Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Vanity Fair, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Greed and Ambition
Vanity
Social Class and Character
Gender
Inheritance and Family Life
Summary
Analysis
Dobbin finds himself suddenly in charge of managing George and Amelia’s marriage, which seems to be back on again. Amelia feels she’ll die without George, and George is moved when he sees how much power he holds over Amelia. Dobbin recommends that they run off, just like Becky and Rawdon. Dobbin believes Mr. Osborne will disapprove strongly, but he also feels that George might be able to win back his father’s favor if he distinguishes himself in the war against Napoleon.
Dobbin is so selfless that he’s willing to put aside his own feelings for Amelia in order to make her happy—and he believes that George is the only thing that will make her happy. Given how much help George needs, however, it raises the question of whether Amelia is not so different from the other characters: striving for something that may ultimately prove disappointing once she achieves it.
Themes
Dobbin urges George to marry Amelia as soon as possible. Mrs. Sedley approves of the idea, so Dobbin goes to see Mr. Sedley about it and finds him looking sad and gaunt, although Mr. Sedley tries to pretend that he still has many illustrious friends helping him with his business. Mr. Sedley talks about how Napoleon’s return from Elba must be a conspiracy to ruin the businesses of people like him. Mr. Sedley says he’d join the army himself if he weren’t so old.
Having lost his fortune, Mr. Sedley tries to at least hold on to his reputation, pretending that he still has the support of respectable friends and that he could’ve been a brave soldier. His denial about his situation makes him similar to the numerous other characters I the story who ignore their debts and pretend that they can keep up their lavish lifestyles indefinitely.
Themes
When Dobbin brings up George, Mr. Sedley says Jos should’ve shot George as revenge for Amelia, but Jos doesn’t have the courage. Dobbin tells him it’s not George’s fault that Mr. Osborne broke off the engagement. Mr. Sedley says that doesn’t matter because he forbids their marriage regardless. Dobbin replies that no one has a right to stand between George and Amelia getting married.
George angers Mr. Sedley because Mr. Sedley took George’s rejection of Amelia as a personal attack on his own honor (which, once again, is all he has left after losing his money). Dobbin tries to position himself as the voice of reason, although arguably his decision-making is also highly biased due to his infatuation with Amelia and desire to see her happy.
Themes
Meanwhile, George tells Amelia about a rich young woman that Jane Osborne and Maria know whose family owns several plantations in the West Indies. She is a “young mulatto” orphan named Miss Swartz, and her father was a German-Jewish slave owner. Amelia is concerned by how much interest George takes in Miss Swartz. Still, she feels reassured to have George back by her side, and she doesn’t even seem to notice Dobbin in her presence.
The mixed-race Miss Swartz is a minor but interesting character in the novel who demonstrates that in spite of the widespread racial prejudice in England at the time, it was also possible for people with enough wealth and status to partially overcome some of these prejudices. Although the abolition of slavery would come soon, with the slave trade already being abolished in 1807, there were still members of the upper-class in England who had made their fortune on slavery.
Themes
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