William Thackeray Trivia

1. When the Sedleys lose their fortune, George Osborne's father forbids him to keep to his engagement with Amelia Sedley, vowing "I'll have no beggar marriages in my family." Whom does Mr Osborne want George to marry?

From Quiz How Much More Do You Know About Vanity Fair ?

Answer: Miss Swartz

Miss Swartz is a half-caste heiress from the island of St Kitts. She is much in demand in society, because of her riches. Miss Swartz was actually at school with Amelia, and is very fond of her. She is a good-natured, naive girl who does not realise that her popularity is owing to her fortune.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About "Vanity Fair"?

Answer: His diddle diddle darling

Rebecca was all expectation that Joseph would propose to her on this night out when she, Amelia and George Osborne dined at Vauxhall. Joseph actually intended to do so, but had so far been too timid. However, the famous Vauxhall rack punch had an alarming effect on him. He became first amorous, then maudlin, then violent. The next day not only did poor Joseph feel terribly ill, but his future brother-in-law, George Osborne, advised him against marrying Rebecca.

From Quiz Let's Talk About Bex

Answer: She throws it out of the carriage window.

Amelia is loved by many of the girls at Miss Pinkerton's academy, and some of them even cry at her departure. Becky, on the other hand, is treated as an afterthought and nobody is sad to see her leave. Both she and Amelia are given a copy of Johnson's dictionary as a parting gift, although Miss Pinkerton protests when Jemima says she wants to give one to Becky too. As their coach leaves, Miss Jemima gives Becky her dictionary, but Becky throws it out of the window. As we find out later, there is no love lost between Becky and Miss Pinkerton, who calls her a 'viper'. Becky lives at the Mall after her father's death and teaches the younger girls French. Miss Pinkerton tries to get her to teach music on hearing her sing, but Becky flatly refuses, and Miss Pinkerton is shocked at her defiance. Becky tells her that she will be happy to leave the academy if Miss Pinkerton can get her a job elsewhere.

From Quiz Raise the Curtain and Welcome to 'Vanity Fair'

Answer: 1847

Thackeray first published his biting social satire in installments between 1847 and 1848. The novel was subtitled 'A Novel Without A Hero', a reference to one of the major themes of the novel, that of what passes for social morality. Thackeray leaves no target unspared, wittily attacking corruption and deceitfulness in every sphere of society, including the church, the army and the nobility. The book regularly exposes the hypocrisy of characters who claim moral superiority and censure others for being immoral while being quite wicked themselves.

From Quiz Barry Lyndon

Answer: The Luck of Barry Lyndon

The work first appeared in serial form as "The Luck of Barry Lyndon", but when published as a novel, was called "The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq. Of The Kingdom Of Ireland Containing An Account of His Extraordinary Adventures; Misfortunes; His Sufferings In The Service Of His Late Prussian Majesty; His Visits To Many Courts of Europe; His Marriage and Splendid Establishments in England And Ireland; And The Many Cruel Persecutions, Conspiracies And Slanders Of Which He Has Been A Victim" - a title that would never serve the Reader's Digest Editorial Board.

From Quiz How Much More Do You Know About Vanity Fair ?

Answer: It comes just too late

It is true that Sir Pitt Crawley's second wife has just died, and the funeral has not even taken place. And he is old enough to be Becky's father, if not her grandfather. But the reason she is full of chagrin is that she has just secretly married Sir Pitt's son, Rawdon. She could have been Lady Crawley with all the advantages of rank and riches, and here she is married to the penniless younger son. She is obliged to refuse the baronet, with genuine tears in her eyes. "I would have had the townhouse newly furnished and decorated. I would have had the handsomest carriage in London and a box at the opera....who would have dreamed of Lady Crawley dying so soon?" she complains to herself.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About "Vanity Fair"?

Answer: He is ashamed because Dobbin is looked down on by the other boys

Before the fight Dobbin is looked down on by the rest of the school because it is discovered that his father is in trade as a grocer. It is George Osborne who makes this discovery and initiates the ridicule against him. Therefore when Dobbin, with typical good nature, rescues him from the much bigger boy, Cuff, who is bullying him, George is ashamed rather than grateful. However, his feelings change during the course of the fight, as Dobbin succeeds in 'licking' Cuffs. Dobbin's status in the school is raised,; it becomes bad form to sneer at his humble origins, and Dobbin and George are lifelong friends.

From Quiz Let's Talk About Bex

Answer: Artist and art teacher

Becky's parents are both dead. Her mother was a French opera dancer - a profession seen as shameful in those days - and her father an art teacher and artist, who taught drawing at Miss Pinkerton's academy. He was also a violent alcoholic who abused both Becky and her mother, and was constantly in debt. From a young age, Becky used her charm and intelligence to talk debt collectors round, or persuade tradesmen to give her food. She also sat for her father and met many of his artist friends. When Becky is seventeen, her father becomes ill; he writes to the academy and asks them to take her in. She earns her keep at the academy by teaching French. When Becky enters society later on in the novel, she embellishes her family's past, claiming her mother was from a noble family. She is also fluent in French (and makes a big point of talking to Miss Pinkerton in French, knowing Miss Pinkerton can't speak it).

From Quiz Barry Lyndon

Answer: Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country

"The Dublin Magazine" was a literary magazine that ran for nearly forty years beginning in the 1920's - not around to cut royalty checks in timely enough fashion for Thackeray. "The Strand Magazine" was begun at the end of the nineteenth century and was really more of a mystery magazine. "Pearson's Magazine" was also a late nineteenth century entry that specialized in political articles. This one was easy if you really know your defunct British periodicals.

From Quiz How Much More Do You Know About Vanity Fair ?

Answer: Major

When we first meet him he is Captain Dobbin, but he is promoted to Major after the battle of Waterloo. Mr Osborne nastily accuses him of stepping into dead men's shoes, meaning his son George's.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About "Vanity Fair"?

Answer: She writes him so many love letters

George is embarrassed by the love letters that are constantly following him about. Amelia spends all her time thinking of him and writing extremely long letters to him. His own letters to Amelia are short and soldierlike.

From Quiz Let's Talk About Bex

Answer: Curry

Becky is to stay with the Sedleys in London before starting her job as a governess. Amelia's older brother Joseph works for the British East India Company as a tax collector in the fictional district of Boggley Wollah. He is a fat dandy who suffers from liver problems, and Amelia adores him, while Becky is unimpressed and Mr Sedley makes fun of his vanity. The Sedleys have curry for dinner, which Becky has never eaten before, and she gets a shock at how hot it is. She eats a green chilli pepper, which makes her feel even worse and she begs for water, much to Mr Sedley's amusement. Becky later meets George Osborne, Mr Sedley's godson and Amelia's prospective future husband, and his friend William Dobbin, a gentle giant who once protected George from a bully at school. They go to the pleasure gardens at Vauxhall, where Joseph gets drunk and makes a fool of himself, and heads to Cheltenham (much to Becky's relief). Osborne looks down on Becky because of her background, and Mrs Sedley does not trust her; the Sedleys' servants also dislike her and are glad when she leaves.

From Quiz Barry Lyndon

Answer: George Savage Fitz-Boodle

Thackeray wrote the serialization in the first person perspective of George Savage Fitz-Boodle, an editor of Barry Lyndon's supposedly true memoirs. George Herman Ruth was the American baseball legend "Babe" Ruth. George Lindsey played "Goober Pyle" on the TV show "Andy Griffith". George Monck, the 1st Duke of Albemarle was a Cavalier, politician and was instrumental in returning Charles II to the throne following the English Civil War.

From Quiz How Much More Do You Know About Vanity Fair ?

Answer: Because he doesn't ask for money

"Rawdon never wrote to me in his life without asking for money,' says his aunt. "It is that little serpent of a governess." She also notices that there are no spelling mistakes such as Rawdon is accustomed to make. It is Rebecca who has dictated the letter, of course, and much as they both need money, she advises Rawdon not to ask for funds but to express his devotion and duty to his aunt. She also urges him to mention the fact that his regiment is about to be sent abroad to encounter Napoleon's army, and it is likely that he will be killed. Rebecca hopes that this will soften Miss Crawley's heart. In the meantime the couple live on credit and on Rawdon's winnings at cards.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About "Vanity Fair"?

Answer: By doing imitations of people

Becky makes a conquest of the rich Miss Crawley by doing malicious imitations of everyone around them, especially Briggs, Miss Crawley's devoted maid. Among many other talents, Becky has a wicked gift of imitation. Later on in the book she acts out scenes for the amusement of Lord Steyne and his friends.

From Quiz Let's Talk About Bex

Answer: Very thin insignificant little chits

Becky meets the repulsive Sir Pitt Crawley at his London home and drives with him and Mrs Tinker, his maid, to his manor in Queen's Crawley, Hampshire, where she is to teach his daughters, Rose and Violet. Rose is a great reader, while Violet is a tomboy. Becky does not like children, and in a letter to Amelia, she writes that the girls are 'very thin insignificant little chits of ten and eight years old'. She also meets Sir Pitt's second wife Betsy, aka Lady Crawley, an ironmonger's daughter, and his older son with his first wife, also called Pitt, who is very religious and disapproves of his father's ways. He also disapproves of his rich aunt Matilda, Sir Pitt's sister, who he describes as 'a godless woman of the world'. The Crawleys all curry favour with Miss Crawley as they hope to inherit her money. Sir Pitt has a brother, the Reverend Bute Crawley, whose wife writes his sermons; she is also a shameless gossip and takes an interest in Becky. She writes to Miss Pinkerton, who tells her about Becky's background.

From Quiz Raise the Curtain and Welcome to 'Vanity Fair'

Answer: Napoleonic Wars

'Vanity Fair' is set during the Regency period of English history, and, while most of the novel takes place in England, there are a number of chapters which take place in Belgium as the British army prepares for the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Our two heroines have both ended up marrying army captains from the same division and so accompany their regiment to Belgium to await their husbands being called into battle.

From Quiz Raise the Curtain and Welcome to 'Vanity Fair'

Answer: George Osborne

George Osborne is a thoughtless young man who is the son of a wealthy merchant and former friend of Mr. Sedley, Amelia's father. After Mr. Sedley's bankruptcy is confirmed, Mr. Osborne disowns his old friend completely. In happier times George and Amelia's families had always planned for them to marry one day in order to unite the two firms. However, Mr. Osborne senior forbids his son to see Amelia again now she is poor. Although Amelia is deeply in love with the dashing captain, he seems fairly uninterested in defying his father by marrying her until he is instructed to give up the engagement, at which point his independent and stubborn streak kicks in and he determines to marry Amelia against his father's wishes. The news of the marriage is a great blow to old Mr. Osborne who immediately cuts his son off without a penny. Soon after their marriage the new Captain and Mrs. Osborne meet Becky Sharp and her new husband and George proceeds to become fascinated and charmed by his new acquaintance and to neglect his new wife while dancing attendance on her friend. For her part, Becky, as usual, seems most interested in what she can gain from Osborne and appears to encourage his attentions only to lure him into spending evenings at her house where he proceeds to lose large amounts of money to her husband at cards. On the eve of the battle of Waterloo George gives Becky a note asking her to elope with him but he is killed soon after on the battlefield leaving his young pregnant widow to return home to her parents and raise their child in very straitened circumstances.

From Quiz How Much More Do You Know About Vanity Fair ?

Answer: "That bald-headed man with the large teeth"

As well as being bald and having large teeth, Lord Steyne is short and bow-legged, but Rebecca is in thrall to his money and his position. Little Rawdon is resentful that his mother spends so much time with Lord Steyne, entertaining him with songs at the piano. She is singing to him on one occasion when she catches her small son listening at the door, and the poor little boy receives a blow from his mother. This is what leads him to ask "Why is she always singing to that bald-headed man with the large teeth?"

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About "Vanity Fair"?

Answer: Instructs his valet to shave off his moustache

Joseph, at first is a hanger-on of the British army, and enjoys the military talk and atmosphere. However when his valet brings him the news that the army has been defeated, he is terrified he will be taken for an officer and therefore instructs his valet in a panic, and in very bad French: "Coupy, vite!', at the same time gesturing at his face. The valet at first believes his master wishes him to cut his throat. In contrast, Amelia and Mrs O'Dowd, whose husbands have just marched away, show no fear for their own skins.

From Quiz Raise the Curtain and Welcome to 'Vanity Fair'

Answer: William Dobbin

William Dobbin has been a friend of George Osborne since their school days when Dobbin protected Osborne from a bully. Dobbin's friendship for and admiration of his friend is seemingly boundless. Despite being a kinder and more honourable man than his friend, Dobbin seems to believe that it is a great privilege for him to be permitted to associate with Osborne. Dobbin's love for George Osborne is complicated when he meets and falls in love with Amelia Sedley. Knowing that she is in love with his friend, and concerned that Osborne is not showing enough eagerness to marry her, he encourages and arranges their marriage himself, even though he is in love with the bride, believing that the two people he loves best should be together and wanting to make the marriage happen as soon as possible in order to save his own feelings from further torment. Dobbin continues to love Amelia and proposes to her after George's death. She refuses him but he continues to follow her around and to be her loyal servant until eventually, after an argument, he realises he has been wasting his affections on an unworthy subject for many years and leaves her. Becky steps in and scolds Amelia for clinging on to the memory of the selfish George and rejecting the noble Dobbin and tells Amelia to write to William, beg his forgiveness and implore him to return. Amelia does so and the two are quickly married and appear to live, mostly, happily ever after, even though Amelia is acutely aware that Dobbin does not have the same affection for her that he once did.

From Quiz Barry Lyndon

Answer: He shoots Captain Quinn in a duel.

The hot-headed Barry challenges the far more dangerous Captain Quinn to a duel with pistols. He proves the better shot, however, and is hustled to Dublin to avoid arrest, thinking he has killed the Captain. In fact, his lieutenants have loaded the pistols with wax plug shot.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About "Vanity Fair"?

Answer: Glorvina

After several seasons in her native Ireland in which she has failed to get married, Glorvina comes out to Madras to try her luck with the officers stationed there. Her sister, Peggy O'Dowd, is loud in her praise of Glorvina's charms.

From Quiz Barry Lyndon

Answer: England and Prussia

The Seven Years War was an eighteenth century free-for-all which saw England, Prussia, Portugal and some German principalities line up against France, Spain, Russia, Sweden and others. The irony for mostly Catholic Irish soldiers fighting for King George was that the battle lines in this war were drawn essentially between Protestants and Catholics, albeit for basically political reasons. The Seven Years War saw the end of France as a colonial power, especially in the Americas, and saw the rise of Great Britain to international prominence as such.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About "Vanity Fair"?

Answer: He claims: "You never kiss me at home, Mamma."

Poor little Rawdon is not used to such tokens of affection from his mother. When they are at home she rarely takes any notice of him, and he habitually eats in the kitchen with the servants, who are kinder to him than his mamma. But one of Becky's motives in going to Queen's Crawley is to make a good impression on Sir Pitt and his family in order to get what she can from them. Therefore she pretends to be devoted to her little boy.

From Quiz Let's Talk About Bex

Answer: Germany

Becky, like Rawdon before her, gets by on the money she wins from gambling. Rawdon accepts the post offered to him by the Marquis of Steyne as governor of Coventry Island, leaving his son in the care of Sir Pitt the Younger and Lady Jane; he later dies of yellow fever. Sir Pitt and Lady Jane's son dies, making young Rawdon the heir to Queen's Crawley. Becky originally goes to France, but her reputation precedes her, and word gets around about her after her former friends from London spot her in various places. She travels across Europe, leaving a trail of debt in her wake. While in Italy with a fake 'Major', Becky runs into the Marquis of Steyne at a party. He is not pleased to see her and his manservant later warns Becky to get out of Italy, hinting that the Marquis could have her killed. Georgy meets Becky in a casino; she is wearing a mask and he does not recognise her, but she recognises him and gets him to place a bet for her. Dobbin drags him out of the casino, but Joseph stays behind and meets Becky, who gives him her address. When Amelia sees Becky again, Becky is living in an extremely dodgy boarding house, frequented by students, artists, alcoholics and all sorts of Bohemian types. She herself is an alcoholic and has to hide her bottle of brandy in her bed when Joseph comes into her room. Amelia invites Becky to stay with the party and ignores Dobbin when he tries to warn her that Becky is bad news. Dobbin is so fed up with Amelia's ungrateful behaviour, after supporting her and Georgy for years, that he returns to England.

From Quiz Raise the Curtain and Welcome to 'Vanity Fair'

Answer: Lord Steyne

Despite being badly off financially, Becky makes sure that she and Rawdon are still able to hold their own in society and the parties they hold at their little house become all the rage in fashionable London circles. The brilliant Mrs. Crawley attracts the attention of the fabulously wealthy and influential Lord Steyne with whom she begins an affair. He gives her a great deal of money and many gifts of jewellery as well as arranging for her and Rawdon's son, little Rawdon, to attend a good school. Keen to have Becky to himself without her stolid husband hanging about, Lord Steyne and Becky arrange to have Rawdon arrested for debts he owes but his kind sister-in-law bails him out and he returns home to find his wife and the lord in a compromising situation. Rawdon is devastated by the breakdown of his marriage as he was very much in love with Becky, even though he had come to realise that she did not care for him or their son, little Rawdon, to whom he is devoted.

From Quiz How Much More Do You Know About Vanity Fair ?

Answer: She gets her own son's age wrong

Amelia is overcome with compassion when her brother Jos tells her that Rebecca's son has been taken away from her following the scandal with Lord Steyne. She imagines how she would feel if she was separated from her own son, and rushes to the lodging house to shower sympathy on Rebecca. Rebecca mentions little Rawdon's age as eleven. He is in fact fourteen, the same age as Amelia's son, Georgey. Amelia shows her surprise at this and Rebecca hastily corrects her mistake. "Grief has made me forget so many things, dearest Amelia.... He was eleven when they took him away." Becky actually has hidden a brandy bottle under the bed-clothes, when Jos visits her; so she hastily ushers him to a chair and sits on the bed herself. It is interesting to note that in this scene Becky is loath to start telling lies again so soon to Amelia, but what else can she do? she asks herself. Thackeray's portrayal of Becky is ingenious; in spite of her villainy, we feel sympathy for her at several points in the story. What leads to her undoing is that she always goes too far and over-reaches herself just when she could be sitting pretty.

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Last Updated Apr 27 2024 5:51 AM

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