Vanity Fair · Chapter
The Old Piano explained
Joseph Sedley returns from India to London, bringing wealth and a new carriage, and reunites with his father and sister Amelia.
What happens
Joseph Sedley returns from India to London, bringing wealth and a new carriage, and reunites with his father and sister Amelia. He promises to support them, while Amelia remains devoted to her deceased husband George and resists acknowledging Major Dobbin's romantic interest in her.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Ambition
Joseph Sedley's return with wealth and a new carriage symbolizes the social mobility and ambition of the British middle class in the 19th century.
Family and Betrayal
The reunion of the Sedley family highlights themes of familial duty and loyalty, as Joseph promises to support his father and sister after years of estrangement.
Marriage as Transaction
Amelia's refusal to consider Major Dobbin's love reflects the societal pressure to remain faithful to her deceased husband, treating marriage as a binding contract even after death.
Characters to notice
- Joseph Sedley
Returns from India in style, buys a smart chariot and horses, and reunites with his father and sister, promising to support them.
- Amelia Sedley
Moves from Brompton with her father, remains devoted to her deceased husband George, and gently rejects the idea of marrying Major Dobbin.
- William Dobbin
Arranges for Joseph's return and lodgings, continues to care for Amelia and her family, and is revealed to be in love with Amelia.
- John Sedley
Aged and broken by grief and misfortune, he is deeply affected by Joseph's return and weeps over his wife's death.
- Mary Clapp
Amelia's young confidante, who observes Major Dobbin's love for Amelia and discusses it with her.
Key passages
“She slept, therefore, very soundly that evening, after the conversation with Miss Polly, and was more than ordinarily happy, in spite of Jos's delaying.”
Amelia slept well that night, feeling unusually content despite Joseph's delay.
Amelia's peace of mind after discussing Major Dobbin's feelings with Mary Clapp.
“The tears that were shed by the landlady and the landlady's daughter at that event were as genuine tears of sorrow as any that have been outpoured in the course of this history.”
The landlady and her daughter cried real tears of sadness when Amelia and her father left.
The genuine affection the Clapps felt for Amelia, contrasting with the often hypocritical society.
“She shook her head sadly and had, as usual, recourse to the waterworks.”
Amelia shook her head and began to cry, as she often did.
Amelia's emotional response to the mention of marriage, showing her lingering grief for George.