VanityFair---ByThackeray•Subtitle:“ANovelWithoutaHero”•WrittenbyWilliamMakepeaceThackeray,firstpublishedin1847–48,satirizingsocietyinearly19th-centuryBritain.Thebook'stitlecomesfromJohnBunyan'sallegoricalstoryThePilgrim'sProgress,Vanityfairreferstoastopalongthepilgrim'sprogress:anever-endingfairheldinatowncalledVanity,whichismeanttorepresentman'ssinfulattachmenttoworldlythings.Literarycriticism•Contemporarycritics:•Criticshailedtheworkasaliterarytreasurebeforethelastpartfinished.Althoughthecriticsweresuperlativeintheirpraise,theyexpresseddisappointmentattheunremittinglydarkportrayalofhumannature,fearingThackerayhadtakenhisdismalmetaphortoofar.Inresponsetohiscritics,Thackerayexplainedthathesawpeopleforthemostpartabominablyfoolishandselfish.(GordonN.Rayed.)Theorists:•Thesubtitle,ANovelwithoutaHero,isaptbecausethecharactersareallflawedtoagreaterorlesserdegree;eventhemostsympathetichaveweaknesses.ThehumanweaknessesThackerayillustratesaremostlytodowithgreed,idleness,andsnobbery,andthescheming,deceitandhypocrisywhichmaskthem.Noneofthecharactersarewhollyevil,though.•Thenovelisasatireofsocietyasawhole,characterizedbyhypocrisyandopportunism,butitisnotareformingnovel;thereisnosuggestionthatsocialorpoliticalchanges,orgreaterpietyandmoralreformismcouldimprovethenatureofsociety.Itthuspaintsafairlybleakviewofthehumancondition.•TheworkisoftencomparedtotheothergreathistoricalnovelwhichcoveredtheNapoleonicwars:Tolstoy'sWarandPeace.WhileTolstoy'sworkhasagreateremphasisonthehistoricaldetailandtheeffectthewarhasuponhisprotagonists,Thackerayinsteadusestheconflictasmoreofabackdroptothelivesofhischaracters.•Filmandtelevisionadaptations•Thebookhasinspiredanumberofadaptations•Soundfilmversions•1932:VanityFair:directedbyChesterM.FranklinandstarringMyrnaLoy.•1935:BeckySharp:starringMiriamHopkinsandFrancesDee,thefirstfilmshotinTechnicolor.•2004:VanityFair:directedbyMiraNairandadaptedfromWilliamMakepeaceThackeray'snovelofthesamename.Theprevioussubjectofnumeroustelevisionandfilmadaptations,thisversionmadesubstantialchanges,mostnotablybeingthealmostcompletetransformationofthecharacterofBeckySharp.•ThefilmwasnominatedforGoldenLionAwardin2004VeniceFilmFestival•SettingThetime:Inearly19th-centuryPlace:BritainCircumstances:war,IndustrialRevolutionPlot:……MainCharacters:•RebeccaBeckySharp•AmeliaSedleyOsborne•ColonelRawdonCrawley•CaptainGeorgeOsborne•PittCrawleyBaronet•MissMatildaCrawley•Joseph'Jos'Sedley•MajorWilliamDobbin•LordDarlingtonThe2004version:TheleadingroleinthefilmisRebecca(Becky)Sharp,asocial-climbingcommonerinclass-consciousEngland.Inthefilm,Beckyistreatedmuchmoresympatheticallythaninthebook,•whichdepictsherasanamoralwomanwhowillstopatnothingtogetwhatshewants.•InanotherversionRebeccaBeckySharpwasdescribedasalower-classgirlwhoinsinuatesherselfintoanupperclassfamily,onlytoseeherlifeandthelivesofthosearoundherdestroyed.Theruthless,self-willedandbeautifulBeckyisoneofthemostfamouscharactersinEnglishliterature.•Style:satiricalnovelofsocialreality•PS:ThecharacterofBeckySharpisbasedinpartonThackeray'smaternalgrandmotherHarrietBelcher.SheabandonedherhusbandandchildrenwhensheelopedwithCaptainCharlesChristie.In1806shortlyafterthedeathofChristieandherhusbandshemarriedEdwardButler,anotherarmyofficer.ThackeraylivedwithhisgrandmotherinParisinthe1830sandagaininthe1840s.Vanityoffameandfortune!Whoisintoxicated?Whoisfullofdesire?Or,hasthefametobesatisfied?Theend