So. . . I watched Vanity Fair today. I was curious how they would fit that very large book into 2 hours. I must say that for such a large book, they managed to stay pretty close in the movie. Of course the character development was nowhere near as powerful, and in the movie you don't get the feeling of how truly dishonorable Becky becomes. You also don't get enough of the Captain to fall in love with him as you do in the book. Yet, they did manage to portray Amelia pretty well.
I disliked Becky, but I despised Amelia when I read the book. Amelia should have been all that was good, but she was weak. She wasted away instead of moving on with life. In my class discussions, it was easy for people to compare her to Jane Bennett from Pride and Prejudice because they were both quiet, peaceful people. I have recently reread that classic work, and I was impressed all over again by Jane's quiet strength. Although bitterly disappointed by Bingley's rejection, she still lived. She tried her hardest to be happy, she served everyone around her, and was cheerful and pleasant to be around. To compare her with Amelia is a great injustice to Jane. I am certain that if Jane had been in Amelia's place, the Captain wouldn't have had to wait 12 years. In fact, I am pretty certain that Jane wouldn't have been attracted to Charles in the first place.
In the beginning of Vanity Fair, William Thackery claims that it is a "book without heroes," and for the most part he is right. Becky is too selfish, Amelia too weak, Charles too vain, and the Captain too self-sacrificing. Despite this, I do think he ended the book with two heroes, though they had minor roles. The first is Lady Pitt Crawley. She is all that is strong and virtuous in a woman. It was her impact on Rawdon was what helped him change his life. He turned his life around and became a good father to his son, which makes him my second hero. He sacrificed everything to be a good dad.
I disliked Becky, but I despised Amelia when I read the book. Amelia should have been all that was good, but she was weak. She wasted away instead of moving on with life. In my class discussions, it was easy for people to compare her to Jane Bennett from Pride and Prejudice because they were both quiet, peaceful people. I have recently reread that classic work, and I was impressed all over again by Jane's quiet strength. Although bitterly disappointed by Bingley's rejection, she still lived. She tried her hardest to be happy, she served everyone around her, and was cheerful and pleasant to be around. To compare her with Amelia is a great injustice to Jane. I am certain that if Jane had been in Amelia's place, the Captain wouldn't have had to wait 12 years. In fact, I am pretty certain that Jane wouldn't have been attracted to Charles in the first place.
In the beginning of Vanity Fair, William Thackery claims that it is a "book without heroes," and for the most part he is right. Becky is too selfish, Amelia too weak, Charles too vain, and the Captain too self-sacrificing. Despite this, I do think he ended the book with two heroes, though they had minor roles. The first is Lady Pitt Crawley. She is all that is strong and virtuous in a woman. It was her impact on Rawdon was what helped him change his life. He turned his life around and became a good father to his son, which makes him my second hero. He sacrificed everything to be a good dad.
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