Vanity Fair: An Analysis of Rank and Gentility in William Thackeray's Novel

Abstract

Abstract

This dissertation analyses Vanity Fair (1848), William Thackeray’s most prominent and successful novel. In the first chapter, the biography of the author is presented showing how Thackeray’s life influenced the creation of his work. Indeed, some scenes in the novel echo some episodes Thackeray’s meeting with the Napoleon, India’s rich lifestyle, and the loss of his inheritance, which dramatically changed his living conditions and his status of gentleman. This dissertation also investigates the history of Vanity Fair’s composition, its alleged shapelessness, and the critical receptions, which made Thackeray popular with the readers but did not grant him economic stability. Among them, the most important commentators were Charlotte Bronte, Anthony Trollope, and G. K. Chesterton.

In the second chapter, the main focus is on themes such heroism and gentlemanliness in relation to the main characters of Vanity Fair. The first part examines the heroes in the Napoleonic wars and mainly in the battle of Waterloo while discussing the novel’s controversial subtitle “a Novel without a Hero”. As a matter of fact, Thackeray does not describe the conflict but instead presents his characters’ personal and simple situations far away from the front. Therefore, this section is particularly dedicated to the novel’s female characters, Rebecca and Amelia who show a different approach to heroism biased by their rank. The second part examines the class conflict exploring the status of gentlemanliness and gentlewomanliness, a highly debated term at the time the novel was written. It focuses on the male characters, who despite being military men, are investigated in their everyday situations.

In the third and last chapter, the focal points of this dissertation are feminism and feminised male characters, as well as colonialism and imperialism as they emerged in the most recent studies. The first point of discussion are the female figures and their working possibilities, and the characters whose vanity has led them to be considered “feminised” for instance George Osborne. Moreover, it examines the role of the governess in relation to the character of Becky who subverts the characteristics of the Governess Novel genre. The second point is colonialism which analyses the relation of the British with the colonies in military and economic terms. In addition, it disputes the characterisation of some colonial characters like Rhoda Swartz who, like a colony, is appreciated just for her monetary value. Finally, the relation between England and France during and after the Napoleonic Wars is also investigated.