Vanity Fair (novel)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero is a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in 1847-48, satirizing society in early 19th-century England. The book's title comes from John Bunyan's allegorical story The Pilgrim's Progress, first published in 1678 and still widely read at the time of Thackeray's novel. Vanity fair refers to a stop along the pilgrim's progress: a never-ending fair held in a town called Vanity, which is meant to represent man's sinful attachment to wordly things. The novel is now considered a classic, and has inspired several film adaptations.
Fictional demimondes
Descriptions of the fictional demimondes can be found in Vanity Fair, a novel which satirizes 19th century society written by William Makepeace Thackeray. Although the terms 'demimonde' and 'demimondaine' do not appear in the work (the term had not been coined at the time of the writing), the term was used by reviewers and other authors following the release of the novel in reference to three characters within it. The characters of Lady Crackenbury and Mrs. Washington White are demimonde characters, both of whom Captain Rawdon Crawley lusts after in his younger days. Prior to her presentation in court, Becky Sharp is perceived as being a demimondaine, and she later becomes one in fact during her travels through Europe following her abandonment by her husband.
