Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero

The deaths of John Sedley and John Osborne happen in quick succession, both unexpectedly. Before he passes away, Mr. Osborne confesses to Georgy that his rival, Mr. Sedley was the “better man” (712). In recent times, John Osborne has been working on repairing the fractured relationship between the families. He was surprised to discover that Dobbin—now widely respected in society—was responsible for helping Amelia in the wake of George’s death. Dobbin confessed to Mr. Osborne how much Amelia struggled to send Georgy to him. This shocked Osborne, but he did not have a chance to apologize to Amelia before his unexpected death. His estate is split in half between Georgy and Osborne’s daughters. Osborne’s will also dictates that Georgy is to be returned to Amelia, who in turn will receive a sizeable allowance from Osborne’s estate. The will also sets aside money for Dobbin to thank him for the care he showed to Georgy and Amelia. The new allowance only makes Amelia a more sought-after prospect for the people of London. Servants, Jos, and even her loathed enemies treat her with a newfound respect, though “this sort of society [is] too cruelly genteel” (721) for her.

In the summer, the Sedley family plan a summer trip to Germany. Dobbin accompanies them. During this vacation, Amelia and Dobbin grow closer than ever before. They spend time with Georgy. Amelia seems happy for the first time in years. The narrator reveals that he met Amelia, Dobbin, and Jos at this time, so this part of the story is related from his own personal experiences. During the vacation, Jos announces that he plans to remain in Germany rather than return to England, as he becomes enamored with the pomp and ceremony of the provincial courts.

The way in which the German high society welcomes Amelia pleases Jos. The Sedley family are made to feel at home. They enjoy themselves, except for Georgy. He sneaks away from the family and discovers a gambling house. Inside, “a woman with light hair, in a low dress” (743) seems to recognize him. She hands him a coin, allowing him to gamble. Georgy wins money, but he is found by Dobbin, who drags him away. Dobbin tells Georgy that he is too young to gamble and makes him promise that he “never will” (745). Meanwhile, Jos goes to the gambling house. He sits beside the woman, who reveals herself as Becky. After her fall from grace, she fled to Europe and adopted a new identity. She invites Jos to talk with her.

The narrator says that he will not recount the entire, unpleasant experiences of Becky during her period of disgrace. Such a story would only embarrass him. Instead, he recounts the way Pitt heard the story from a messenger, sent to him by Lord Steyne. According to this account, Rawdon cut ties with Becky in the aftermath of their argument. She was sent to France, receiving a small allowance each year from the family to “hush up a most disagreeable affair” (749). After her departure, Lady Jane and Pitt took care of Rawdy. When their own son died, Rawdy was made Pitt’s heir. This news prompted Becky, at last, to write to her son. She wrote because she may need money if he inherits a large estate. To Rawdy, Lady Jane is more of a mother than Becky ever was. Becky spends her time trying to escape her past, traveling across Europe, where her reputation does not precede her. She gambles and builds up more debts, so she must assume new names to avoid the people to whom she owes money. She met Lord Steyne at a ball in Italy. After, he sent a messenger to her, telling her to immediately leave Rome otherwise she would fall “ill and die” (761). Any time she feels as though she is making progress, Becky meets someone who knows about her past.

Jos does not tell anyone about his meeting with Becky. Her “wild, roving nature” (765) intrigues him. She complains about how everyone has abandoned her since she has no money and nothing to offer. Becky also insists that she always loved Jos, but she was denied the chance to show it because Rawdon was a jealous man. Jos agrees with Becky that she has not been treated well. He wants to help her find a way back into high society. When Jos admits to Dobbin that he met with Becky, Dobbin is unimpressed by “the little minx” (770). He has never been convinced by Becky’s lies and manipulations. They seek Amelia’s advice, but Amelia insists that she does not want to see Becky. Only when they appeal to Amelia’s maternal instincts does she agree to do so. Becky and Amelia reunite. Amelia cannot help but offer affection and sympathy to her old friend.

Becky is almost caught in a lie when she cannot remember Rawdy’s age. Instead, she preys on Amelia’s natural sympathy, trying to describe Pitt, Lady Jane, and the “atrocious monster” (776) Lord Steyne as conspiring against her. Becky’s return displeases Dobbin. He remembers how badly she treated Amelia in the past. He is one of the few people that knows that Becky and George had an affair. Amelia invites Becky to live with them, further displeasing Dobbin. When he hints at the scandalous affair and claims that Becky “was not always [Amelia’s] friend” (780), Amelia cries. Dobbin also warns Jos about Becky, pointing out the chaos and destruction she leaves wherever she goes. Becky moves into the house and immediately realizes that Dobbin is immune to her manipulations. Georgy, similarly, recognizes her as the woman from the gambling house. Dobbin begins to gather evidence against Becky, learning just how much she has manipulated everyone. He presents this evidence to Amelia and Jos. Becky, also present, denies everything. Amelia chooses to side with Becky over Dobbin, who she has not forgiven for implying that George might have been unfaithful. Dobbin asserts himself. He is astonished that Amelia would side with the untruthful Becky, even though he is the only person who has been consistently honest and caring toward her. He denounces her absurd fantasy that George was beyond reproach, he denounces her refusal to love him, and he denounces her, saying that she is “not worthy of the love that [he has] devoted to [her]” (787). Becky listens to the conversation. She is impressed by this assertive version of Dobbin. She is shocked that Amelia cannot appreciate Dobbin. Dobbin leaves the house. Becky slips a note for Dobbin to Georgy, in which she offers to act as an intermediary between Dobbin and Amelia. When he receives the note, Dobbin tears it to shreds and leaves. Amelia is left alone with her portrait of George.

Becky strives to win Amelia and Jos to her side. She flatters them at every opportunity, particularly Jos, who becomes her “sworn slave and frantic admirer” (791). In doing so, she is gradually able to rebuild her reputation. Despite this, she is preoccupied with the conversation she overheard between Dobbin and Amelia. She offers her advice to Amelia, saying that she should forgive Dobbin. Amelia acts as though she is annoyed but, privately, she enjoys any conversation about Dobbin. Since his departure, she has been unhappy (793), but she does not want to admit that his absence is causing her unhappiness. Gradually, she comes to accept the correlation. She realizes the role she has played in his departure. By refusing to love him, she realizes, she has lost something special.

Elsewhere, Dobbin attempts to convince himself that he does not love Amelia. Becky probes at Amelia, trying to convince her to see beyond the memory of George and marry Dobbin. As she becomes increasingly desperate, Becky tries to make Amelia see the truth: George was an awful husband to Amelia. Dobbin, in contrast, needed to convince George to marry her. To make her point, Becky confesses that she and George had an affair. Amelia refuses to listen. She insists that Becky is lying. As evidence, Becky produces the letter written by “that selfish humbug” (801) George and left in her clothing at the ball, many years before. George’s letter asks Becky to run away with him and get married in private. Amelia is overwhelmed, but she realizes that this betrayal means that she can be honest about her love for Dobbin. She no longer feels like this would mean betraying George, as he was not loyal to her. Amelia writes to Dobbin, and he returns from England on a ship. Amelia seeks his forgiveness and, at last, they marry. Dobbin and Amelia set up their home near Queen’s Crawley. They have a daughter.

Becky and Jos travel around Europe together. He agrees to take out a life insurance policy in which she will be the benefactor. Amelia worries about Jos. She asks Dobbin to seek him out. When Dobbin finally locates Jos, he discovers that Jos is very sick. The narrator believes that Becky is behind this sickness. When Dobbin cautions Jos to steer clear of Becky, Jos seems “dreadfully afraid” (806) of Becky but continues to praise her. Dobbin is forced to leave Jos, unable to convince him to do anything. Three months later, Jos dies. Becky is awarded half the life insurance policy. The insurance company believes that she may have poisoned Jos. Becky hires lawyers, whose help allows her to collect the full payout.

Gradually, time moves on. Both Rawdon and Pitt Crawley die. Rawdy inherits both the baronetcy and the state. He lives on the estate with Lady Jane and Lady Jane’s daughter. Rawdy and Georgy become friends. Rawdy distances himself from Becky, who has adopted the title Lady Crawley. However, he does regularly send “a liberal allowance” (808) to Becky. Later, Becky tries to start over. She moves to Bath in Southwest England. One day, Amelia and Becky run into each other while they are both attending a country fair. However, they decline to speak to one another. So, the narrator says, “our play is played out” (809).