
The Crawleys established themselves in London, living rent-free in a house owned by a former butler whom they systematically ruined financially. Rebecca's charm won her male admirers but alienated respectable women. Rawdon, despite his gambling and debts, proved to be a devoted father to their son, in stark contrast to Rebecca's complete neglect of the child. The family dynamics at Queen's Crawley shifted when old Sir Pitt died, and his eldest son inherited the estate.
Amelia's circumstances grew increasingly desperate. She sacrificed everything for young Georgy's welfare, selling her possessions and enduring poverty. When Mr. Osborne offered to adopt his grandson on the condition that Amelia give him up entirely, she initially refused. However, as debts mounted and her father's continued failed speculations drained their resources, Amelia faced an agonizing decision. For her son's future, she finally surrendered Georgy to his grandfather's care, breaking her own heart to ensure the boy's prosperity and education.
O Vanity Fair—Vanity Fair! This might have been, but for you, a cheery lass... and an honest portion of pleasures, cares, hopes and struggles—but a title and a coach and four are toys more precious than happiness...
Georgy moved into his grandfather's mansion, where he was indulged and groomed for a prestigious future. The boy developed a proud and condescending manner, particularly toward his impoverished mother, whom he was permitted to visit occasionally. Amelia endured her reduced circumstances with quiet dignity, caring for her aging father while accepting grudging financial assistance from old Osborne. Her life consisted of poverty, humiliation, and the painful separation from her beloved son.
Beckys rise in high society
Rebecca's social ambitions found their champion in a powerful and immoral nobleman who took an interest in her. Through his influence, Rebecca achieved presentation at Court, using stolen items and rented diamonds to create an image of respectability. She shrewdly manipulated the elderly lord into paying her debts by feigning vulnerability and tears. The nobleman forced his reluctant family to receive Rebecca, humiliating his daughter-in-law and her mother over their own financial troubles.
Rebecca's social triumph culminated in a spectacular charade performance at Gaunt House, where she dazzled as Clytemnestra before an elite audience. She captivated foreign dignitaries and outshone her rivals, cementing her position in high society. Lord Steyne arranged for young Rawdon to attend an exclusive school, further separating the boy from his mother. Rebecca's focus remained entirely on her social climbing, while Rawdon grew increasingly uneasy about his wife's relationship with her powerful patron.
I think I could be a good woman if I had five thousand a year. I could dawdle about in the nursery, and count the apricots on the wall. I could water plants in a greenhouse...
Lord Steyne secured positions and favors for Rebecca's associates, removing potential obstacles to his designs. He exposed Rebecca's lies about paying her debts, but she cunningly deflected blame onto Rawdon. Despite growing family concerns about Rebecca's conduct, she maintained an outward show of marital affection. The precarious balance of her double life seemed sustainable, as she juggled her husband's suspicions, her patron's demands, and her relentless social ambitions.
Scandal, revelation, and consequences
The carefully constructed facade collapsed when Rawdon was arrested for debt and imprisoned in a sponging-house. He wrote to Rebecca for bail money, but she sent an evasive letter claiming illness and inability to help. His sister-in-law, Lady Jane, ultimately secured his release. Returning home unexpectedly, Rawdon discovered Rebecca entertaining Lord Steyne in suspicious circumstances. A violent confrontation ensued, during which Rawdon assaulted the nobleman and discovered hidden money and jewels, confirming both Rebecca's affair and her financial deception.
You innocent! Damn you... You innocent! Why every trinket you have on your body is paid for by me. I have given you thousands of pounds, which this fellow has spent and for which he has sold you.
Rawdon left Rebecca immediately, securing his son's future with his brother before seeking satisfaction from Lord Steyne. However, Lord Steyne's agent intervened with news of a governorship appointment for Rawdon at Coventry Island, effectively exiling him. The position had been arranged to remove Rawdon from the scandal. Though Rawdon accepted the post, he refused any reconciliation with Rebecca. Meanwhile, Rebecca awoke to find her maid had stolen valuables and fled, while her unpaid servants rebelled and creditors closed in.
Rebecca desperately sought help from Sir Pitt, weaving tales of innocence, but Lady Jane fiercely confronted her and forbade any assistance. Rebecca's social position collapsed entirely. Rawdon departed for his colonial post, leaving Rebecca to face ruin alone. Her house was seized, her reputation destroyed, and her carefully cultivated place in society utterly lost. The scandal reverberated through London's drawing rooms, and Rebecca found herself cast out from the world she had worked so ruthlessly to enter.
European travels and final resolutions
Years passed. Both old Mr. Sedley and Mr. Osborne died, the latter leaving half his fortune to young Georgy and an annuity to Amelia, finally acknowledging Dobbin's secret support. Jos Sedley returned from India wealthy, and Amelia's circumstances improved dramatically. Dobbin, still devoted, returned from India and found Amelia elevated in society but unchanged in her sentimental devotion to George's memory. The party traveled to Europe, where they encountered Rebecca in reduced circumstances at a German spa, living as a vagabond after years of decline.
Rebecca manipulated Jos with fabricated tales of suffering, and despite Dobbin's warnings, Amelia's kind heart led her to forgive and embrace her old friend. Dobbin, frustrated by Amelia's blindness to Rebecca's true nature and her continued worship of George's unworthy memory, finally confronted her. In a dramatic moment, he declared his long devotion finished and departed. Rebecca, seizing her opportunity, revealed to Amelia the truth about George's betrayal and his infatuation with her before Waterloo. The revelation shattered Amelia's illusions.
Freed from her false devotion, Amelia pursued Dobbin and they finally married, settling into a comfortable domestic life. Jos Sedley died under mysterious circumstances, leaving his insurance money to both Amelia and Rebecca. Rebecca, though suspected of hastening Jos's death, continued her schemes under a veneer of piety and charity work, attending churches and bazaars while maintaining her manipulative ways.
Ah! Vanitas Vanitatum! which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? or, having it, is satisfied?—come, children, let us shut up the box and the puppets, for our play is played out.