This pungent satire of English and Continental society in the period of the Napoleonic Wars is dominated by Becky Sharp, a name that has come to be synonymous with outrageous and quick-witted self-interest. Lacking the wealth and good breeding of the upper classes, Becky must use all the resources she can-charm, intelligence, sex appeal-to advance herself in society. From battlefields to ballrooms, Vanity Fair full of intriguing characters and entertaining dialogue. Our delight in Becky Sharp and her surroundings is exceeded only by our delight in Thackeray himself-in his fecundity, his gift for the absurd, and his immense power to please.