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Chapter 4
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Vanity Fair, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Greed and Ambition
Vanity
Social Class and Character
Gender
Inheritance and Family Life
Summary
Analysis
Years ago, at a school for boys run by Dr. Swishtail, a fight between Cuff and Dobbin immediately becomes legendary. In his time at the school before the fight, Dobbin seems quiet and dull, and the other boys pick on him. His father doesn’t have as much money as the other fathers, so his clothes are always shabby. He struggles to keep up with the lessons in school. On the other hand, Cuff is one of the most popular boys and is at the top of his class, and he bullies other boys into serving him.
The school that Dr. Swishtail runs has clear parallels to the school that Miss Pinkerton runs, but because the students are boys, the environment is much different. While Dr. Swishtail himself does not necessarily encourage fights, these fights seems to be an unavoidable part of life at the school, showing how boys get an early education in the power of violence.
Themes
Cuff is particularly mean to Dobbin, giving him the nickname “Figs.” One day, Cuff catches Dobbin writing a letter and steals it, threatening to read it. Dobbin says that if Cuff reads the letter, Dobbin will punch him. Cuff backs down, and from then on, he doesn’t mess with Dobbin directly.
Cuff is the classic example of a bully who acts tough until he’s directly challenged. Dobbin’s threat to punch Cuff suggests that Dobbin is a careful observer and has learned how power works at his school—through violence or threats of it.
Themes
One day, Dobbin comes across Cuff beating up a younger boy. The boy was supposed to sneak in some rum-shrub from a local grocer, but he broke the bottle on the way back. Dobbin tries to ignore it at first, but eventually he intervenes, telling Cuff to stop being a bully or Dobbin will thrash him. As it turns out, the young boy is George. Cuff says Dobbin should meet him after school for a fight.
Unlike before, Cuff doesn’t back away from George this time because he has an audience now. Dobbin’s willingness to protect George shows that he is one of the few truly selfless characters in the story, looking out for the welfare of other people around him.
Themes
The time for the fight arrives. Because Dobbin doesn’t know how to defend himself, he starts attacking at Cuff right away, hitting him in the eye, then the nose, and knocking him down many times. Soon everyone begins to cheer for him. When the fight is over, Dr. Swishtail comes out and threatens to whip Dobbin, but Cuff takes all the blame for starting the fight to save his own reputation. George writes a letter home to tell his parents all about the fight.
This passage explores how, while fighting and being strong is important at this school, in the end, the most important thing is reputation. Cuff has a chance to get revenge on Dobbin through Dr. Swishtail, but he would rather appear tough in front of an audience, even if that means taking all of the blame.
Themes
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Dobbin earns the respect of his fellow students, and “Figs” becomes a kind nickname instead of an insult. He begins doing better in his classes, too. Dobbin credits this positive change in his life to George, and so he begins giving George gifts and doing him favors. George accepts all this attention gratefully.
Although they have very different personalities, Dobbin and Becky each have something in common: they find ways to distinguish themselves in a heavily class-based society despite the fact that both of them come from relatively poor backgrounds.
Themes
In the present, George invites his friend Dobbin to come with Amelia, Jos, and Becky to Vauxhall. In the time since, Dobbin has been a soldier, becoming a captain and going to remote places where he gets yellow fever three times. Now, Dobbin himself arrives at the Sedleys’ house, looking clumsy in his big military coat. When Dobbin sees Amelia and hears her singing voice, he is shocked at how much more mature she seems. They all have dinner, and eventually, the carriage for Vauxhall arrives.
Yellow fever is a disease associated with tropical areas, so this passage suggests that Dobbin has been fighting out in Britain’s colonies. This passage implies, without apparent satire, that Dobbin’s military experience in the colonies is evidence of his good character, suggesting that on some level, Thackeray may have approved of Britain’s colonial enterprises. Today, most writers and historians judge Britain’s colonialism more harshly, in part because of the violent methods used to control the colonies.
Themes
