Vanity Fair · Chapter
Rebecca Is in Presence of the Enemy explained
Rebecca Sharp meets Joseph Sedley, Amelia's wealthy but shy brother, and immediately sets her sights on him as a potential husband.
What happens
Rebecca Sharp meets Joseph Sedley, Amelia's wealthy but shy brother, and immediately sets her sights on him as a potential husband. Despite Joseph's awkwardness and vanity, Rebecca skillfully flatters him and begins her campaign to secure his affections, driven by her lack of family support and her ambition for social advancement.
Themes in this chapter
Marriage as Transaction
Rebecca's deliberate husband-hunting is portrayed as a necessary strategy for survival, given her lack of family support, and is contrasted with the societal norm of mothers arranging matches.
Vanity and Hypocrisy
Joseph's extreme vanity and shyness are exposed, while Rebecca feigns modesty and innocence to manipulate his perception of her.
Social Class and Ambition
Rebecca's ambition to rise socially through marriage is evident as she targets Joseph, a wealthy civil servant, and daydreams of a life of luxury and status.
Characters to notice
- Becky Sharp
Determined to secure a husband, Rebecca flatters Joseph Sedley and begins her calculated pursuit of him.
- Joseph Sedley
A stout, vain, and shy bachelor who is easily flustered by Rebecca's attention and compliments.
- Amelia Sedley
Acts as the intermediary, introducing Rebecca to her brother and encouraging their interaction.
- John Sedley
The jovial father who teases Joseph and welcomes Rebecca into the family home.
- Mrs. Sedley
Kindly mother who has prepared a curry for Joseph and supports the family gathering.
Key passages
“If Miss Rebecca Sharp had determined in her heart upon making the conquest of this big beau, I don't think, ladies, we have any right to blame her; for though the task of husband-hunting is generally, and with becoming modesty, entrusted by young persons to their mammas, recollect that Miss Sharp had no kind parent to arrange these delicate matters for her, and that if she did not get a husband for herself, there was no one else in the wide world who would take the trouble off her hands.”
Rebecca's decision to pursue Joseph is understandable because, unlike most young women who rely on their mothers to find a husband, she has no family to help her and must secure a match on her own.
Highlights the theme of marriage as a necessity for women without family support.
“He was as vain as a girl; and perhaps his extreme shyness was one of the results of his extreme vanity.”
Joseph's shyness stems from his excessive vanity, as he is overly concerned with how others perceive him.
Illustrates the connection between vanity and social awkwardness in Joseph's character.