Vanity Fair with its rich cast of characters takes place on the snakes-and-ladders board of life. Amelia Sedley daughter of a wealthy merchant has a loving mother to supervise her courtship. Becky Sharp an orphan has to use her wit charm and resourcefulness to escape from her destiny as a governess. This she does ruthlessly musing’I think I could become a good woman if I had £5000 a year.’ Thackeray’s story is set at the time of the battle of Waterloo in which the Sedley fortunes are lost - and Amelia is back to square one - while Becky rises with contemptuous ease.