Vanity Fair · Chapter
In Which Jos Sedley Takes Care of His Sister explained
With George Osborne gone to war, Jos Sedley assumes command of the household in Brussels, caring for the distraught Amelia.
What happens
With George Osborne gone to war, Jos Sedley assumes command of the household in Brussels, caring for the distraught Amelia. His servant Isidor, believing Napoleon will triumph, plots to steal the family's valuables. Mrs. O'Dowd visits Amelia to offer comfort, and the sound of distant cannon fire alarms the city. Later, Rebecca Sharp flirts with Jos to secure her escape plan, but her visit to Amelia provokes a confrontation over her past betrayal.
Themes in this chapter
War and Its Aftermath
The chapter depicts the civilian experience of war: Amelia's grief, Jos's self-indulgence, and the city's panic at the sound of cannon fire.
Marriage as Transaction
Rebecca flirts with Jos to secure a place in his carriage, treating romantic attachment as a strategic move for safety.
Appearance vs. Reality
Jos appears to care for Amelia but is secretly pleased by George's absence; Rebecca presents herself as concerned while manipulating Jos.
Characters to notice
- Joseph Sedley
Takes charge of the household in Brussels, enjoys George's absence, and is susceptible to Rebecca's flattery.
- Amelia Sedley
Grief-stricken after George's departure, she remains in her room and later confronts Rebecca about her betrayal.
- Becky Sharp
Flirts with Jos to secure her retreat and visits Amelia, leading to a tense confrontation.
- George Osborne
Absent, having marched with his regiment; his hat and belongings remain in the house.
- William Dobbin
Mentioned as having interrupted Jos earlier; his departure with the army is implied.
- Mrs. O'Dowd
Visits Amelia to comfort her, dines with Jos, and reacts to the sound of cannon fire.
- Isidor
Jos's Belgian servant who plots to steal the family's valuables and reports the cannon fire.
- Rawdon Crawley
Mentioned in Jos's thoughts as a jealous husband with dueling pistols.
Key passages
“Thus all the superior officers being summoned on duty elsewhere, Jos Sedley was left in command of the little colony at Brussels, with Amelia invalided, Isidor, his Belgian servant, and the bonne, who was maid-of-all-work for the establishment, as a garrison under him.”
With all the senior officers called away, Jos Sedley found himself in charge of their small household in Brussels, which included the ailing Amelia, his Belgian servant Isidor, and a maid-of-all-work.
Establishes Jos's temporary authority and the household's vulnerability.
“The almost universal belief was, that the Emperor would divide the Prussian and English armies, annihilate one after the other, and march into Brussels before three days were over: when all the movables of his present masters, who would be killed, or fugitives, or prisoners, would lawfully become the property of Monsieur Isidor.”
Nearly everyone believed Napoleon would split the Prussian and English forces, destroy them one by one, and enter Brussels within three days, after which Isidor expected to inherit his masters' belongings as spoils.
Highlights the prevailing fear of French victory and the servant's opportunistic greed.
“It was the women's tribute to the war. It taxes both alike, and takes the blood of the men, and the tears of the women.”
The war exacts a price from both sexes: men give their blood, women their tears.
Reflects on the gendered cost of war.
“From Solomon downwards, have not wiser men than he been cajoled and befooled by women?”
Even the wisest men, from King Solomon onward, have been deceived by women's charms.
Narrator's ironic commentary on Jos's susceptibility to Rebecca's manipulation.
