Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair

by

William Makepeace Thackeray

Vanity Fair Symbols

Piano

The piano represents Dobbin’s unselfish love for Amelia. When Mr. Sedley goes bankrupt and has to move his family to a smaller house, many of the Sedley family possessions go up for auction…

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Billiards

Billiards represents the addictive vices of the upper-class characters in Vanity Fair, many of which revolve around greed. Billiards is especially important for George, who is so eager to potentially make money that…

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Dictionary

In Vanity Fair, dictionaries represent approval from the traditional institutions of society. Miss Pinkerton gives a copy of Samuel Johnson’s dictionary to almost every girl who graduates from her school, including Amelia, to…

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