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
Even Becky is moved by the tenderness that Amelia shows her. Amelia says it must be so awful that they took Rawdy away from Becky—she had the same experience with Georgy—and Becky pretends that losing her son was tragic. They realize the Georgy and Rawdon are the same age, 11.
While Amelia draws similarities between her situation and Becky’s, in fact the two are total opposites, with Amelia being devastated by the loss of her son and Becky being indifferent or even happy to be away from hers; while Amelia is overwhelmingly generous, Becky is almost totally selfish.
Themes
Becky and Amelia talk for a while. Becky says Lady Jane turned Rawdon against her and that was what led to her separation. It’s also the reason why she’s now wandering the world in such a humble state. Amelia believes everything Becky says and is deeply moved. After a while, Dobbin leaves because the ceiling is so low that he can’t stand. He happens to overhear the two students from earlier talking about Becky, suggesting that she plans to sell tickets to a concert but might not actually perform.
Becky continues to tell lies to try to win Amelia over—clearly, Lady Jane isn’t the one responsible for turning Rawdon against Becky. Dobbin’s inability to stand in Becky’s low ceiling could be a metaphor for how Dobbin isn’t able to endure Becky’s lies like Amelia is; indeed, as soon as Dobbin leaves, he hears evidence that Becky might not be as reformed as she claims to be.
Themes
Dobbin takes the students’ conversation as evidence that Becky is still her old self, always scheming. He goes back to Amelia and learns that Amelia wants to give Becky one of their maids’ rooms. Dobbin is alarmed about her having Becky in her house, but both Amelia and Jos are enthusiastic about the idea.
When Dobbin first met Amelia, he was excluded from the social gathering, as Amelia paired up with George and Becky paired up with Jos. Even though George is dead, the same social dynamic seems to be playing out again, with Dobbin once again left on the outside—perhaps symbolizing how Amelia still hasn’t let go of George.
Themes
Dobbin tries to convince Amelia that Becky hasn’t always been a friend to Amelia, seemingly alluding to how Becky was so close with George, and this makes Amelia very angry and disoriented. Dobbin tries instead to warn Jos, but he’s so worked up that Jos thinks he’s being unreasonable.
Everything Dobbin says is true, but Amelia and Jos don’t like how he spoils their illusions. The secret to Becky's success is that even though she lies, she often tells people things that she wishes were true, and this gets other people on her side to wish for her version of the truth as well.
Themes
Get the entire Vanity Fair LitChart as a printable PDF.
When Becky arrives to stay with the Sedleys, she greets everyone affectionately, except for Dobbin, since she figures he may be her enemy. Georgy recognizes Becky as the woman from the gambling room. Becky makes him promise not to tell Amelia about that.
Both Becky and Dobbin have learned not to underestimate each other. As the novel enters its final phase, it soon becomes clear that the conflict between Becky and Dobbin is also a conflict about Amelia and whether she will continue to remain loyal to the past and maintain her old friendship with Becky, or whether she can break with the past and prioritize a new romance with Dobbin.
Themes
Meanwhile, Dobbin goes out walking to get away from everything, and he happens to run into Lord Tapeworm in town. When Tapeworm hears that the Sedleys have welcomed Becky into their home, he laughs, saying it would be better to have a dangerous prisoner in their house. Dobbin continues to be concerned.
Lord Tapeworm is himself a bit of a parasite, so the fact that even he warns about Becky suggests that she is truly formidable. This raises the question of whether Becky would even stoop to betraying Amelia, her oldest friend.
Themes
Dobbin decides he must go back to Amelia and Jos to confront them about Becky and the potential danger she poses. Jo Dobbin’s accusations offend Jos, who then leaves. Amelia is also annoyed but stays to listen. Using what he learned from Lord Tapeworm, Dobbin accuses Becky of being unfaithful to Rawdon and traveling around to gambling houses, using a false name. Becky says Dobbin can’t prove anything he’s just said, and Amelia says Dobbin has no authority to throw people out of the Sedleys’ house.
Once again, Becky’s best defense is always that no one can prove she’s done anything wrong. In a way, her whole character challenges the basis of the British class system. While traditionally the class system is hereditary and thought to maintain order, Becky shows that one can sometimes snag a higher position for oneself just by making claims that are too difficult to disprove. She exposes how the class system is based less on merit and more on lies and posturing.
Themes
Dobbin takes Amelia aside to apologize about presuming to have any authority in her house. Amelia says she’ll never forgive Dobbin for how he insulted George’s memory the previous day (by implying he tried to have an affair with Becky). Dobbin says he devoted his life to George, and his intent wasn’t to sully George’s memory
Dobbin went above and beyond to help George while he was alive, but Amelia is so blinded by her ideal memory of George that none of that matters to her. When Amelia stands up against Dobbin, she acts uncharacteristically assertive, suggesting either that George really was that important to her or perhaps that Becky has already succeeded at manipulating Amelia.
Themes
Dobbin tells Amelia that he’s loved her for 15 years. However, he adds, if she can’t trust him now, then he may as well go away forever. Amelia asks if he’s really leaving, and he confirms that he is. Then he walks out the door and leaves Amelia alone.
Dobbin has already confessed his love to Amelia, so what he’s really doing here is issuing an ultimatum to try to see if she feels the same way. By rejecting Dobbin’s love, Amelia shows that she isn’t ready to let go of the past.
Themes
When Georgy hears that Dobbin is leaving for good, he gets upset and throws a tantrum. Georgy decides he’ll go after Dobbin himself (who hasn’t left the city yet but has his carriage ready). Before he goes, Becky gives him a piece of paper with a message. When Dobbin gets in his carriage to leave for good, Georgy rushes in to hug him. He gives Dobbin Becky’s note. Dobbin leaves, and Georgy wails all night. Amelia wonders if she did the right thing.
Although this chapter seems to end in disappointment for Dobbin, Becky’s note (which isn’t explained at this point) leaves open possibilities for the future. Since Becky usually acts selfishly, and since she seemingly gets what she wants when Dobbin leaves, the note is mysterious and perhaps marks the beginning of something new for her character.
Themes
