Full of Business and Pleasure explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Appearance vs. Reality

  Becky presents herself as a virtuous, persecuted woman to Jos, while her true manipulative nature is revealed through her private mockery and Dobbin's distrust.

• Vanity and Hypocrisy

  Jos's vanity is exploited by Becky's flattery, and his hypocritical concern for her virtue contrasts with his own self-indulgence.

• Gender and Power

  Becky uses her feminine wiles and victim narrative to gain influence over Jos, while Amelia's forgiving nature reflects the societal expectation of female compassion and moral purity.

Characters to notice

• Joseph Sedley

  Visits Becky in her garret, is manipulated by her story, and resolves to help her.

• Becky Sharp

  Lives in a miserable garret, spins a tale of persecution to win Jos's sympathy, and later receives Amelia's forgiveness.

• William Dobbin

  Remains suspicious of Becky, warns Jos and Amelia, but ultimately accompanies Amelia to visit her.

• Amelia Sedley

  Initially reluctant, but moved by Jos's account of Becky's suffering, she goes to see her and forgives her with a heartfelt embrace.

Key passages

• “Jos⁠—on the bed, sitting on the brandy-bottle. They had a very long, amicable, and confidential talk there, in the course of which Jos Sedley was somehow made aware (but in a manner that did not in the least scare or offend him) that Becky’s heart had first learned to beat at his enchanting presence; that George Osborne had certainly paid an unjustifiable court to her , which might account for Amelia’s jealousy and their little rupture; but that Becky never gave the least encouragement to the unfortunate officer, and that she had never ceased to think about Jos from the very first day she had seen him, though, of course, her duties as a married woman were paramount⁠—duties which she had always preserved, and would, to her dying day, or until the proverbially bad climate in which Colonel Crawley was living should release her from a yoke which his cruelty had rendered odious to her.”

  Jos sat on the bed, drinking from a brandy bottle, and had a long, friendly talk with Becky. She subtly convinced him that she had always loved him, that George Osborne had flirted with her (causing Amelia's jealousy), but that she never encouraged George and had always thought of Jos. She claimed to have been a faithful wife until her cruel husband's behavior made her life unbearable.

  Becky manipulates Jos by playing on his vanity and presenting herself as a long-suffering, virtuous woman.

• “She wept tears of heartfelt gratitude as she parted from him, and pressed his hand as the gallant stout gentleman stooped down to kiss hers. So Becky bowed Jos out of her little garret with as much grace as if it was a palace of which she did the honours; and that heavy gentleman having disappeared down the stairs, Max and Fritz came out of their hole, pipe in mouth, and she amused herself by mimicking Jos to them as she munched her cold bread and sausage and took draughts of her favourite brandy-and-water.”

  Becky cried tears of gratitude as Jos left, kissing his hand. She then bowed him out of her tiny room as if it were a palace. Once he was gone, her two student friends emerged, and she mocked Jos while eating bread and sausage and drinking brandy.

  Highlights Becky's hypocrisy: she feigns emotion for Jos but immediately mocks him behind his back.

• “This lady, I believe, would have abolished all gaols, punishments, handcuffs, whippings, poverty, sickness, hunger, in the world, and was such a mean-spirited creature that⁠—we are obliged to confess it⁠—she could even forget a mortal injury.”

  Amelia was so kind-hearted that she would have eliminated all suffering and punishment, and could even forgive a deep personal wrong.

  Describes Amelia's excessively forgiving nature, which leads her to reconcile with Becky despite past betrayals.