[lit-ideas] Re: Vanity Fair
- From: Ceridwen Harris <cmharris@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 06 Sep 2004 13:07:14 -0400
I saw the movie last night,and enjoyed it very much.
I remember from reading Vanity Fair long ago that Becky Sharp was not
written as such a sympathetic character as the one portrayed in the film -
that she was a self-serving and self-centred person. I don't think that
colder aspect of her came out in this film. I found her friend Amelia hard
to respect in this film and yet I think Thackeray's readers may have found
her admirable? and they film neglected the part of the book in which she
got control of Jos' fortune in India, his mysterious death, her neglect of
her son who although he pensions her refuses to see her - and her
surprising end as being involved in 'good works'.... Must reread the book!
I believe that one of the attractions of the Indian Army for young men
without large incomes was that one could live off one's salary in that Army
- better than in the regular army. Certainly it was a time when people who
were blocked from upward mobility in Britain could establish themselves in
lucrative and respectable work overseas, in India, Australia etc.
At a time when revolution was in the air in Britain as elsewhere the role
of the malevolent marquis is interesting. Thackeray's country gentry in the
form of Sir Pitt and his sister and daughter in law are kindly drawn but
the court circle does not come off as well.
Interesting to note Thackeray's daughter Anne was a well known writer, and
the son-in-law who married his daughter Harriet was by his second marriage
the father of Virginia Woolfe.
All in all an interesting film
ceri
At 08:40 AM 06/09/2004, you wrote:
>I'm still a ways off from overcoming my keyboarding infirmity. I wrote
>with regard to the movie: As limited as [Becky Sharp's] options were, the
>men's options were also limited. Disinherited and without war, the male
>gentry were nothing.
>
>I meant the male soldiering officer class gentry were nothing when
>disinherited and without war. Jane Austin meets King Lear. Terrific movie.
>
>
>Wishing someone would invent an automatic wok,
>Andy Amago
>
>
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