William Makepeace Thackeray. (1811–1863). Vanity Fair.
The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction. 1917.
List of Characters
MISS BARBARA PINKERTON, presiding over an Academy for Young Ladies.
JEMIMA PINKERTON, her sister.
AMELIA SEDLEY, afterwards Mrs. George Osborne, an accomplished young lady, yet with more heart than brains.
JOHN SEDLEY, Esq., of the Stock Exchange, father of Amelia.
MRS. SEDLEY, his wife.
JOSEPH SEDLEY, older brother of Amelia, in the East India Company’s Civil Service.
MRS. BLENKINSOP, housekeeper of the Sedleys.
SAMBO, coloured servant of the Sedleys.
REBECCA SHARP, afterwards Mrs. Rawdon Crawley, daughter of a poor English artist and a French dancer. A fascinating, clever and unscrupulous adventuress.
MISS SWARTZ, a mulatto heiress from St. Kitt’s, a school friend of Amelia’s.
SIR PITT CRAWLEY, a miserly, hard-drinking, disreputable old baronet.
ROSE GRAWLEY, second wife of Sir Pitt—a colourless and neglected invalid.
ROSE & VIOLET, daughters of Sir Pitt by his second wife.
PITT CRAWLEY, a conventional prig—elder son of Sir Pitt by his first wife.
RAWDON CRAWLEY, younger son of Sir Pitt Crawley by his first wife—a heavy young rake in the Dragoons.
HORROCKS, Sir Pitt Crawley’s butler.
MISS HORROCKS, his daughter.
REV. BUTE CRAWLEY, younger brother of Sir Pitt Crawley—a worldly minded country parson.
MRS. BUTE CRAWLEY, his wife, a managing, scheming little woman.
JAMES, FRANK, & Four girls, children of Bute Crawley.
MR. OSBORNE, a prosperous merchant in the city, who owes his start in life to Mr. Sedley.
JANE, spinster daughter and slave of Mr. Osborne.
MARIA, afterwards Mrs. Frederick Bullock, younger daughter of Mr. Osborne.
GEORGE OSBORNE, son of Mr. Osborne, and godson of Mr. Sedley, a conceited young officer.
MISS WIRT, a “raw-boned vestal,” governess to the Misses Osborne.
MISS CRAWLEY, half-sister to Sir Pitt Crawley, a shrewd rich old spinster.
MISS BRIGGS, Miss Crawley’s companion.
MRS. FIRKIN, servant of Miss Crawley.
BOWLS, butler at Miss Crawley’s.
MR. RAGGLES, former butler at Miss Crawley’s, and owner of the house on Curzon St. rented by the Rawdon Crawleys.
CAPT. WILLIAM DOBBIN, afterwards Major and Lieutenant Colonel, good angel of George Osborne and Amelia Sedley.
The MISSES DOBBIN, his sisters.
COUNTESS SOUTHDOWN, a strong-minded woman favourably known to the serious world.
LADY EMILY HORNBLOWER, her daughter, “author of several delightful tracts.”
LADY JANE SHEEPSHANKS, afterwards Mrs. Pitt Crawley, younger daughter of Countess Southdown.
MR. CLAPP, Mr. Sedley’s clerk with whom he takes refuge after his failure.
MRS. CLAPP, his wife.
MISS MARY CLAPP, their daughter.
FREDERICK BULLOCK, of the house of Bullock, Hulker & Bullock, who marries Maria Osborne.
ENSIGN STUBBLE & ENSIGN SIMPLE, subalterns in George Osborne’s regiment.
MAJOR O’DOWD, commander of Osborne’s regiment at Waterloo.
PEGGY O’DOWD, his wife, commander of the Major.
GLORVINA O’DOWD, a good-natured Irish girl who fails to ensnare Major Dobbin.
GEORGE OSBORNE, JR., son of Amelia and George Osborne.
RAWDON CRAWLEY, JR., son of Rawdon Crawley and Becky Sharp.
GEORGE GUSTAVUS, Marquess of Steyne, Earl of Gaunt, Viscount, Hellborough, Baron Pitchley and Grillsby, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, etc., etc., etc., an elderly roué
LADY STEYNE, his wife.
LADY GAUNT, his daughter.
MR. MOSS, the bailiff.
FIFINE, Becky Sharp’s maid.
CAPT. MACMURDO, Rawdon Crawley’s friend in his affairs of honour.
MR. WENHAM, Lord Steyne’s confidential friend.
REV. MR. VEAL, little George Osborne’s tutor.
REV. BEILBY BINNY, curate of the District Chapel, an admirer of Mrs. Osborne.
ISIDOR, Belgian servant of Joseph Sedley.
KIRSCH, Joseph Sedley’s courier.
FICHE, servant of Lord Steyne.
Doctors, apothecaries, solicitors, clerks, officers, servants, gate keepers, German students, noblemen, auctioneers, school boys, etc.
