Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero

Amelia Sedley and her longtime friend, Becky Sharp, are collected from Miss Barbara Pinkerton’s Chiswick academy in her family carriage after graduating. Amelia plans to marry, and Becky will become a governess. Barbara Pinkerton describes Amelia’s accomplishments in a letter. Each graduate typically receives a copy of Samuel Johnson’s dictionary, but Becky, who is from a poor background and disliked by Jemima Pinkerton, is not given a copy. The kindly Barbara defies Jemima and sneaks a copy to Becky, but as the carriage departs, she throws her dictionary through the window. The narrator describes Amelia as sweet but states that she is “not a heroine” (11).

Becky is a rebellious girl who justifies her behavior to Amelia through Jemima Pinkerton’s dislike of her. Becky’s father was a drawing teacher who lost everything to alcohol and gambling addictions; he grew cruel toward Becky and her mother, a former dancer in a Parisian opera company. Becky’s mother taught her French, and Becky was permitted to attend Chiswick as a working pupil—a request made by her father to Miss Pinkerton shortly before his death. Becky schedule as a working pupil did not afford much time for classes. Miss Pinkerton was intimidated when Becky grew to defy her. She quickly found Becky a job as a governess. Becky is socially experienced, flirtatious, and manipulative—opposite qualities to Amelia. The two friends drive through Russell Square, to Amelia’s lavish family home. Amelia gives Becky clothes and jewelry. Becky is interested in Joseph “Jos” Sedley, Amelia’s wealthy older brother, who has a job with the East India Company.

Jos, a “stout, puffy man,” reads a newspaper in his apartment as Amelia and Becky enter (25). Jos is immediately taken with Becky, who calls him handsome to Amelia when she is sure he is within earshot. Jos, being unused to female attention, tries to flee the girls, but he eventually escorts Becky to the family dinner. Jos has grown accustomed to spicy curries, so Becky pretends to like the spicy dishes. Jos’s father later warns his son that Becky’s attraction to him may have an ulterior motive.

Jos keeps his distance from the family home. Becky continues to fawn over Amelia, which pleases Mrs. Sedley, and soon, the entire household is won over. Jos returns several days later, just as Amelia receives the grades from a drawing class, taught by Becky’s father. When she sees the drawings, Becky cries, claiming to be reminded of her father. Her grief touches the family, whom she thanks for being so kind while continuing to flirt with Jos. Mr. Sedley talks to his wife about Becky, whose pursuit of Jos amuses him. Mrs. Sedley insists that she is not fit, but Mr. Sedley is pleased that she is white and British, rather than an Indian woman. The following day, George Osborne visits the house. He is unofficially engaged to Amelia. The group regrets that Becky must soon leave. Amelia and George amuse themselves at the piano. Becky listens to Jos talk about India while she knits a small green purse. Becky later sings about a sad parting between friends, delighting Jos, who brings flowers for both his sister and Becky the following day. Jos helps Becky knit.

The narrator switches focus to William Dobbin, “the quietest, the clumsiest, and, as it seemed, the dullest” (47) pupil at his former school. He was nicknamed Figs and bullied because his father is a greengrocer. When Dobbin stopped his aristocratic schoolmate, Cuff, from bullying George Osborne, Cuff challenged Dobbin to a fight. Dobbin defeated Cuff, impressing the other students. He and George became friends and later served together in the military. George is invited to go to Vauxhall with Amelia and Becky. Dobbin has been deployed to the West Indies, but he is in London to recover from a bout of yellow fever. Even as a grown man, he is clumsy and tall, but he is a respected member of the military. When Dobbin sees Amelia, he falls in love. Amelia, however, is in love with George. Dobbin would never betray his friend, and he has also immediately discerned Becky’s cynical ambitions.

The trip to Vauxhall includes George, Dobbin, Jos, Amelia, and Becky. The girls discuss whether Jos might propose to Becky. Dobbin carries the girls’ shawls. After strolling in the gardens, they gather to watch a play. Jos becomes drunk, eventually grabbing Becky by the waist and singing to her. Dobbin puts Jos in a carriage and helps him home. The following day, Becky is unsure what to do. Jos is suffering from a hangover. He cannot remember what happened. George plays a joke, tricking Jos into believing that he fought the coach driver. Dobbin tells Jos the truth. The three men walk to Russell Square. George tells Dobbin that he is concerned about Becky’s plans. He does not want the Sedley family to be embarrassed by “a little upstart governess” (67). Jos feels embarrassed and writes to Amelia, telling her that he must travel to Scotland, thus ending Becky’s ambitions. As Becky prepares to depart for her job as a governess, Amelia weeps, giving Becky small gifts to make up for her failure to win Jos’s heart. Mr. Sedley then gives Becky money. George also makes a gift to Becky, but she realizes that he is responsible for her plan’s failure.

The narrative switches to Sir Pitt Crawley. The narrator mocks the Crawley family; even though they are aristocrats, their dynasty was built on “some remarkably fine Hampshire beer” (73), and they occupy a neglected country estate. Becky arrives at the Crawley house in London. Becky is surprised to discover that Pitt is a shabbily dressed, poorly groomed man with a working-class accent. His main income is from specious lawsuits, and he expects Becky to help him with these legal proceedings. When he sends her upstairs, he mentions that his wife died in the bed where she is about to sleep. Becky scours the room for any information about the Crawley family. The following morning, she rides with the unimpressive Sir Pitt.

Becky writes to Amelia. She describes her new life in the Crawley house—a stark contrast to the warm times spent with Amelia’s wealthy family. Becky describes the authoritarian manner in which Sir Pitt operates his estate. He produces timber and mistreats his workers. When two boys were caught scavenging fallen branches from the estate, Sir Pitt had them whipped. Reverend Bute Crawley is Sir Pitt’s brother. He works as the parson on the estate, much to Sir Pitt’s chagrin. Once Bute dies, Sir Pitt believes he will no longer need to pay money to the church. Sir Pitt keeps his home gloomy and dark because he refuses to pay for many candles. Similarly, he does not allow anyone to open the shutters. He and his wife, Lady Crawley, have two thin, pale daughters named Rosalind and Violet. Sir Pitt‘s oldest son, Pitt Junior, ignores Becky as much as possible. Sir Pitt drinks heavily at dinner. Becky is an intelligent young woman, the narrator points out, so she is a natural inhabitant of Vanity Fair, which is a place where “humbugs and falseness and pretentions” (89) are routine.

The narrator delves into the Pitt family history. Sir Pitt hated his aristocratic first wife. After her death, he deliberately chose to marry a woman from a lower social class. As a result, other aristocratic families resented the new Lady Crawley, and her own friends envy her. She lacks the rebellious nature of someone like Becky, and the narrator believes she would have been happier had she not given herself over to the temptations of Vanity Fair. Her two daughters are friendly with the servants’ children.

Pitt Junior insists on aristocratic standards in the household, and he is behind the decision to hire a governess. Rawdon, Sir Pitt’s second son, often bullied his older brother at school but has now graduated to the life of a country gentleman. He makes occasional forays into politics. Pitt Junior is devoutly religious. He hopes to inherit Sir Pitt’s seat in the British parliament. Sir Pitt works hard on his estate but is careless, incompetent, and unable to trust people. Only in a place like Vanity Fair could a mean, selfish, and foolish man like Sir Pitt rise to a position of power. His sister, Matilda Crawley, is wealthy. Her relations fawn over her in hopes of inheriting her wealth.