Soon, the Duke of Wellington declares war on the Napoleonic army and, with most men in the military, characters move to Belgium in preparation for the battle. In time, George wants to marry Emmy, while at the same time the Sedley family loses its fortune as a result of bad business decisions, and George is disowned by his father. George’s friend Dobbin is in love with Emmy. Emmy meanwhile is feeling rejected by George, who is in the military and seems to have forgotten about her. She secretly agrees to marry Rawdon, raising the ire of the family and Sir Pitt. Becky, as she was able to do with Emmy’s family, gets herself in the Crawleys’ good graces and in particular becomes the object of desire for Sir Pitt and Rawdon, both of whom want to marry her. The main goal of the Crawley family is to position themselves to be in line for the inheritance of ailing Aunt Matilda. Jos quickly leaves and an angry Becky proceeds to her job. Becky almost has him ready to marry her but Emmy’s romantic interest, George, convinces Jos he is acting foolishly. Before beginning her position as a governess, Becky spends a week at Emmy’s home where she finds acceptance with Emmy’s family and seduces her brother Jos, who is home visiting from his job as a tax collector in India. Miss Pinkerton cannot tolerate Becky’s conduct and arranges for her to serve as a governess on the estate of the Crawley family. Emmy comes from wealth and has an aura of innocence. Becky is smart and conniving and from a poor background. They are friends but have more differences than similarities. As the novel opens, Becky and Emmy are at Miss Pinkerton’s Academy for young women. Thackeray’s novel centers on the lives of Becky Sharp and Emmy Sedley during and following the Napoleonic Wars. The title, Vanity Fair, comes from a reference in John Bunyan’s novel-like allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, in which a city called Vanity hosts an ancient festival, Vanity Fair, where the devil is worshipped and Christians are mocked for their faith.
Its characters are virtually lacking in positive qualities and are obsessed with social climbing and the acquisition of wealth.
When the satire was published in book form in 1848, the subtitle was changed to A Novel without a Hero. William Makepeace Thackery’s novel Vanity Fair was originally published as a serialized fiction in nineteen volumes in 1847 and was subtitled, Pen and Pencil Sketches of English Society.
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