Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero

I have finally completed what will probably be the biggest accomplishment of my life. I finished reading Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray.

My reading journey through this book began a mere FIVE MONTHS ago. My brother and I had just survived the Fall semester finals at our college, and knew that we would have enough free time to begin a new novel. We both decided to have a race through an 800 page book, to see who was the fastest reader. I picked Vanity Fair, and he picked The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne, which is the sequel to A Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I swore that I would finish my book before he could. I am so glad we did not place any stakes on the bet. He finished his book weeks before I did.

Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero describes many characters who could not really be considered heroes, because of their failings, but who still find ways to connect to the readers' hearts. Comparisons and contrasts between characters show the reader just how imperfect each person is. I appreciated the contrasts between the two female leads, Amelia Sedley and Rebecca Sharp.

Rebecca Sharp is a cold creature who never stops thinking of ways to manipulate people for her personal gain. One cannot completely dislike her character, though, because she is very witty and entertaining. On the other hand, Amelia Sedley is loyal to everyone she comes in contact with, whether her loyalty is deserved or not. One cannot fully respect Amelia's character, however, because she does not have the discernment to tell between friend or foe. Amelia Sedley is Rebecca's truest friend, and remains her friend through a good portion of the book. When Rebecca greedily attempts to take Amelia's husband from her, Amelia ends their friendship, only to renew it later in the book, because she cannot think ill of anyone for long.

Most important of all differences between Rebecca and Amelia is the way they treat the loved ones in their lives. Rebecca Sharp was fond of her husband, but abused him by putting her social life first, and by procuring money from others in a less than savory way, without letting her husband help with the burden of supporting the family. Amelia Sedley idolized her husband, and depended solely on him as her source of happiness. She became ill whenever she thought of the possibility of their separation. In these two women's marriages, we see the problems both of being too independent, and of being entirely too dependent on their spouses.

Rebecca and Amelia also treated their sons differently. Rebecca was much too harsh with her son; only deigning to show maternal love when others were present to view it. She saw mothering as a waste of her talents, and preferred to attend countless parties, as she did before her son's birth. This lack of affection from his mother caused little Rawdon great grief, and he turned to the nanny instead for love. In contrast, it can be said that Amelia loved her son too much, even to the point where she would not discipline him. Her son Georgy quickly learned that he was better than everyone else, because that was what his mother told him. He grew very pretentious and snobby. All of this came from a sense of entitlement that his mother raised him to feel.

As in their marriages, I see the contrast of the two parenting styles, and I understand the need for a balance between the two extremes. Both Amelia Sedley and Rebecca Sharp are so very different, and neither can be respected as true heroines of the novel, which leads us to the subtitle: A Novel without a Hero.

The concept of a main character being unworthy of being called a hero was a rather novel idea in the Victorian age. Makepeace Thackeray was commended on exploring this idea in his novel. I would like to disagree with his subtitle, however, because I believe that there is a hero in Vanity Fair. His name is William Dobbin.

William Dobbin is the most loyal of all characters in Vanity Fair, while still being wary of Rebecca Sharp's wiles. He cared for Amelia Sedley deeply, but did not pursue her, because she was engaged to his best friend. This act of self-denial makes him the martyr of this book, waiting over eighteen years for Amelia to return his love. He respects Amelia's love for his best friend, and remains her protector through her whole life. Even while she did not love him, Dobbin supported Amelia and her family during their darkest hours of debt. Rebecca Sharp herself commends Dobbin, and attempts to catch him for herself, knowing that he was the best gentleman around. Rebecca is rejected, however, because Dobbin sees through her guise, and openly calls her a snake. Dobbin fights admirably in several battles and rises in the ranks, but remains humble, and never speaks about himself. Because he is a loyal friend, respectful lover, valiant soldier, and humble man, William Dobbin is the hero of the Novel Without a Hero.