Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero

After George leaves, Jos realizes that he has felt overshadowed by his new brother-in-law. Meanwhile, the servants eye George’s valuables. Becky comes to visit Amelia. She chides Jos for not enlisting with the other men. Jos suspects that she merely wants his attention, since there is no one else left. Still, he enjoys it. He reminds her of his responsibilities to Amelia. Becky speaks freely, noting how Rawdon has said cruel things about Jos. She suspects that Rawdon is jealous that Becky once showed interest in Jos, a revelation which seems to surprise Jos. Privately, Becky congratulates herself on assuring a seat in Jos’s carriage, should she need to escape. Amelia is surprised by Becky’s visit, then angrily demands to know the reason for Becky’s presence. Becky is suddenly worried that Amelia has discovered the letter. Amelia is angry that Becky is threatening her relationship with George. Becky insists that Amelia is not well as she leaves. The narrator explains that Becky does actually like Amelia; these accusations flatter Becky, suggesting that Amelia fears Becky’s ability to charm people.

Brussels descends into chaos. Jos asks Mrs. O’Dowd whether the time has come to ready Amelia to depart. She insists that they should wait until orders are sent from her husband. Jos learns that a British defeat is imminent and that George’s group suffered heavy losses. Jos sees British soldiers stumbling back from the front.

Becky delights in being able to refuse offers from Lady Bareacres to swap her horses for valuable diamonds. She spots Jos and sells him the horses. This large amount, plus Rawdon’s, will grant her independence. Jos takes the horses and tries to prepare to flee Brussels alone. As the wounded men return, an ensign named Tom Stubble says that he was sent by Dobbin to recover in the house. He says that George is still alive. He credits Dobbin with his own survival. Jos stables his horses so that he can flee quickly if necessary. Meanwhile, Becky assures herself that she could “crush” (371) Amelia’s spirits with the incriminating note left to her by George. When the cannon fire draws closer, Jos fails to convince Amelia to flee with him. At the front, George lays dead.

In Brighton, Matilda consumes all news from the front lines. As she hears that Rawdon has distinguished himself in battle, she laments again that he did not make a better marriage. During his time away, Rawdon has continued to write to her. Matilda knows that Becky is actually dictating the letters to her husband, but she encourages Rawdon to continue writing. Pitt Junior, Rawdon’s brother, is set to marry Jane Sheepshanks, Matilda’s young neighbor. He tries to convince Jane’s family that Matilda no longer favors Rawdon.

Matilda feels lonely, so the arrival of Pitt Junior, his fiancée Jane, and Jane’s mother, Lady Southdown, is welcome. Martha Crawley regrets that she has fallen out of favor with Matilda. She devises a plan in which their son James will pay a visit to Matilda to try to endear the family to her again. Matilda welcomes James, inviting him to drink and dine with her. The following day, however, she sees his hotel bill and is unimpressed by how much alcohol he purchased. She finds other shortcomings and sends him back to his hotel.

Becky finds Rawdon. They live well in Paris because of the price Jos paid for Becky’s horses. Becky speaks fluent French and is welcomed into Parisian high society. A Parisian woman writes positively about Becky in a letter to her friend, Matilda. This annoys Matilda, who believes that Becky is capitalizing on the Crawley family name. News reaches Matilda that Becky has given birth to a son. Matilda is motivated to accelerate the marriage between Pitt Junior and Jane, promising them £1,000 a year while she lives and the rest of her estate upon her death.

George Osborne is announced as dead. John Osborne is tortured by the death of his son. When a letter from George finally reaches him, several weeks after George’s death, George remains “beloved and unforgiven” (409). Mr. Osborne travels to Brussels, where he learns of Dobbin’s efforts to recover George’s body. As he travels home, Mr. Osborne sees Amelia in her carriage. She is pale and sad, but the sight of her fills him with hate. Dobbin recognizes Mr. Osborne. He exits the carriage, bearing a message to Mr. Osborne from George. He asks Mr. Osborne to find pity for the widowed Amelia, especially as she is pregnant. He hopes that Mr. Osborne will take care of Amelia and the grandchild. However, Mr. Osborne cannot forgive Amelia. When she gives birth to a son, some sense of hope returns to her life. Dobbin takes Amelia and her son to England, installing Amelia in his mother’s house. He spends much time with them but eventually realizes that Amelia will never love him, so he accepts that he must leave.

The narrator thinks about the way that the people of Vanity Fair afford their luxurious lifestyles. Whether they come from rich or poor backgrounds, life in Vanity Fair is always expensive and only tends to get more expensive as people’s fortunes increase. Rawdon and Becky live luxuriously on no income but throw dinner parties. Rawdon has left the army. He is a skilled gambler, playing cards and billiards. Becky knows that such an income is unstable. As Becky thinks about the best way to bring her family back to Britain, she hears that Matilda is dying. Rawdon is sent to visit her, a final attempt to redeem himself in her eyes. He does not arrive in time, however, so Becky plans to reunite with Rawdon in Brussels with their son. Before departing London, she visits the people to whom Rawdon owes money, negotiating down the price.

Charles Raggles was once Matilda’s butler. On returning to England, Becky and Rawdon rent a house from him. Raggles remains fond of the Crawley family, taking on a makeshift role as a butler when Becky and Rawdon host parties. His wife also cooks for them. The narrator notes that Becky and Rawdon have a habit of never having to pay for services they enjoy. Instead, they take advantage of other people. Becky is popular, though not with all the high-society women. The friends she once had in London no longer want to spend time with her. Becky is quick to remind Rawdon that she was responsible for dealing with their debt and finding them a nice home. She insists that he remain on good terms with his brother, Pitt Junior, who will inherit the family estate one day. Rawdon obeys his wife, writing a positive letter to his brother, which seems to repair their relationship. Becky also hopes that a friendship with Jane Crawley will be her ticket into the elite echelons of English society. She tells her new acquaintance Lord Steyne of her need for a “moral shepherd’s dog” (437) to guide her through society. Rawdon’s friends joke about how Becky is the dominant partner in the marriage.

Becky and Rawdon name their son Rawdy. Becky is a distant parent while Rawdon dotes upon his son. Becky has come to regard her husband as foolish, though she is fond of him. She treats him like a servant. Though she often ignores him, Rawdy loves his mother. On one occasion, Rawdon takes Rawdy to a local park. He sees John Sedley chatting with a friend from the military. Sedley is accompanied by his grandson, Georgy, the son of Amelia and George.

Jos has gone back to India. His lies about being at the Battle of Waterloo make him a popular figure. Mr. Sedley has still not financially recovered, so Jos supports him. Amelia and her son live with the Sedley family. Amelia will not allow anyone else to care for her son. She spends money she does not have to ensure that he is well-dressed. Amelia remains an attractive woman; men see her as vulnerable and soft, but this invites distrust from women. She is devoted to George. Mr. Sedley has set up an alcohol business, and Dobbin places orders for himself and his fellow officers. Mr. Sedley convinces himself that Dobbin is hiding Georgy’s true inheritance and keeping it for himself. He confronts Dobbin, who reveals George’s debt, which Dobbin and his fellow officers have kept hidden from Amelia. Mrs. Sedley knows Dobbin loves Amelia and wishes that Amelia would look kindly upon him. Georgy grows up to resemble his father. He is difficult and dominant over his soft mother, though the narrator insists that Georgy genuinely loves Amelia. Dobbin pays for Georgy to attend a good school. Amelia learns that Dobbin is to marry.

Reverend Bute and his wife did not inherit Matilda’s money; Martha tries to hide their dire financial situation. Pitt Junior visits his father with his wife. Pitt Junior notices that his mother’s domestic role seems to now be occupied by a servant named Miss Horrocks, who dresses in his mother’s clothes and runs the household as his mother once did. Soon after they arrive, Sir Pitt falls ill. Martha Bute arrives at the house to find Miss Horrocks scouring through the valuables. She demands that Miss Horrocks be arrested.