In this article, we will describe the novel by W. M. Thackeray, published in 1848, and present its brief content. Vanity Fair is a work that takes place in England at the beginning of the 19th century. There is a war with Napoleon, which does not prevent, however, a multitude of people possessed by ambition from continuing the struggle for worldly goods - virtues, titles, wealth. Day and night, the Bazaar of Worldly Fuss boils - Vanity Fair ... This is where the fate of the heroes is decided.
Rebecca and Emilia
The following events begin the summary. Vanity Fair is a novel opening with a description of how two young girls leave Miss Pinkerton's guesthouse. Emilia Sedley, the daughter of a wealthy Esquire, is an example of English virtue and grace, somewhat bland. She has a “kind”, “generous” and “tender” heart, but the girl does not sparkle with her mind. Rebecca Sharp is a different matter. This is the daughter of a Frenchwoman (dancer) and a dissolute artist. Rebecca is fragile, small in stature, pale. However, just the look of her green eyes can defeat any man. Becky, who grew up in “gay” poverty, is sharp on the tongue, she sees through people, she wants to win her place under the sun at all costs, even going for deceit and hypocrisy. There is no other way, because the girl has neither a title, nor a fortune, nor loving parents - that which teaches the virtues of her happy peers.
Becky visits Emilia
Emilia, sincerely attached to Becky, invites her to visit her, and she best enjoys hospitality. Rebecca knows how to please everyone. But most importantly, she tries her spell on Emilia’s brother, Joseph Sedley. Pretense, flattery - and this “bonvian”, “squeamish” and “lazy person” is ready for a decisive step ... Unfortunately, the case, as well as Emilia’s groom, Mr. George Osborne, intervene in the matter. As a result, the hopes of the schemer are crumbling, and Joseph flees.
A new page opens in the life of Rebecca - she serves as a governess in Royal Crowley. This is the hereditary estate of Pitt Crowley, an old man, incredibly “dirty” and “vulgar”, a hackney, a scarecrow and a drunkard. The ability to play the hypocrite and pretend, ingenuity allows Miss Sharp to win the favor of the inhabitants of the estate, from pupils to Pitt Crowley himself, the eldest son of this baronet, who is a "well-bred gentleman." Everyone is afraid of him, even the exuberant dad. Becky finds all sorts of ways to be of service to his father. In less than a year, a girl becomes indispensable, practically the mistress of this house.
Miss Crowley's visit
The events of the novel continue, the main of which we have included in its summary. "Vanity Fair" is a voluminous work, therefore it is impossible to tell everything in detail in the format of one article. It describes only the main events.
Each year, Royal Crowley is visited by the half-sister of Sir Pitt, an unmarried woman who has a fair amount on her account. She knows with the French and atheists, loves to have fun. This old lady tyrannizes godlessly her servant, companion, as well as numerous relatives who hope to receive her inheritance. This woman does not tolerate either Sir Pitt or his eldest son, but adores Rodon Crowley, Jr., a slopp, duelist and player, a nearby guard officer. Miss Crowley also believes that Rebecca is witty and charming.
Rebecca is getting married to Rodon Crowley
A woman, ill, takes her to her house in London, which ends the romance between the governess and Rodon Crowley. It ends with a secret marriage, because, despite Miss Crowley's addiction to Equality and Freedom, she can be very angry, as noted by William Thackeray (Vanity Fair). After Sir Pitt's wife dies, everything opens. Sir Pitt, not very saddened by her passing, is trying to return Rebecca to Royal Crowley. He falls to his knees, offering the girl to marry him. At this moment, for the first time in her life, the fearless Becky loses her presence of spirit and cries. What a missed chance! Why was she in a hurry?
Hard time for honeymooners
All curse the young couple. William Thackeray (Vanity Fair) tells us that no matter how hard Rodon, led by smart Rebecca, tries to regain his aunt's disposition, he fails. A lover of romantic marriages and a proponent of democracy will not forgive the nephew of the mesalliance to the end of her days. It’s not worth talking about Sir Pitt. William Thackeray describes his condition in this way: the hero literally loses his mind from unfulfilled desires and hatred, more and more falls. The family nest of abuse and ultimate devastation saves only his death. William Thackeray (Vanity Fair) continues his work with this event. The summary of the novel after the death of this hero is as follows.
Now the spouses are forced to be content with only the modest salary of Rodon, which he receives as captain of the guard. However, Becky is fluent in art, which will come in handy for her more than once - live happily ever after, and not have cash. The girl hopes to take a more brilliant place in society and agrees to tolerate. And blindly and passionately in love with his wife, Rodon turns into a humble and happy husband.
The ruin of Emilia's father
Clouds are gathering over Emilia’s head. Surprisingly, Napoleon is at fault. The flight from Elba, the landing in Cannes of his army on the stock exchange is changing the situation, which leads to the complete ruin of the girl's father, John Sedley. The most stubborn and intractable of the creditors is his neighbor and friend John Osborne, whom he helped to break into people. Sedley’s property goes under the hammer. The family moves to a wretched hired apartment. However, Emilia does not suffer because of this. The trouble is that this ingenuous girl loves her fiance with all her heart, and not as prescribed by the unspoken laws dictated by the Vanity Fair. Thackeray's book is a novel in which the author thus describes the feelings of this girl. She sincerely believes that George Osborne, a fatty, narcissistic and empty, is the most intelligent and handsome man in the world. Unlike Becky, whose actions are always dictated by need, selfishness and selfishness, Emilia lives only love. And George Osborne allows graciously to love this girl herself, while she does not refuse bachelor's amusements, and does not spoil her bride with special attention.
Emilia Marries George Osborne
William Thackeray tells us that after the collapse of John Sedley, father forbids marrying Emilia George. Her own father, moreover, also does not want to think about marriage with "the son of a villain." Desperate is poor Emilia. However, George’s loyal friend, Captain Dobbin, intervenes in the matter, a generous and honest man who passionately loves Emilia, even not deciding to admit it to himself. He persuades George, who is not alien to noble impulses, contrary to the will of his father to marry a girl. Of course, he deprives him of his inheritance and abandons his son.
Meeting in Brussels
Both disgraced couples meet in Brussels, as the regiment of Dobbin and George enters the city, and Tafto, the guard general, arrives here with his adjutant Rodon Crowley. The regiment enthusiastically accepts Emilia, but her friend prefers to spin in a "brilliant" society. Wherever this girl appears, she is everywhere surrounded by many noble fans. George Osborne is among them. Becky’s own vanity and coquetry lead him so far that he gives her a bouquet at the ball with a letter asking him to run with him. Of course, she is not going to do anything like that, since she knows the value of George. Napoleon’s troops cross Sambra on the same day. Full of unspoken remorse, George says goodbye to his wife. In a few days he will die at Waterloo.
Life of Rebecca and Rodon in Paris
And Rodon and Becky spend three years after Waterloo in Paris. Here, Rodon's wife is a huge success. She is admitted to the highest Parisian society. The French are not as picky as the English. However, the girl is not going to stay here for life. The family (at Rodon and Becky in Paris a son is born) after some time returns to London. Here the couple Crowley, as always, lives on credit, not paying anyone and giving promises to everyone. Finally, Aunt Rodon dies, leaving almost all of her fortune to an older nephew who is married to a decent and honest woman, Lady Jane, daughter of Lord Southdown. And the new baronet, feeling guilty before his brother (after all, he would have got the aunt money if he had not married the governess), considers it his duty to unite the family. And again, Rebecca appears in Royal Crowley and captivates everyone. For this, she even has to portray a love for her son, although in reality she does not have the slightest affection for this boy.
Rebecca and Lord Stein
So captivates the new baronet Rebecca's subtle flattery that he happens almost every day in her house. There is just as often the noble patron of the girl, the almighty Lord Stein, an old cynic from the novel created by Thackeray (Vanity Fair). With his help, Rebecca moves forward in high society. In what ways the girl achieves this, no one knows, but the lord gives her diamonds, and also puts her cellars at her disposal. Finally, an event takes place that puts Rebecca on a par with other respectable ladies. The girl is introduced to the yard. Thackeray (Vanity Fair) continues his novel by this important event. The summary briefly mentions that Rebecca enters the highest circles of London and is convinced that these people are no different from the others. Becky is getting bored among them. And her husband feels every day more and more lonely at all these aristocratic gatherings. He becomes more and more attached to his son.
Rodon leaves England
A catastrophe ends with Rebecca's procession at the Vanity Fair. Rodon accuses her of treason and tries to challenge Lord Stein to a duel. In the end, he decides to leave England in order to take over the governor of Coventry Island, which was procured for him by his enemy. Rebecca disappears, and her son Rodon remains in the care of his uncle, as well as his wife, who replaced his mother.
Emilia is raising a son
Emilia’s death nearly cost Emilia’s life, as the writer Thackeray tells us (Vanity Fair). A summary of further events in the life of this girl is as follows. She was saved only by the birth of her son, whom Emilia worships as her husband did before. She lives with her parents for a long time, courageously endures hardships and poverty, finding joy in little George. However, John Osborne, amazed at how much the grandson looks like his late son, offers his mother to give the boy in order to raise him as a gentleman. For his good, Emilia is breaking up with her son. She finds solace after the death of her mother in brightening up the last days of her father.
The Return of Major Dobbin
When Rebecca suffers the blow of fate, fortune turns to Emilia. Major Dobbin returns from India with Joseph, her brother. Dobbin swears that now the native girls will not know the need. He wants to marry a girl. However, he still had nothing to hope for. Emilia does not notice the loyal, disinterested love of this man, his outstanding virtues. She is faithful to the memory of her husband, providing with hard-heartedness the virtues of Dobbin only "look and languish." Soon, John Sedley dies, and then John Osborne, who leaves George half of his fortune, and also restores the widow of the "beloved son" in custody. Emilia learns that she owes this to Dobbin, as well as the fact that he was an unknown benefactor who supported her in years of need. However, still only gratitude can she pay for his devotion.
A new meeting of Emilia and Becky
In a small duchy, on the banks of the Rhine, Emilia and Becky meet again. Emilia makes a trip abroad with her brother, son and Dobbin, and Rebecca flies around Europe for a long time, in a card game and adventures of dubious quality, squandering her content, which was assigned to her by her husband. From it everywhere shy away in a decent society, as from plagued. But then she notices Joseph Sedley, and hope revives in the girl’s soul. The slanderous sufferer, whose beloved child and honest name was taken away, easily, as in previous times, traces this fat dandy around her finger, as well as Emilia, who did not learn anything and didn’t get any smarter. Dobbin, always disgusted with Rebecca, quarrels with Emilia because of her and reproaches her for the first time in her life that the girl does not appreciate his affection. He decides to forever part with Emilia. However, Becky, being filled with "disdainful pity" for the girl, and admiration for Dobbin, performs the first selfless act in her life. Rebecca shows her friend George's letter, which proves his infidelity. Idol is defeated. Emilia is now free and therefore can respond to the feeling of a devoted Dobbin.
Final events
So we are nearing the end of Vanity Fair. Summary of the book are the following final events. Dobbin and Emilia lead a quiet life in their own home. They are friendly with the inhabitants of Royal Crowley. Until the end of his days, Joseph erases the wretched life of a slave Rebecca. He dies under "unexplained circumstances." Yellow fever also kills Rodon Crowley Sr. After the uncle’s death, his son inherits the estate and title. He does not want to see his mother, however, he assigns him a generous content, although she is sufficiently provided without it. Rebecca has many friends who think she is unjustly offended. She is engaged in zealous charity, lives on a grand scale.
So the summary ends. Vanity Fair is a novel that is very popular today. And this is no coincidence. The problems that are raised in it are relevant now.
Analysis of the work
The Vanity Fair is the pinnacle of Thackeray's work. In the novel, realistic generalizations, social criticism, and satirical mastery achieve their greatest strength. Thackeray managed to catch the connection between the people of a society contemporary to him. It is based on the power of money, on the "heartless chistogan." In the work, society appears as a huge fair where everything can be bought and sold. Portraying the truly repulsive face of the bourgeois, the author had no illusions about the possibility of turning him into a responsive and kind person. He wanted only to reveal without illusions and embellishment the harsh truth of life.
The full name of the novel is: "Vanity Fair. A novel without a hero." It was borrowed from the work of John Benyan “The Way of the Pilgrim”. Thackeray called the Vanity Fair of the bourgeois-aristocratic society of England of his time.
Landowners and bourgeois dealers, diplomats and members of parliament, officials and noble lords walk in front of readers in a long line. They live according to the laws of the Vanity Fair. In Thackeray's novel, the presentation of the material is peculiar. The writer compares his characters with puppets, and himself with the puppeteer who sets them in motion. Thackeray (Vanity Fair) gives them assessments, expresses his opinions in a series of digressions.
“A novel without a hero” means that the writer did not find a good character among Crowley and Osborne. However, he does not oppose the common man from the people to the mercenary bourgeois, as, for example, Dickens. In the novel Vanity Fair, there are no heroes from the public. Captain Dobbin is a carrier of positive beginnings. You can verify this by reading the original Vanity Fair. A summary of the chapters only superficially reveals the inner world of the heroes. Dobbin is the only one who maintains responsiveness and kindness, modesty and dedication.
"Vanity Fair" is a book that will always be relevant until human egoism is eradicated, in which the roots of many human troubles lurk.