1、1,storyThe novel takes place during the Napoleonic Wars and tells the lives of two contrasted girls: Rebecca（Becky ） Sharp, orphaned and poor but ingenious; and Amelia Sedley, sheltered daughter of a rich City merchant. These two girls meet at Miss Pinkertons Academy for young ladies, the former dri
2、ven by social ambition and the latter by her delicate heart. At the beginning,Becky live in a rich life and her social state is promoted step by step relying on some ignoble means.But Amelia suffer great sorrow because of her fathers bankruptcy.However, several years later,their life are totally cha
3、nged, they seem go back to their original life.Becky gain nothing, and Amelia return to happy life again.2,Main character BeckyShe is Tricky, resourceful, practical, and tries to master her own fate.She is quick-witted ,shrewd, unscrupulous and sophisticatedShe is a perfect embodiment of the spirit
4、of Vanity Fair as her only aspiration in life is to gain wealth and position by any means: lies, mean action and unscrupulous speculating with every sacred ideal.She is full-blooded and many-sided.AmeliaShe is simple, sentimental, weak, but good-naturedShe is gentle and virtuous,but too simple-heart
5、ed and naive to oppose the plots of selfish and calculating personages that surround her.Amelia is a ideality embodiment who has all kinds of womens morality in thecentral society of man: she is tractable, gentle, honesty, and she has a bleeding heart , respecting her husband and being faithful to h
6、er husband, she never had her own desire and calculation, rich in self-sacrifice, a perfect lady ,a model wife and mother. 3，Writing styleIts writing style is so sarcastic, humorous, active and elaborate.Thackeray uses satire, irony, metaphor and contrast to make the novel more enchanting, impressin
7、g and enlightening.In Vanity Fair, the author makes the narration in the tone of an omniscient story-teller to recount what he knows well, and it is also quite natural to insert some comments into the narration. 4，theme Thackeray mainly described the lives of aristocrats and rich people.With scathing irony Thackeray exposes the vices of this society:hypocrisy,money worship,and moral degradation.5，inspiration
