Lively Becky Sharp performs as the Queens of Vanity Fair

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Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, &
Graduate School
Professional Papers
1997
Lively Becky Sharp performs as the Queens of Vanity Fair| A study
in the mythical & historical allusions and intertexts employed by
William Makepeace Thackeray in "Vanity Fair"
Kenneth Galen York
The University of Montana
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York, Kenneth Galen, "Lively Becky Sharp performs as the Queens of Vanity Fair| A study in the mythical &
historical allusions and intertexts employed by William Makepeace Thackeray in "Vanity Fair"" (1997).
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 2861.
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THE LIVELY BECKY SHARP PERFORMS
as
THE QUEENS OF VANITY FAIR:
A STUDY IN THE MYTHICAL & HISTORICAL
ALLUSIONS AND INTERTEXTS
EMPLOYED BY
WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY
IN
VANITY FAIR
by
K. Galen York
B.S. The University of Texas, 1977
presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
Master of Arts
The University of Montana
1997
Approved by:
[irpersoi
Dean, Graduate School
Date
UMI Number: EP35872
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York, Kenneth Galen, M.A., May 1997 English Literature
The Lively Becky Sharp Performs as The Queens of Vanity Fair A Study In The
Mythical & Historical Allusions and Intertexts Employed by William Makepeace
Thackeray in Vanity Fair {^5^ pp.)
Director: Dr. Henry Harrington
Rebecca Sharp appears in the novel Vanity Fair 'm a variety of personas both in
illustration and in text. Her main persona is that of a young governess who
marries into the aristocracy and then disgraces herself by a supposed liaison
with a Lord of the realm. Becky performs several other "roles" in the novel by
virtue of associations formed by allusion, intertextual references, and illustrations
by the author. One of these other personas is the classical figure of
Clytemnestra, the mythical Queen of Argos. Another persona is an historical
personage, the Marquise of Maintenon, a common governess who became the
morganatic Queen of France. The references that associate Rebecca to this
notorious historical figure are more indirect than those doubling her with
Clytemnestra. Nonetheless, both of her performances are clearly indicated in
textual, intertextual, and illustrative allusions-and form the heart of the novel.
Rebecca's performances as these two Queens, one historical and one legend-
ary, serve to create tragic themes pointing to the disintegration of not only British
culture and society, but also western civilization. In a short treatise, I will point
out how these motifs are created and sustained through the use of literary con-
ventions common to early Victorian literature.
To support my thesis, and to show the extent of Thackeray's usage of allusions
and intertextuality to create meaning, this thesis also includes a referential sec-
tion. This lengthy section details all of the mythical allusions in the novel, and
also presents multiple illustrations with which Thackeray expands and embroi-
ders his fiction.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract
List of Illustrations
The Queens of Vanity Fair. Introduction
The Queens of Vanity Fair
Part One
Part One - ii
Part One-iii
Part One-iv
Part Two
Works Cited
iii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Engraved Vignette Title Page 13
Becky and Her Puppets 14
The Triumph of Clytemnestra 16
Major Sugarplums 17
Mr. Osborne's Welcome to Amelia 21
Miss Pinkerton as Minerva 24
Mr. Joseph Entangled 26
Chapter 66 - Capital Illustration 27
Becky Musing at St. Helena 36
The Ravissante Little Marquise 38
Becky as Circe 46
The Swords of Damocles 48
Chapter 45 - Capital Illustration 50
Becky at the Gaming Table 51
Becky Plays the Syren 52
Becky's Second Appearance in the character of Clytemnestra 54
The Letter Before Waterloo 55
Virtue rewarded. A booth in Vanity Fair. 56
The Box and The Puppets 57
Dobbin Before the Don 58
Becky-Doll & Her House of Cards 59
A Self-Portrait of the Artist 60
Cover of Initial Installment 61
Capital Illustrations;
Chapter One 62
Chapter Two 63
Chapter Three 64
Chapter Four 68
Chapter Five 69
Chapter Six 72
Chapter Seven 74
Head Illustration for Chapter Eight 75
Capital Illustrations (con't):
Chapter Nine 78
Chapter Ten 78
Chapter Eleven 79
Chapter Twelve 80
Chapter Thirteen 81
iv
Mr. Osborne's welcome to Amelia 83
Capital Illustrations (con't);
Chapter Fourteen 86
Chapter Fifteen 86
Chapter Sixteen 87
Chapter Seventeen 90
Chapter Eighteen 91
Chapter Nineteen 92
Chapter Twenty 93
Chapter Twenty-One 94
Chapter Twenty-Two 95
Chapter Twenty-Three 96
Chapter Twenty-Four 97
Chapter Twenty-Five 98
Chapter Twenty-Six 99
Chapter Twenty-Seven 100
Chapter Twenty-Eight 100
Chapter Twenty-Nine 100
Chapter Thirty 101
Venus preparing the armour of Mars 102
Capital Illustrations (con't):
Chapter Thirty-One 104
Chapter Thirty-Two 105
Chapter Thirty-Three 105
Chapter Thirty-Four 106
Chapter Thirty-Five 107
Major Sugarplums 107
Capital Illustrations (con't):
Chapter Thirty-Six 108
Chapter Thirty-Seven 108
Chapter Thirty-Eight 109
Chapter Thirty-Nine . Ill
Chapter Forty Ill
Chapter Forty-One 112
Chapter Forty-Two 113
Chapter Forty-Three 113
Chapter Forty-Four 114
Chapter Forty-Five 115
Chapter Forty-Six 116
V
Capital Illustrations (con't):
Chapter Forty-Seven 116
Swords of Damocles 117
Capital Illustrations (con't):
Chapter Forty-Eight 118
Chapter Forty-Nine 121
Chapter Fifty 122
Chapter Fifty-One 122
Chapter Fifty-Two 130
Chapter Fifty-Three 130
Chapter Fifty-Four 131
Chapter Fifty-Five 132
Chapter Fifty-Six 133
Chapter Fifty-Seven 134
Chapter Fifty-Eight 135
Chapter Fifty-Nine 136
Chapter Sixty 137
Chapter Sixty-One 138
Chapter Sixty-Two 140
Chapter Sixty-Three 141
Chapter Sixty-Four 145
Chapter Sixty-Five 149
Chapter Sixty-Six 150
Chapter Sixty-Seven 151
vi