Dictionary Symbol Analysis

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 denote that they have completion their education and are ready to participate in the outside world. But while a dictionary and school could symbolize knowledge, at her school, Miss Pinkerton places an even greater emphasis on obedience and following the rules. Notably, Miss Pinkerton chooses not to give a dictionary to one of her most intelligent students: Becky, who can speak fluent French and who can spell and write better than just about anyone else in the novel. But because Miss Pinkerton doesn’t like Becky’s attitude or the low status of Becky’s parents, she refuses to give Becky a dictionary that would signal the school’s approval for Becky’s character.

In the end, Becky receives a dictionary from Jemima, who goes behind Miss Pinkerton’s back to get a copy for Becky out of pity. But to Jemima’s surprise, Becky soon throws her dictionary right out the window of a carriage, defiantly showing that she doesn’t need the school’s approval. On a practical level, perhaps, Becky doesn’t need a dictionary because she already knows how to spell. But on a figurative level, Becky’s rejection of the dictionary suggests her refusal to abide by social norms. In tossing the dictionary out of the window, Becky shows that she doesn’t need society’s approval and is determined to survive on her own terms.  Becky’s attitude contrasts with Amelia’s—by accepting her dictionary, Amelia shows that she desires society’s approval and would rather follow its rules to the letter.