Summary “Vanity Fair” by Thackeray
England, the beginning of the XIX century. Europe is at war with Napoleon, but this does not prevent a lot of people, possessed by ambition, to pursue the pursuit of worldly goods – status, titles, ranks. Vanity Fair, the Bazaar of everyday life Fuss boils day and night.
Two young girls leave the boarding house Miss Pinkerton. Emilia Sedley, the daughter of a wealthy Esq., Is a sample of pure English, somewhat sweet and virtuous. She “has a kind, gentle and generous heart,” and, in truth, does not shine with the mind. Another thing Rebecca Sharp. The daughter of a dissolute artist and ballet dancer, Frenchwoman, “is small, frail and pale,” but one look of her green eyes is already capable of dashing any man on the spot. Becky, who grew up in gay poverty, is intelligent, sharp at the tongue, sees people through and through, determined to win at any price a place under the sun, even by hypocrisy and deception. What to do, because the poor man has no
Emilia, sincerely attached to Becky, invites her to stay, and she enjoys hospitality in the best possible way. The little cheat knows how to please everyone, but most importantly, she tries her charm with great success on Joseph Sedley, Emilia’s brother. Flattery, pretense, and this “lazy, grouchy and bonvivan” is ready for the last decisive step. Unfortunately, Mr. George Osborne, the bridegroom of Emilia, interferes with the case, as a result of which the hopes of the young intriguer are crumbling, and Joseph is fleeing.
In Miss Sharp’s life a new page opens: she takes up the duties of a governess in King’s Crawley, the hereditary estate of Sir Pitt Crowley, “an incredibly vulgar and incredibly dirty old man”, a drunkard, a screech and a bitch. Inventiveness, the ability to pretend and hypocrite help Becky win the favor of all the inhabitants of the estate, beginning with her students and ending with Mr. Pitt Crowley, the eldest son of a baronet, a true “well-bred
Royal Crowley makes an annual visit to the unmarried sister of Sir Pitt, whose bank account contains a considerable amount. This old lady “knows with atheists and Frenchmen,” likes to live happily and godlessly tyrannizes a companion, a servant, and along with numerous relatives who are hoping to receive an inheritance. She hates neither Sir Pitt nor his eldest son, but adores the younger – Rodon Crowley – a close officer of the Guard, a wag, a player and a duelist.
Miss Crowley finds Rebecca so charming and witty that, ill, she takes her to her London home, where the romance between a poor governess and the youngest son of a baronet ends. Ends with a secret marriage, for, despite her aunt’s attachment to Freedom and Equality, she can get very angry. Everything opens after the death of Sir Pitt’s wife, when he, not too saddened by this untimely death, tries to get Rebecca back to the Royal Crawley.
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