Vanity Fair Lesson Plan

How does Thackery characterize Amelia in these early chapters? How does he make Becky out to be (for now) a sympathetic character?

There is a lot of foreshadowing in these first three chapters. Here, we get a taste of what Amelia and Becky are like and how the author uses each as a foil for the other. Becky is sassy and manipulative; she tosses out Miss Jemima's gift and then laughs when Amelia rebukes her. She can also employ a sweet and charming nature when she wants something, which is evident in her treatment of Jos.

Thackeray also provides a full characterization of Amelia. He uses her reputation at school to indicate to his readers that this is a likable, simple...