A Plan to Banish Shyness

Vanity Fair: A Review of the Classic Novel by William Makepeace Thackeray

William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel “Vanity Fair” (1848) is a satirical critique of 19th-century English society, told through the eyes of two young women, Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley, as they navigate the ups and downs of the social elite. Set against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, the novel masterfully explores themes of class, morality, love, and status, constantly redefining the notion of “vanity” and “fairness.”

Thacker’s work fiction is a binding testament to the enduring power of both timeless literature and timeless social critique.