The story in one page
Becky Sharp, a governess with a sharp wit and no inheritance, enters London society determined to secure a fortune by any means necessary. While her gentle friend Amelia Sedley pins her hopes on a shallow officer, Becky maneuvers through the Crawley family, eventually eloping with the heavy-gambling Rawdon. The Battle of Waterloo acts as a financial and social pivot, leaving Amelia a destitute widow and Becky a rising star in the dangerous orbit of Lord Steyne. Through scams, social events, and strategic piety, Becky climbs to the top of the social ladder only to be cast down by scandal, while Amelia realizes her late husband's betrayal far too late.
Who's who
- Rebecca Sharp
A penniless, linguistically gifted climber who uses charm to bypass social barriers.
- Amelia Sedley
A passive, sentimental woman whose devotion to a dead husband blinds her.
- Captain William Dobbin
A loyal, awkward officer who spends decades pining for his friend’s wife.
- Rawdon Crawley
A gambling soldier disinherited after marrying Becky, later a colonial governor.
- Marquis of Steyne
A wealthy, cynical nobleman who patronizes Becky until a violent confrontation.
- Joseph Sedley
A gluttonous East India Company collector who falls under Becky's final spell.
What it's really about
- Social Climbing
- The relentless pursuit of status through marriage, debt, and deception.
- Vanity
- The hollowness of worldly success and the fleeting nature of desire.
Why it's memorable
- Becky hurling a dictionary out of a carriage window to signal her school departure.
- The frantic packing and selling of horses in Brussels as Napoleon's cannons begin to roar.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Jos Sedley dies in suspicious circumstances, leaving Becky his insurance money. While Amelia finally marries Dobbin, Becky ends the story as a wealthy, fake-pious socialite running charity stalls in Bath.
For your book club
- Whether Becky is a villain or merely a survivalist in a rigged system.
- The narrator's insistence that none of his characters are truly heroes.