Vanity Fair | novel by Thackeray | Britannica.com novel by Thackeray Moby Dick Vanity Fair, novel of early 19th-century English society by William Makepeace Thackeray , published serially in monthly installments from 1847 to 1848 and in book form in 1848. Thackeray’s previous writings had been published either unsigned or under pseudonyms; Vanity Fair was the first work he published under his own name. The novel takes its title from the place designated as the centre of human corruption in John Bunyan ’s 17th-century allegory Pilgrim’s Progress . The book is a densely populated multilayered panorama of manners and human frailties; subtitled A Novel Without a Hero, Vanity Fair metaphorically represents the human condition. Becky Sharp receives a proposal of marriage from Sir Pitt Crawley, illustration by William … Hulton Archive/Getty Images The novel deals mainly with the interwoven fortunes of two women, the wellborn, passive Amelia Sedley and the ambitious, essentially amoral Becky Sharp , the latter perhaps the most memorable character Thackeray created.

The adventuress Becky is the novel’s central character and the person around whom all the actors revolve. Amelia marries George Osborne , but George, just before he is killed at the Battle of Waterloo , is ready to desert his young wife for Becky, who has fought her way up through society to marriage with Rawdon Crawley, a young officer from an aristocratic family. Crawley, disillusioned, finally leaves Becky, and in the end virtue apparently triumphs when Amelia marries her lifelong admirer, Captain William Dobbin, and Becky settles down to genteel living and charitable works. The rich movement and colour of this panorama of early 19th-century society make Vanity Fair Thackeray’s greatest achievement; the narrative skill, subtle characterization, and descriptive power make it one of the outstanding novels of its period. The novel inspired a number of film and television adaptations , including a Hindi version, Bahurupi Bazar (1932). Indian film director Mira Nair directed another version in 2004. Learn More in these related articles: Becky Sharp | fictional character | Britannica.com Becky Sharp fictional character THIS ARTICLE IS A STUB. You can learn more about this topic in the related articles below.

Similar Topics Gollum Becky Sharp, fictional character, an amoral adventuress in William Makepeace Thackeray ’s Vanity Fair (1847–48), a novel of the Regency period (roughly the second decade of the 19th century) in England. She has been considered one of the most vivid characters in English literature . Becky Sharp and Sir Pitt Crawley, illustration by William Makepeace Thackeray for his novel Vanity Fair (1847–48). Hulton Archive/Getty Images William Makepeace Thackeray July 18, 1811 Calcutta, India Dec. 24, 1863 London, Eng. English novelist whose reputation rests chiefly on Vanity Fair (1847–48), a novel of the Napoleonic period in England, and The History of Henry Esmond, Esq. (1852), set in the early 18th century.

Vanity Fair (novel by Thackeray) novel of early 19th-century English society by William Makepeace Thackeray, published serially in monthly installments from 1847 to 1848 and in book form in 1848. Thackeray’s previous writings had been published either unsigned or under pseudonyms; Vanity Fair was the first work he published... in William Makepeace Thackeray: Mature writings ...successfully used by Dickens. Set in the second decade of the 19th century, the period of the Regency, the novel deals mainly with the interwoven fortunes of two contrasting women, Amelia Sedley and Becky Sharp. The latter, an unprincipled adventuress, is the leading personage and is perhaps the most memorable character Thackeray created. Subtitled “A Novel Without a Hero,” the novel...

Becky Sharp - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The main character of the novel Vanity Fair (1847-48) by British author William Makepeace Thackeray, is Becky Sharp, a poor drawing instructor’s clever, selfish, unprincipled daughter, who fights her way up through society to an advantageous marriage. She is considered one of the most vivid characters in English literature. Becky Sharp (1935), a film adaptation of Vanity Fair, was one of the first motion pictures made in color. Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources.

At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: April 27, 2016 URL: Access Date: January 17, 2017 Share Becky Sharp Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 29 out of 31 people found the following review useful: Glorious Technicolor Restored from Boston, MA 10 September 2001 BECKY SHARP, historically important as the first feature film in full, three-color TECHNICOLOR, has always fascinated me. It's history, however, is frustrating and disappointing.

Made by Pioneer Pictures and released through RKO, BECKY SHARP was sold to a poverty row exhibitor (whose name escapes me at the moment)in the 1940's for re-release. The company chose not to pay the high prices that TECHNICOLOR charged for release prints and had new prints of the film struck in inferior two strip CINECOLOR. More damaging to the future of BECKY was that the company never properly stored the original nitrate negatives. BECKY SHARP was sold to TV only in a shortened B&W print or in CINECOLOR reissue prints. Still, the idea of this elusive "lost" treasure haunted me. It was amongst the very first videocassettes that I ever purchased back in the early days of the VCR when I was but a lad (and YES, I got strange looks.) BECKY SHARP was one of those poor, orphaned films whose copyrights have expired and now live in the public domain. The quality of the video cassette and the color was astonishingly bad, and gave no hint of the pleasures the original TECHNICOLOR photography must have contained.

A sad story to be sure, but fortunately UCLA performed a massive restoration effort on the film in the late 1980's, literally scouring the world for available film elements. Unfortunately, the restored BECKY SHARP has never been commercially released in any format. It was shown during AMC's first Film Preservation Festival back in 1993, however, and luckily I recorded it to cherish for all time (or at least until the tape wears out.) It has never aired since. The restored BECKY SHARP is a revelation!! The film starts with barely any color at all, then pleasant pastels are introduced, followed eventually by the striking red coats of the British military. Full of color and deliciously over-ripe tints, this was primarily an experiment to see how color plays out in a feature film. The cast and drama takes a back-seat to the real star of the show, glorious TECHNICOLOR. The film itself is somewhat plodding and overplayed, but a lot of fun, to be sure!! I'm not sure what legal red tape is responsible for there being no commercial release of this beautiful restoration, but none has appeared and this is a shame. Was the above review useful to you?

15 out of 16 people found the following review useful: Great Victorian Novel becomes Interesting Looking But Weak Film from United States 25 October 2005 Because of the overwhelming success of his novels, people still read Charles Dickens. If you poled people who like to read classic novels, you would find most people read Dickens, Emily and Charlotte Bronte, and Anthony Trollope most among the "high Victorian" novelists (those from 1830 - 1882). This cuts out a large number of fine novelists, like George Eliot, George Meredith, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Benjamin Disraeli (yes, the Prime Minister), or even William Wilkie Collins, the first great mystery/detective novelist. But the one that is particularly odd is William Makepeace Thackeray. In his day (he was a prominent novelist from 1839 to 1863 when he died) Thackeray was actually the leading rival of Dickens as the leading novelist. Dickens was capable of a wider variety of social class types in his fiction, and could show wilder humor and greater tragedy in his novels.

But Thackeray was more gifted at subtle characterization and clever social satire of the upper class. He was a member of that class, and knew what he was talking about when he wrote about them. George Orwell noted that when Dickens did an aristocrat in like Sir Mulberry Hawk in "Nicholas Nickleby", the resulting character was a type from Victorian melodrama, whereas Thackeray or Trollope made more realistic figures. He also was willing to experiment in odd ways. Occasionally Dickens did too - he did first person narrative novels like "David Copperfield" and once did one with a female narrator "Bleak House". But in 1846 Thackeray wrote "Vanity Fair, A Novel Without A Hero". The title was a pun. The two leading characters, Rebecca (Becky) Sharp and Amelia Sedley, are women (so it suggests the novel has a "heroine"). But both women are quite faulty. Becky is a fortune hunter who won't let anyone or anything keep her from becoming rich. Amelia is a nice person. In fact, she is too nice.

She has to go through an 800 page story before she stops being friendly to her school friend Becky, and only after Becky reveals what a bad person she has been to Amelia. None of the characters in "Vanity Fair" is flawless. The closest to a hero in the story, William Dobbin, adores Amelia - but won't push himself as a suitor (he wants her to notice his adoration by herself). Becky vamps members of the Crawley family (where she is the family governess), and marries the second son, Rawdon, in expectation of a generous aunt's largesse to support them. But that fails to work out. So she tags along with Rawdon, accompanying him on the Waterloo campaign, and makes a play for George Osbourne (Amelia's selfish husband). Eventually she and Rawdon become social figures, "living well on nothing a year" (by cheating merchants of payments for their food, clothes, etc). She also becomes the mistress of the powerful Marquis of Steyne (pronounced "stain").

How the events of this novel without a hero end I leave to the reader to read the novel (the best way) or to see either this version by Rouben Mamoulian, the recent one with Reese Witherspoon, or a modern dress version from 1932 with Myrna Loy as Becky. Mamoulian's version reduces the story to 90 minutes of film, and so much is thrown out. In particular the antics of Amelia's cowardly, pompous brother Joseph Sedley (Nigel Bruce in Mamoulian's film). Hopkins does very well as Becky - garnering her best film performance. She is supported by Alan Mowbray as Rawdon, who may be raffish in some ways but gains our respect as he sees the woman he loves for what she is. Francis Dee is adequate (if not memorable) as Amelia. Cedric Hardwicke is sinister and powerful as Steyne. Allison Skipworth gives one a taste of the self-centered, pampered aunt of Rawdon, "Miss Crawley". So what went right and wrong. It is a great novel (my opinion) but I admit this film leaves me cold.

So much was cut out the film is just a synopsis of the main plot. But then, Thackeray's greatest strength as a satirist was as a subtle writer. Somehow subtlety on his printed page is not well translated onto the silver screen. On the other hand, Mamoulian did make great strides (in terms of elegant cinematography) with the then new three tone color film system. The best moment is at the scene of the great last ball given to Wellington's staff and men at Brussels in June 1815, which ends as a cannon blast in the distance is heard: the opening shot of Waterloo. The moment that the blast is heard a blast of air causes a red curtain to blow, looking like a wave of blood. Mamoulian was able to squeeze out of the process some idea of what to do with it. For that reason the film is worth seeing. But I urge the interested viewer to take the time to read Thackeray's novel. Was the above review useful to you?

15 out of 17 people found the following review useful: Color Classic from Forest Ranch, CA 26 September 2003 Pretty BECKY SHARP, orphaned & penniless, knows exactly what she wants out of life and how to get it. William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair is brought to vivid, if drastically reduced, life and provides a wonderful showcase for star Miriam Hopkins, who gets the most out of her selfish, petulant, scheming, desperate character. Her Becky is fascinating to watch and dominates nearly every scene in the film, making us forget that the actress is not English and forgive that the character is rather less than virtuous. Miss Hopkins is aided by a sizable cast of seasoned veterans, mostly British, several of whom only appear in a single scene. Frances Dee has very little to do except look lovely as Becky's school chum. Nigel Bruce comes off rather better as Miss Dee's obese brother who adores Becky. The incomparable Alison Skipworth plays their quarrelsome old aunt who hires Becky for a short while. Alan Mowbray has a fine romantic role as the husband who worships Becky, to his pain.

Marvelous Sir Cedric Hardwicke successfully underplays his role as a powerful nobleman who takes Becky as his mistress. Wonderful Billie Burke appears for a few moments in a serious role as a society lady attending a soirée in Brussels. Doris Lloyd is the hostess. Three short, sharp portrayals worth watching for are provided by Elspeth Dudgeon as an acidic girls' school proprietress; George Hassell as a rascally old baronet; and Tempe Pigott as a plain-talking charwoman. BECKY SHARP is important historically in that it was the first film produced in full 3-strip Technicolor. Director Rouben Mamoulian's opulent production was a worthy choice for such a distinguished accolade. Restored in the 1990's, the color is once again most pleasing to the eye. Was the above review useful to you?

14 out of 18 people found the following review useful: I'm giving it an 8 for Hopkins and the color from United States 27 July 2003 Becky Sharp (Miriam Hopkins) is a lower class girl who, through her upper class friend Amelia Sedley (Francis Dee), does her best to become an upper class woman herself...and do anything to get there. Dull story with thudding dialogue (nobody ever talked like that) but I watched the whole thing. This movie has just two things going for it: Miriam Hopkins fantastic performance is one. She is playing a very unlikable character but she's so beautiful (in some shots she takes your breath away) and full of life that you can't help but root for her. The second thing is the groundbreaking use of color photography. I believe this is the first full-length feature to be filmed entirely in color. Director Rouben Mamoulian uses color creatively to express mood or show what a person is feeling or doing. I saw the restored print which has rich, beautiful colors. Even when the story was boring (which is often) with that lousy dialogue the colors and use of light and shadow kept me watching.

With this film and the 1932 version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", Mamoulian created new rules in how to direct sequences and use settings, light and shadow. Sadly, he's forgotten today. So, this is worth seeing only for Hopkins and the color. Don't watch it for the story or you'll be sadly disappointed. Was the above review useful to you? 9 out of 9 people found the following review useful: "Words are but little thanks" from Ruritania 26 October 2009 You see, it's not so much the stories that count, it's the way they're told. Becky Sharp, the motion picture, came to be by a convoluted route. William Makepeace Thackeray's mid-19th century novel Vanity Fair was used as the basis for Langdon Mitchell's late 19th century stage play, which was in turn adapted for this 1935 movie. What have we lost and what have we gained? Of course, books, plays and pictures are very different things, and certain changes have had to be made so that each adaptation works for its particular medium.

Becky Sharp bears all the hallmarks of a lengthy novel reworked for the stage. A play can't be over a certain length because it has to be seen in a whole evening, and yet individual scenes tend to be fairly long because of the disruption of having to change sets. Becky Sharp, perhaps surprisingly, changes very little of the basic plot, but it condenses the entire (900+ page) tome into a series of dramatic vignettes. Because the novel tends to tell of many important events in a by-the-by fashion, Mitchell was also forced to come up with a lot of his own dialogue. Finally, the play differs from the novel in that every episode is told from Becky's point-of-view, whereas Thackeray's narrative travels with a range of characters. So far, so disappointing (perhaps). But what was most important here was not that the story survived intact, but that the tone of Thackeray's masterpiece carried through. What is so special about Vanity Fair is the author's cynical, sarcastic tone, which makes a comedy out of these unpleasant goings-on.

This is not an easy task in a motion picture, unless you were to resort to voice-over narration with passages from the novel (not especially en vogue in the 30s). But as it happens this motion picture does not do a bad job. Firstly, we have the right cast. Miriam Hopkins's Oscar nomination has raised a few eyebrows here and there, and it's true her performance is hysterically hammy. But that is Becky Sharp, a cheat and a liar whose entire life was an act. When she breaks down in false tears over her late mother's possessions, the moment seems silly, but it is supposed to be funny. The bulk of the cast are overblown caricatures, but again this is faithful to the novel. Thackeray wasn't subtle. Look at those names  Pitt Crawley, Lord Steyne even a minor character who didn't make it to this version called Sir Huddleston-Fuddleston. And most of the players are spot-on. Nigel Bruce simply is Jos Sedley, and George Hassell is perfect in his unfortunately brief appearance as Sir Pitt. Then there is Rouben Mamoulian's direction.

His flamboyant visual style could be disastrous in the wrong picture, but here all his extroverted camera moves and trick shots pay off. With the condensed storyline, the overt technique helps to keep the flow. We are brought closer to the spirit of the original text by the fact that we are constantly aware of the director's touch, just as Thackeray constantly addresses his reader with a sly wink. This again highlights the fact that Becky Sharp is more enjoyable if it is taken as a comedy, not as a drama. It's just as well  Mamoulian let loose on a pure drama could be awful. This was famously the first picture in three-strip Technicolor, and as the use of colour here is especially good I'll devote a few lines to that too. Whereas some early colour pictures used blaring shades, Becky Sharp is filled with subtler tones  for example those rusty browns and greyish blues in the opening scene, much more effective than bold blue and red. And rather than simply colour-coding a character's costume or a set, we here see the tones flowing on and off the screen.

To again take that opening scene, we begin with the warmer hues of Amelia and her friends, and then slowly move, via various different shades of dress and the growing amount of the stark wall that can be seen, to the cold blue-grey of Becky. Later in the first scene at the Crawley residence, all the colours are very plain, which gives more impact when Rawdon walks in in his bright red uniform. It's hard to say who is responsible for this smart handling of colour. Production designer Robert Edmond Jones is the celebrated inventor of "simplified realism", whereby sets complement action, but Mamoulian appears to have done a very similar job with the colour on the 1941's Blood and Sand. We'll assume it was a joint effort. Really, the only major flaw in Becky Sharp (and it is, I'm sorry to say, a very major one), is that the paring down of the narrative to 84 minutes without actually cutting much of the plot makes for somewhat confusing viewing. It's difficult to keep up with time and place, and the novel's legion of characters pop up then disappear before they have made an impression.

Personally, I found Becky Sharp fun to watch because I am familiar with the novel and it was nice to see these figures brought to life so accurately. However, I first saw it before I read the book, and recall finding it bizarre and boring, as I suppose would the majority of viewers. For this reason, it fails in itself as a motion picture. Was the above review useful to you? 9 out of 10 people found the following review useful: (Techni)colorful dialogue from United States 23 August 2002 I just had the pleasure of seeing the restored version of "Becky Sharp", and, like others who had taped this back in the bad old days of nearly monochromatic, public domain copies of this title, the improvement amounts to seeing an entirely different film. The use of color was striking and surprisingly well considered. As a writer, I found the dialogue delightfully rich in the manner of what were admittedly more sophisticated films of the 30's. Make no mistake, other than the admirable use of 3-strip Technicolor on its first feature film outing, this is no masterpiece--Mamoulian's name in the credits notwithstanding.

But compared to today, with dialogue now largely dismissed as unnecessary to filmed "entertainment", it was brilliant. I could finally hear 90% of it, whereas in the old Cinecolor print, most of it was unintelligible. What pains me is that audiences seem unable (or unwilling) to enjoy dialogue that was meant to be listened to and appreciated on its own account. I heard nary a chuckle during any the witty ripostes of which Beck Sharp has its(and her) fair share of. A shame. Was the above review useful to you? 8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: The use of colour within Becky Sharp makes it worth viewing. from Portsmouth, England 8 February 2003 "Becky Sharp" seems to have consistently attracted unfair comments. Whilst it may not be as subtle as many of its contemporary counterparts, the story provides a fun basis for a glorious use of Technicolor. As the first feature length movie to be shot in full colour, the film is a wonderful example of cinema as spectacle.

Though admittedly, at times, the viewer may almost be sent cross-eyed by the vibrancy of the colour, its use is interesting in so far as one can see the attempts made at one level to exhibit the colour, whilst also trying in vain not to distract from the narrative. Also, from the beginning of the opening sequence the status of the film as a stage adaptation is clear, and in this way the idea of the now overlooked tradition of cinema as spectacle is further enhanced. The plot itself is slightly reminiscent of a Gainsborough melodrama (although it precedes them), and yet it is refreshing in many ways that Becky is not the subject of the traditional narrative retribution and resolution. The over-the-top nature of some of the narrative action does provide moments which may cause an audience member to cringe; however, if the film is not taken too seriously, it remains enjoyable. "Becky Sharp" has too often been overlooked in the history of film. It may not have been widely popular at the time of its release, and it may not be seen within a high cinematic cannon, but it is definitely worth viewing, if only to appreciate the emergence of three colour film as the new advancement in film technology. Was the above review useful to you?

3 out of 3 people found the following review useful: "Becky Sharp" of historical interest for film buffs 11 June 2008 *** This review may contain spoilers *** The 1935 film "Becky Sharp" remains important chiefly for being the first major movie shot in Technicolor. The story is an abridged version of William Makepeace Thackeray's 19th Century novel "Vanity Fair." Becky Sharp is the main character of the book and is a social-climbing hussy with few redeeming qualities, except for her good-looks. Thackeray didn't judge her too harshly, however. He was more interested in satirizing British society, in general. "Vanity Fair" was indeed his greatest work although he's also known for writing "The Memoirs of Barry Lyndon" which Stanley Kubrick brought to the screen in the mid-1970's. Miriam Hopkins may have been a bit old to be playing the conniving Becky Sharp but she gives it her best shot. Unlike the novel, Hopkins' character is at least somewhat justified in her decision-making process even while retaining the frivolous part of her personality.

The key scene in the film is near the end when director Rouben Mamoulian re-enacts the famous Duchess of Richmond's ball at her Brussels estate on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. It's done with a definite flair for the dramatic along with some well-placed historical references. The ominous sounds of war are heard in the distance as the great ball comes to a premature end; its frightened participants running off into an uncertain future. The cast is filled with some familiar faces from the past. Beautiful Frances Dee livens up the screen as Becky's good pal Amelia. Nigel Bruce, best remembered for playing Doctor Watson alongside Basil Rathbone's Sherlock Holmes, does some adequate work as one of Becky's admirers. Sir Cedric Hardwicke is also around as a British aristocrat with a roving eye for the ladies. Recently, Reese Witherspoon tried her luck in the role of Becky Sharp in the 2004 film version of "Vanity Fair" with mixed results. At least she was young enough for the part. Was the above review useful to you?

4 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Bitterly hysterical Author: Rich Drezen (Drezzilla) 1 January 2004 Miriam Hopkins delivers a great performance as a nonchalant woman who cheats her way through society before finding out that what goes around comes around, and of course she must find a way to redeem herself. The color in this film looks a lot better than most people of the day describes it as. And I think the guy who said the color looked like "boiled salmon dipped in mayonese" has had a little too much mayonese. Altogether, I highly recommend this film for anyone who can't seem to find a good movie to watch, because this is the one! Was the above review useful to you? 7 out of 11 people found the following review useful: The great Miriam Hopkins at her best!!!!! from cincinnati, ohio 8 October 2000 Based on Thackeray's VANITY FAIR, this film tells of a self-centered girl(Miriam Hopkins), who, after years of looking after her own needs, finally does one good deed for someone else.

Often noted as the first full color motion picture, BECKY SHARP has much more to offer in the way of entertainment. Hopkins, one of the finest actresses on-screen in the '30's, gives a magnificent performance in the title role which brought her a much deserved Oscar nomination. Director Rouben Mamoulian, who directed Hopkins in the 1931 version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, always had great visual style, a gift that's fully evident here. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 3: Audience Reviews for Becky Sharp ½ 1935 becky sharp feels just like a faithful archetypical representation of one piece of classic literature. the naturalistic vibrancy of miriam hopkins is un-canny, and she makes me wonder whether method acting has any influence over actors of 1930s tinsell hollywood where theatrically histronic acting style is what most actors apply. how could miriam be so fluent and natural even in a story with 19th century britain as background.

i believe everyone knows the sketchy lines of the story of vanity fair, the protagonist becky sharp is the social climber whose grits of life are admirable even she does have some despicable moments as she would do anything for survival. i love the beginning when becky throws the book at her spinster chaperon, and the movie ends with becky tossing the book toward her hypocritie relative. she feigns weeping to deceive her beau's straight-laced auntie and eavasdrops complacently outside the door with a cookie chewing in her mouth mischievously.(marvellous!) she does it so smoothly that you don't feel it's acting....really i cannot picture anyone who possesses enough chearful light-heartedness and snickering cynicism simultaneously to do justice of a character like becky sharp as miriam hopkins does.

when actresses are bright and light-hearted, they tend to whitewash and lighten the picture without enough sarcasm, for example: audrey hepburn or shirley maclaine, or the picture turns out to be screwball comedy with carole lombard or katherine hepburn....or when they're great deliverer of mockery and sarcasm, there seems to be too much hard-boiled bitterness in them then the picture ends up something like noir comedy, for example: bette davis, joan crawford and lots of 40s noir icons like jane greer....my point is, only miriam hopkins could pull off these two contrary qualities and let this dichotomy co-exist harmoniously. only miriam hopkins could! i suppose that makes her unique! she makes you feel she IS becky sharp when you finish watching this movie, and you cannot picture anyone else in the same shoes.

(my minor complaint is..reese witherspoon's adaption of vanity fair is the worst adaption i've ever seen even she's no bad actress...but it feels like some american girl fakes to be a character in 19th century britain and tries to turn this character into a sultry vamp like american film noir...it doesn't feel like comedy and far far far from noir) as for the technical level, what lessens the picture a little would be its over-saturation of colors, yes, i realize it's after all a vanity fair, and it's supposed to be "colorful" and glamourous, but to some point, you feel the nuance on the palette has been blurred into a slight mess. the backset stereo does sound jarringly coarse in some parts of the movie. i suppose, it's 1930s, there're still lots of technical issues to work on in a time when audience found color picture still a daring deed like today's 3D. Veronique Kwak Super Reviewer Hmm...absolutely no reviews. It is a difficult film to see but it is worth taking a look. One of the better films of the thirties.

John Ballantine Welcome to Books of Micah Why Becky Sharp Has Relevance in a Lovecraftian Universe —From the Introduction by Mark Schultz— Personally, I never would have made the connection. I never would have seen the possibilities of placing William Makepeace Thackeray’s realist ur-femme fatale, the marvelously ruthless Miss Rebecca Sharp of Vanity Fair, in a full-blown pulp fantasy adventure. Can you blame me? Would you have made the connection? Lucky for us, Micah Harris has this odd sort of vision and The Eldritch New Adventures of Becky Sharp continues his fascinating series of “what if” adventures. There’s a correct term for this subgenre that involves the lifting of characters and concepts from any number of popular authors’ legacies—often in concert with historical personages—to then mash them into improbably plausible alliances and relationships. Micah has told me the term—often, I suspect—but for the life of me I can’t remember it. Maybe that’s because this particular subgenre is beyond my personal capacity for invention. My mind doesn’t think down those paths.

Which is fine by me, because it makes it all the more pleasurable to read Micah’s cross-pollinated hijinks: his inventiveness invariably catches me by surprise. Although we both share similar pulpy interests and both inject them liberally into our storytelling, Micah takes his borrowings in directions of which I can’t conceive. True surprise in storytelling is rare enough and always welcome. Micah has tons of brass and I think he takes his biggest risks in this story. Foremost, it’s all good clean pulp adventure, but there is something else underlying the rollicking thrills. Micah has placed moral barometer Becky here for good reason: there is a strong current of morality running through this story, much as Micah has examined in his graphic novel of 2003, Heaven’s War . Here, however, the morality is of a different sort.

Becky may have been a shockingly immoral character to a mid-19th century culture built upon social and religious convention (and I’ll admit I don’t know enough about Thackeray, a noted humorist, to guess at his true intent), but, by transporting her to a new context, one situated in a frighteningly expanded universe as revealed by 20th century science, her “immorality” becomes more a reflection of a practical will to survive in a hostile environment. In Vanity Fair, Becky does what she must to flourish in the English social jungle to which she was born—and she was pretty darn good at it. She certainly wasn’t hypocritical about her aspirations. Here, Becky is given proper respect: her skills are tested in the (allegorical?) jungles of an annihilating cosmos. My hat’s off to Micah for putting those skills to the service of a cognoscenti that has graduated from fretting class distinctions to the bigger problems now recognized to confront the human race in a Lovecraftian universe that doesn’t recognize moral superiority.

Micah throws so much of the wonderfully outré at Becky, so much of the last two centuries’ speculative fears concerning our diminished status in the grand scheme of things, that I ultimately can’t help but sympathize with her peerless survivalist aptitude. (And if that aptitude includes a predatory sexual allure, hey—she works with the tools she’s been given, and all the more fun for us readers.) I know that if I were lost in Micah’s construct, searching out Kor in deepest Africa, or stumbling over Skull Island, or trapped inside one of the Great Race of Yith, or moving towards an inner Earth through horrors borrowed from myriad fevered imaginations, I would absolutely want to have someone as pragmatic and skilled as Becky with me. Dangerous? Yes. In the end, she might very well have us all as hive insects to her queen bee. But with her on the throne, at least we could be assured that the species would survive. And that’s saying something in a Lovecraftian universe. Read on and see if you don’t agree.

Mark Schultz Essay on Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair - 475 Words Vanity Fair Essay ...analysis is called “Vanity Fair”, it belongs to the pen of William Thackeray. William Thackeray was born on 18 July 1811 and died on 24 December 1863. He was an English novelist of the 19-th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society. The story opens with Miss Pinkerton’s Academy for Young Ladies, where Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley have... 1060 Words | 3 Pages Vanity Fair Essay ...VANITY FAIR William M. Thackeray | 1811–1863 Monday, October 29, 12 The Title Vanity: excessive pride in or admiration of one's own appearance or achievements Fair: a competitive exhibition for the amusement of the public In his 1678 allegory “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” John Bunyan called London “Vanity Fair.” A well-known passage of the Bible claims, “All is Vanity.” Monday, October... 1233 Words | 6 Pages Vanity Fair Essay ...W.M.

Thackeray and "Vanity Fair" William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 - 1863) was born to a prosperous middle-class family in India His father was an English official in Calcutta. After his father's death, when the boy was 3 years old, he was brought to England to be educated at school and later at Cambridge University. Being a student, William devoted much time to drawing cartoons and writing verses, chiefly parodies. He couldn't bear the scholastic atmosphere of... 1279 Words | 3 Pages An Analysis of Values of Vanity in Vanity Fair Research Paper ...named Vanity Fair and learned a lot from it. In essence, vanity itself is neither right nor wrong. However, when we are motivated by our desires, we are likely to keep some problems in perspective. In the beginning, we set the wrong goals which we actually don’t like and choose the wrong way which are against our wills. That is because we don’t have a good understanding of ourselves and we don’t know what we do want. As far as I’m concerned, we should... 1586 Words | 4 Pages Essay on analysis of the extract Vanity Fair ...

3 курс Analysis of the extract William Makepeace Thackeray (18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society. William Thackeray was born in Calcutta, India, in 1811, son of Richmond Thackeray, an Indian Civil Servant, and his wife Anne (née Becher). Just a few years later his... 900 Words | 2 Pages Vanity Fair Report Essay ...Vanity Fair, an English novel written by William Makepeace Thackeray (United Kingdom: Punch Magazine, January 1847 - July 1948), epitomizes the early 19th century of British society of the duplicity of social climbers, sabotages, avarices, lovelessness, pretentiousness, selfishness. It, at the same time, captures mix pack of emotion of people who have their origin and counterpart in society as a whole. Furthermore, it is a satirical exposé of William’s masterpiece...

1357 Words | 4 Pages Money And Matrimony In Vanity Fair Essay ...﻿Money and Matrimony in Vanity Fair In his novel Vanity Fair, William Thackeray exposes and examines the vanities of 19th century England. His characters pursue wealth, power, and social standing, often through marriage or matrimony. The present essay looks at Thackeray's use of the institution of marriage in Vanity Fair to comment on how these vanities often come at the... 1964 Words | 4 Pages Vanity Fair Book Report Essay ...﻿ Vanity Fair A Novel without a Hero (Book Report) I. Book title: “Vanity fair: A novel without a Hero” II. Author: William Makepeace Thackeray III. Theme: Thackeray wants his audience to realize how vanity itself can affect how people act. It is mainly a story about two girls with different outlooks in life; entangled in problems that neither of them could face well. IV. Main Characters: Miss...

1330 Words | 5 Pages 20 Classic Books You Must Read Before You Die | Period Drama | Drama Channel > 20 Classic Books You Must Read Before You Die 20 Classic Books You Must Read Before You Die From Heathcliff to Bovary to Becky Sharp, meet some of the greatest literary creations of all time in our list of 20 essential classic novels to read before you die. Tweet They've withstood the passage of time to bewitch countless readers all over the world. But, with such a wealth of great literature, it can be hard to know where to start. Fret not! We've sifted through them to come up with a list of works no book-lover should miss our 20 Classic Books you have to read before you die. Moby Dick sign at Walker Bay, Hermanus 1. MOBY DICK "Call me Ishmael." With these three words, Herman Melville began Moby Dick - perhaps the most important American novel of the 19th Century. Melville's masterpiece was based in-part on the true story of the Essex, which was adapted into the film The Whale .

Yet this great writer was almost forgotten by the time he died, and was even listed as Henry Melville in the New York Times obituary. The downturn in his career was actually due to Moby Dick. Melville had previously been a successful writer of maritime adventure stories, but then he penned this ambitious tale of a maddened sea captain, obsessed with hunting down a white whale, and it proved a little too much for readers at the time. Even critics were puzzled by Melville's poetic, almost Biblical style of writing. It was only after his death that the book became accepted as the masterpiece it is - a compelling story that that also tackles big ideas like man's place in nature, the need for meaning in life, and the nature of America itself. 2. 19 DEAD SOULS Don't be fooled by the morbid-sounding title: Dead Souls is actually one of the wittiest books of the 19th Century. It was written by Nikolai Gogol - not particularly famous outside Russia, but actually a major influence on both Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.

Dead Souls is his only novel, and tells the story of an enterprising young man who travels around Russia buying up "dead souls" - that is, peasant workers who have died, but who are still registered as living in the census records. He purchases them from landowners, hoping that it will create the illusion that he owns many workers himself, and so allow him to extract huge loans from the government. A broad and brilliant satire on society - Gogol caricatures and parodies nearly everyone, from gossiping housewives to cruel landowners to pompous officials - Dead Souls is also considered the first-ever Russian novel. 3. BLEAK HOUSE It may not be as famous as Oliver Twist and Great Expectations , but Bleak House has got to be Charles Dickens ' greatest novel. He crammed in everything he knew about Victorian London, and reading the result is the next best thing to time travel. On the surface it's a satirical (and still relevant) assault on the British legal system - how corrupt lawyers, aristocrats and businessmen use the courts for their own ends. Satire makes up just one layer of the novel however - it's also a story of forbidden love, family secrets and intrigues.

And, being Dickens, the book is jam-packed with unforgettable characters, not least of all London itself- the sprawl of the city and the curling tentacles of fog have never been depicted so powerfully. This is escapism at its most beguiling. Daniel Defoe 4. MOLL FLANDERS Daniel Defoe's best-known book will always be Robinson Crusoe, but a far bigger and more exciting read is Moll Flanders, his other great novel. Moll is the daughter of a convict who's determined to become a respectable, wealthy lady and what follows is an often amusing, often tragic tale, as Moll gets married (repeatedly), commits accidental incest, becomes a prostitute, con woman and thief, and is made all too familiar with the walls of a prison cell. A breathless ride through the muck and glitter of the 18th Century, the novel also gives us one of the most charismatic leading ladies in literature. Beautiful, witty and ruthless, Moll is thoroughly ahead of her time. Yet she's also endearingly sweet and vulnerable, and you'll find yourself egging her on, even as you wish she'd sort herself out. Jane Austen 5.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Most people know a thing or two about Pride and Prejudice - if only because of Colin Firth 's dip into that pond. But, if you're only familiar with the story from seeing it on the screen, it's well worth going back to the source. Jane Austen's best-loved novel is funny from the first page, and is just as much a comedy as a romance. Austen manages to sum up pretty much everything about romance and courtship - the awkward flirtation, the mixed messages, the way love can make fools of even the smartest and strongest of us. Everyone knows Darcy, of course: one of the great romantic heroes of literature (which is quite an achievement considering how stuffy and humourless he is). But there are a whole gallery of characters to savour, from the grotesque Lady Catherine de Bourgh right up to the heroine Elizabeth Bennet - a sassy, witty gal who'd fit into the 21st Century with ease. This is chick-lit at its best! 6.

THE TENANT OF WILDFELL HALL Anne Bronte has never found the same fame as her sisters Charlotte and Emily, which isn't really fair because The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is one of the great 19th Century novels. With it, Anne struck an early blow for women's lib - it tells the story of a beautiful woman who leaves her womanising husband to make her own way in life. The heroine, Helen Huntingdon, has got to be one of the strongest female leads in English fiction - she'd certainly give Lizzy Bennet a run for her money. However, this is a far cry from the wry, ordered world of Jane Austen. Helen's story takes in alcoholism, decadent sex and social scandal, and the emotional turbulence of the novel almost rivals that of Wuthering Heights. 7. VANITY FAIR Charles Dickens may have been king of literary London in the mid-19th Century, but one arch-rival and pretender to the throne was William Makepeace Thackeray. Determined to out-do Dickens, Thackeray produced a storming, rip-roaring epic of British life, gave it an utterly wicked heroine and called it Vanity Fair.

While Dickens was certainly the writer with the wider scope and bigger heart, Thackeray was crueller, cooler and completely unsentimental. Vanity Fair is the story of Becky Sharp, a deliciously wicked social climber who uses her looks, charm, and a fair bit of deceit, to bewitch men and amass as much money as possible. It's a biting satire on British society, and the hypocrisies of the upper classes, and definitely the Victorian novel for those looking for a proper page-turning romp. External Links Wikipedia: 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die 8. MIDDLEMARCH On the face of it, a novel subtitled "A Study of Provincial Life" may not sound like the most exciting read in the world. But George Eliot's Middlemarch is a strong contender for the title of greatest British novel of the 19th Century. Eliot uses a small, fictitious town as a model for civilisation in general, exploring the nature of love, integrity, family, goodness and corruption. The central character, Dorothea, is a living saint - or at least wants to be one.

Yet the irony is that choosing the right path for the right reasons is exactly what leads her into all kinds of trouble. This is as big as British novels get - if the epic Russian novelist Tolstoy had been born in the UK, he would have come up with something like this. Luckily, we had the remarkable Eliot to do it instead, and she gave us what none other than Virginia Woolf later called "one of the few English novels written for grown-up people." 9. WAR AND PEACE Here it is: the daddy of classic novels, the epic tale that many have called the greatest book of all time. But don't be put off by its reputation, because this is a feast you're going to enjoy. Set in the early years of the 19th Century, Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece follows a cluster of Russian aristocrats as they face an invasion by Napoleon's army. While the many battle scenes are vivid and suitably bloody, the book really excels when it comes to the conflict in human relationships. After all, Tolstoy was fascinated by one premise above all others - how does one keep one's morals intact when faced with a flawed and evil world?

With a book as wide-ranging as this, it's no wonder so many other writers have compared Tolstoy to Shakespeare (although, ironically, Tolstoy himself never liked Shakespeare that much). War and Peace is one of those books you live rather than simply read. Make time for it, and you'll see what all the fuss is about. 10. MADAME BOVARY Shy, arrogant and disgusted by society - that was French novelist Gustave Flaubert. But this same misanthrope was also the man behind one of the most sensitive and moving portrayals of a woman's life ever written. Emma Bovary's husband is the classic "nice guy" - reliable, comforting and utterly dull. So Emma, desperate for passion and excitement, embarks on a series of heated affairs - but tragedy is the inevitable outcome. This exquisite book caused a scandal when it was published, and French public prosecutors wanted it banned for obscenity. Instead it became a bestseller and its clean, crisp style has influenced countless writers since. That style was the result of Flaubert's obsessive perfectionism - he would literally spend a week writing a single page, re-writing each sentence until everything was just right.

The result is perhaps the ultimate story of adultery, and what drives people to betray each other. 11. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT Few novels have been as influential and adored as Crime and Punishment. It was written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the legendary Russian novelist who was worshipped by everyone from Sigmund Freud to Einstein. The novel itself tells the intense tale of a young impoverished student who sees himself as "extraordinary" and exempt from the normal rules of society. This gives him the right (he feels) to murder a pawnbroker and take her money. But, after butchering the unfortunate victim with an axe, he's plunged into guilt and self-loathing, while a sly detective closes in on him all the while... Despite the weighty themes of guilt and redemption, Crime and Punishment is a gripping rollercoaster of a book. A thriller with brains, it's something that will stay with you long after you reach the dramatic climax. 12. DANIEL DERONDA Not content with having produced the gobsmacking masterpiece that is Middlemarch, George Eliot ended her career with yet another great novel: Daniel Deronda.

It's famous now as one of the first - and most sympathetic - novels about British Jews. Daniel Deronda, the sweet-natured and handsome hero, rescues a beautiful singer from killing herself in the Thames, and this leads him to explore and become a part of the Jewish community in London. Eliot cleverly weaves Daniel's journey of self-discovery into the story of Gwendolen, a young woman who begins as a spoilt society girl but slowly redeems herself by helping others. For a book about Victorian society, it is startlingly relevant to today's world events - one of the great themes is the migration of Jews to that part of the Middle East where Israel would later be formed. Yet is also a love story, and Eliot never allows the political and philosophical ideas to overshadow the people she creates. 13. SCARLET AND BLACK The French writer Stendhal had a way with 19th Century ladies. In fact, he was almost addicted to romance and seduction, which might explain the womanising hero of his classic novel Scarlet and Black.

It follows the unscrupulous young cad Julian Sorel as he uses his looks and intelligence to charm his way through French society in the years following Napoleon's fall. Unfortunately, he's less than wise in his choice of conquests, and his affair with the wife of a mayor begins a chain of events that put a bit of a dampener on his quest for wealth and power. But is Julian to be admired or not? This question is what makes the novel so intriguing. The book challenges our own ideals by presenting a person who is guilty of deceit and selfishness, but who is no worse than many of the people he manipulates. By examining his motives, you'll find yourself questioning your own take on the world. 14. PERSUASION Jane Austen's novels are all incredibly famous - except this one. For some reason, Persuasion has never enjoyed the same adulation as Emma, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility , yet in some ways it's her richest work. That could be because it was her last and was, in fact, published after her death.

Unlike Austen's other books, which focus on budding society girls experimenting with first loves, this one delves into the life of a more mature woman. The heroine, Anne Elliot, is persuaded to refuse an offer of marriage because her suitor isn't 'respectable' enough. Many years later, Anne's former love returns as a wealthy man - but is it all too late? Persuasion is thoughtful and nostalgic - it's fascinating to see Austen tackle themes of regret and lost love, rather than straightforward courtship. For that reason, it's the perfect complement to her other masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice. 15. HEART OF DARKNESS Joseph Conrad produced a number of genuine classics but his best work is the relatively short Heart of Darkness - perhaps the single finest attack on colonialism ever written. It tells of Marlow, an Englishman who takes a consignment of ivory down the Congo River in a Belgian-occupied area of Africa. During the journey he witnesses many atrocities carried out on the native Africans by the colonialists, and learns of an ivory trader named Kurtz who has set himself up as a demigod among the tribes of the region.

With Kurtz, Conrad shows us how colonialism - and the idea of "civilising" other races - can backfire and corrupt the occupying forces. It's a potent fable that can be applied to many other moments in history - Francis Ford Coppola famously used it to study the Vietnam war in Apocalypse Now. 16. THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. There was nothing before, there has been nothing as good since. That was Ernest Hemingway's opinion and, while he was probably being a bit over-the-top, it does say something about just how important Huckleberry Finn is. Twain intended it as a simple adventure yarn, but the book actually ended up being a call to freedom and rebellion. Written from Huck's point of view (and the American slang style is one of its many marvels), the story follows the teenager as he and a freed slave named Jim sail down the Mississippi on a raft. Along the way they encounter all manner of undesirable people and situations, which strengthens their resolve to reject mainstream society.

The book's savage attack on the evil of slavery is what gives it power, but it's also a beautiful tale of childhood, contrasting the innocent idealism of the young with the violence and corruption of the adult world. Take a look, and see why Hemingway was in such awe... 17. THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY This is the one-and-only novel published by the legendary wit Oscar Wilde and it's just as deliciously wicked as you'd expect a Wilde work to be. Dorian is a strikingly beautiful and vain young man who wishes he'd never grow old. The wish comes true, and instead it's a portrait of Dorian which begins to age - and then bears the signs of his growing cruelty and corruption. This is Wilde's take on the old Faust myth and it's a classic of late Victorian literature, full of debauched dandies smoking opium cigarettes whilst discussing art, sex and morality. Indeed, it was considered somewhat shocking in its day, particularly because of the undercurrent of homosexuality. It's a great read but, if nothing else, you should give it a go if only to arm yourself with some killer one-liners to deploy at your next dinner party! 18.

TRISTRAM SHANDY When a clergyman named Laurence Sterne published Tristram Shandy in the mid-18th Century, the sheer originality (and strangeness) of the text caused many a critic to roll their eyes. Even Samuel Johnson pronounced: "Tristram Shandy will not last!" But it did last - perhaps because the book's sense of humour is shockingly modern, filled with so many clever tricks, bawdy gags and wantonly silly interludes that you'd think the Monty Python team wrote it (while drunk). The plot itself is simple - it's the story of the life of a chap named Tristram Shandy, as recounted by him. But it's the blissfully chaotic style that makes it so extraordinary. Shandy begins with his parents in bed, conceiving him, and goes off on so many wild tangents that he's not even born until hundreds of pages in. Packed full of sly jokes, strange drawings and crazed misadventures, it's perhaps the wackiest classic of all time. It was also Virginia Woolf's favourite book, so isn't it time you had a dose of Shandy?

Bran Castle, Transylvania 19. DRACULA It may not be as beautifully written as some of the other books on our list, but Dracula is probably the best known of them all. After all, Bram Stoker's novel gave the world a character so iconic that we've seen him in films, TV shows, comics, cartoons, musicals and computer games. Yet the book is much more than just the story of a blood-sucking count - it's a fascinating study of Victorian morality and sexuality. Dracula himself is a tempter who utterly corrupts sweet Victorian maidens, and it's up to the gang of waistcoated heroes to see off this wild creature and restore proper etiquette and order. Dracula remains a great horror story, taking us from Transylvania to England and back again, so forget Buffy, Interview with the Vampire and all the countless imitators - snuggle up with the original Dracula and get to know the vampire who started it all! The Yorkshire moors 20. WUTHERING HEIGHTS And finally... well, we couldn't really leave Emily Bronte's ubiquitous tale of passion, tragedy and temperamental tantrums off the list, could we?

As surely everyone knows, at the heart of Wuthering Heights is Heathcliff - the ultimate literary bad boy, whose love for Yorkshire maiden Cathy is balanced only by his hatred for just about everybody else. And, when Cathy chooses a more respectable man as her husband, it drives Heathcliff into a fury that destroys both their lives. But that's not even the half of it. Because, while everyone thinks of the Bronte novel as the story of Cathy and her rough, dangerous, scheming suitor, it also chronicles the lives of a second generation who are affected by Heathcliff's need for vengeance. It's an epic, compelling and quietly complex tale. Want More? Enter your email below for more interesting insights and all the latest on Drama's shows. Email Sign up By signing up to our newsletter you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions and confirm you are over 18. Previous newsletters can be viewed within the newsletter archive . Want to hear more from us? Enter your email below to hear more from Drama. Email Sign up By signing up to our newsletter you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions and confirm you are over 18. Previous newsletters can be viewed within the newsletter archive .

Becky Sharp (Character) Becky Sharp (Character) from Vanity Fair (2004) The content of this page was created by users. It has not been screened or verified by IMDb staff. There may be more photos available for this character. To select more photos to be displayed in this character's gallery, click the Edit Photos link. Overview Becky Sharpe / Little Becky Sharp / Rebecca Sharp / Young Becky Sharp Filmography ... aka "The Philco Television Playhouse" - USA (original title) ... aka "Arena Theatre" - USA (new title) ... aka "Repertory Theatre" - USA (new title) Becky Sharp : I'll manage. Rawdon Crawley : Won't you just. There never was a woman that could manage like you, Becky Sharp. See more » Update You may correct errors and omissions on this page directly. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process. IMDb Everywhere Find showtimes, watch trailers, browse photos, track your Watchlist and rate your favorite movies and TV shows on your phone or tablet!

Question: Becky Sharp was the central character in which mid 19th century novel?
Answer: VANITY FAIR