Vanity Fair · Chapter
Before the Curtain explained
The author, as the manager of a performance, introduces Vanity Fair as a bustling, noisy, and morally ambiguous place filled with eating, drinking, love, cheating, and entertainment.
What happens
The author, as the manager of a performance, introduces Vanity Fair as a bustling, noisy, and morally ambiguous place filled with eating, drinking, love, cheating, and entertainment. He reflects on the melancholy beneath the surface merriment and presents the story as a puppet show, acknowledging the favorable reception of his characters—Becky Sharp, Amelia Sedley, William Dobbin, and the Wicked Nobleman—before the curtain rises.
Themes in this chapter
Vanity and Hypocrisy
The entire chapter frames the story as a Vanity Fair, a place of moral ambiguity where appearances and performances mask deeper melancholy and selfishness.
Appearance vs. Reality
The author contrasts the noisy, seemingly merry fair with the melancholy behind the scenes, and describes the puppets as lively yet artificial constructs.
Characters to notice
- Becky Sharp
Referred to as the famous little Becky Puppet, noted for being flexible in the joints and lively on the wire.
- Amelia Sedley
Mentioned as the Amelia Doll, carved and dressed with great care, though with a smaller circle of admirers.
- William Dobbin
Described as the Dobbin Figure, apparently clumsy but dancing in a very amusing and natural manner.
- Lord Steyne
Implied as the richly dressed figure of the Wicked Nobleman, on which no expense has been spared, and which Old Nick will fetch away.
Key passages
“Yes, this is Vanity Fair ; not a moral place certainly; nor a merry one, though very noisy.”
This is Vanity Fair, a place that is neither moral nor truly joyful, despite its loud and bustling atmosphere.
The author sets the tone for the novel as a critique of society's superficial pleasures.
“The famous little Becky Puppet has been pronounced to be uncommonly flexible in the joints, and lively on the wire; the Amelia Doll, though it has had a smaller circle of admirers, has yet been carved and dressed with the greatest care by the artist; the Dobbin Figure, though apparently clumsy, yet dances in a very amusing and natural manner;”
The author boasts that his puppet characters have been well-received: Becky is agile and spirited, Amelia is lovingly crafted, and Dobbin, though awkward, moves in an entertaining and lifelike way.
The author introduces the main characters as puppets in his show, highlighting their distinct traits and the audience's reception.