English Literature books summary

establishing Ulysses on his throne.

Chapter Eighteen: Penelope

"Penelope" is Ulysses' eighteenth and final chapter. Molly Bloom

thinks on her life before marriage and she defends and regrets her affair

with Boylan, while bemoaning the social restrictions on women. Mrs. Bloom

catalogues the detriments of her married life, describing her nagging

loneliness, the deceptive allures of adultery and the betrayals she has

suffered on account of her emotionally absent "Poldy." Molly№s narrative

quickly slides between the distant and recent past and we learn of her

years as an unmarried and attractive young lady in Gibraltar, a British

colony on the southernmost tip of Spain. Her years with her mother Lunita

and her father, a military man named Tweedy, seem to offer her the most

pleasure as she is largely displeased with Boylan№s rough manners and her

husband№s effeminate deficiencies.

For all of the negative assessments of hearth and home, "Penelope" is

emphatically braced with the word "Yes" at the beginning and conclusion,

and we have every reason to believe that-at least for June 17-the Bloom's

intend to preserve their marriage. Perhaps in irritation and gratitude for

Bloom's "kiss on the rump," Molly intends to turn his servility on its head

by waking up early to serve Bloom "his breakfast in bed with a couple of

eggs." After analyzing Bloom№s faults, Molly suggests that she knows Bloom

better than anyone else and that their shared memories represent an

emotional wealth that she would be unable to duplicate in a relationship

with Boylan.

Vanity Fair by W.Thackeray

Chapter 1. Chiswick Mall

Two young ladies-Amelia Sedley and Rebecca (Becky) Sharp are preparing

to leave Miss Pinkerton’s finishing school. Amelia is the kind hearted,

conventional beauty who is loved by all, while Rebecca is a defiant young

woman, who is disliked by almost everyone, including Miss Pinkerton. Only

Miss Pinkerton’s sister, Jemima, and Amelia seem to be fond of Becky. Becky

is to leave with Amelia and spend some time at her home before she can take

her job as a governess at Queen’s Crawley.

Owing to the difference in the social status as well as their

temperaments, only Amelia is gifted a copy of Dr Johnson’s Dictionary, as

per the tradition of Chiswick Mall, as a parting gift. Miss Pinkerton

refuses to give Becky a copy. Just as their carriage is about to move, Miss

Jemima runs to Becky and hands over a copy of the Dictionary to her, but

Becky, in her defiance, flings the gift out of the carriage, leaving Miss

Jemima shocked!

Chapter 2 In which Miss Sharp and Miss Sedley prepare to open the

campaign.

Becky is wickedly satisfied with the heroic act she has just

performed. She tells Amelia that she was treated with contempt and

compelled to teach French at the mall and that she was glad to bid it

goodbye.

Amelia, excitedly, shows Becky around her house and gifts her a Cashmere

shawl (which her brother had brought for her from India), besides a lot of

other things. The knowledge that Amelia’s brother, Joseph Sedley is rich

and unmarried fills hope into Becky’s heart and she is determined to make

an attempt to woo him.

Chapter 3 Rebecca is in presence of the Enemy.

Joseph Sedley is a very stout man, vain as a young girl usually is. He

is greatly flattered, by the fact that Becky considers him to be handsome.

Becky tries all her charms on him. She shows immense interest in tales

about India and suffers the spicy Indian curries and the hot chillies to

win Jos over.

Notes

Chapter 4 The Green Silk Purse

Rebecca is all set to please everyone at the Sedley House. She makes

the right moves towards Jos. Amelia insists that Jos take her and Becky to

Vauxhall. It is decided that Lieutenant George Osborne, the godson of Mr.

Sedley, is to accompany Amelia while Jos is to lead Becky to Vauxhall. Mr.

Sedley and Mr. Osborne are good friends and wish to see Amelia and George

married.

Due to a thunderstorm, the young couples are prevented from going to

Vauxhall that night and so they spend the evening indoors. George and

Amelia sing songs, while a besotted Jos helps Becky in weaving a silk

purse. Later he is in ‘a state of ravishment,’ when he hears Becky

performing. Jos makes up his mind to ask Becky to marry him.

Chapter 5 Dobbin of ours

This chapter begins with a flashback. Years ago, at Dr. Swishtail’s

famous school, a boy named Dobbin used to be constantly ridiculed because

his father was a grocer and it was said that he paid for Dobbin’s

education, not in money but in goods.

One day, Dobbin saw the dreadful school bully, Cuff, harassing a

scared boy. Dobbin stood in support of the poor victim and as a result, had

to fight with Cuff. At his victory over Cuff, Dobbin was made the hero of

the school and the little boy, who was George Osborne, began to love him as

a friend. Humbled by the love of George, Dobbin, since that day, became

George’s shadow, his devoted friend.

Back to the present, the party prepares to go to Vauxhall and George

requests them to take Dobbin along. Dobbin enters the Sedley House and

notices the young, beautiful Amelia, singing happily, and instantly falls

in love with her.

Chapter 6 Vauxhall

As the possibility of a match between Jos and Rebecca increases, Mr.

Sedley becomes more and more indifferent towards his son. The five people,

at their best, go to Vauxhall- Becky full of hope and expectations, with

Jos and Amelia extremely happy with George. All Dobbin does at Vauxhall is,

takes care of the shawls, and make payments at the gate.

When the time actually comes for Jos to propose marriage to Becky, he gets

drunk, and in his nervousness creates such a riot that everyone is

miserably embarrassed. Disappointed though, Rebecca does not leave hope.

The next day, George pays a visit to Jos at his apartment and narrates to

him all the foolish things he (Jos) had done the previous night. Thoroughly

ashamed he flees to Scotland, in order to avoid Becky.

This completely crashes all of Becky’s attempts and with all her

pretense at work she bids a tearful goodbye to a dejected Amelia and gifts

the purse to Mr. Sedley. Becky is sure that George Osborne has a hand in

her misery and is therefore determined to take her revenge.

Chapter 7 Crawley of Queen’s Crawley

The narrator traces the history of the Crawley family. Sir Pitt

Crawley first marries Grizzel who bears him two sons-Pitt and Rawdon. Many

years after her demise, Sir Pitt marries Rose Dawson. The job that Becky

gets at Queen’s Crawley, is to look after the two daughters of Sir Pitt and

Rose Dawson.

Rebecca, dusting off her disappointment at the Sedley’s, becomes

excited at the prospect of living with a Baronet. Sir Pitt Crawley is a

dirtily dressed, foul-mouthed old man. He has very crude manners and a

heavy Hampshire accent. The old house too seems almost dilapidated. Sir

Pitt is to take Becky to Crawley’s mansion the next day.

Chapter 8 Private and Confidential

Becky writes a detailed letter to Amelia, describing Sir Pitt Crawley;

her adventures during her journey as she was made to sit outside in the

rain, for a passenger wanted an inside place in Sir Pitt’s coach, the

Crawley estate, and finally the old-fashioned, red-brick mansion. Becky

also gives her an account of the family members: Lady Crawley, who

constantly weeps for the loss of her beauty; Pitt Crawley who is lean with

‘hay colored whiskers’ and dresses with the pomp of an undertakes; the two

girls Rose and Violet who are simple and nice and of course Sir Pitt who

drinks in the company of Horrocks, his butler.

Chapter 9 Family Portraits

Sir Pitt Crawley with his taste for low life marries Rose, daughter of

an ironmonger. He gets drunk more than often and beats his pretty Rose. He

has a brother, a Rector, Bute Crawley, whose wife refused to call on Lady

Crawley because she is the daughter of a petty tradesman. After giving

birth to two daughters, Lady Crawley remains as a mere machine in the

house. She is only faintly attached to Pitt Crawley who is a polite, gentle

and disciplined man. He is also an ambitious and industrious person.

Sir Pitt gets great pleasure in making his creditors wait and go from

court to court. He asks, "What is the good of being in Parliament if you

must pay your debts?"

Sir Pitt has an unmarried half sister, Miss Crawley, who has a large

fortune. She helps the Crawleys often, to pay their debts. The members of

her family love and respected her because of her vast bank balance.

Chapter 10 Miss Sharp Begins to make friends.

Rebecca’s main aim is to make herself agreeable to her benefactors.

She knows that to survive in the world she has to fend for herself. She

easily pleases Lady Crawley and her daughters. Her respect and obedience

towards Pitt Crawley wins her, his good opinion. She finds ways to be

useful to Sir Pitt and within a year, she becomes indispensable to him. She

becomes his constant companion.

Rawdon Crawley of the LifeGuards Green does not get along with his

brother Pitt and pays a visit to the house, only when the aunt comes to

stay with them. He is a favorite of his aunt and there is mutual contempt

between Pitt and Miss Crawley.

Miss Crawley is a rich woman, who loves everything associated with

France. She enjoys life (though Pitt considers her to be ‘godless’) and

loves to pamper her nephew, Rawdon.

Chapter 11 Arcadian Simplicity

Bute Crawley and his wife form the nearest relatives and neighbors of

Sir Pitt. The two brothers are entirely against each other. Mrs. Crawley

keeps a close watch on the Crawley house for news. She is quite suspicious

about Rebecca’s growing influence over the Crawleys. Therefore she writes

to Miss Pinkerton to enquire about her past for which Miss Pinkerton gladly

fills in the information that her parents had been disreputable.

Becky writes a letter to Amelia informing her about the perfect peace

and happiness in the house due to the arrival of Miss Crawley. The two

brothers make best chaperons for her while they wait for her to kick the

bucket. Becky also gives an account of Rawdon Crawley who lives a lavish

life under the favor of his aunt. She does not forget to mention how he

constantly showers attention over her while he is around.

Besides charming Mrs. Bute Crawley, Rebecca also has Miss Crawley tied

to her little finger in no time, (who is immensely impressed by her) and

becomes her constant companion.

Chapter 12 Quite a sentimental chapter.

Sisters of George as well as of Dobbin believe that Amelia is not

worthy enough for a charming man like George. They feel that George is

making a great sacrifice in loving Amelia. George plays truant and in the

evenings is neither at his own house nor at Amelia’s. Amelia is heartbroken

waiting for George. She writes frantic letters to George, who replies in

very few words - in a soldier like manner.

Chapter 13 Sentimental and otherwise

While Amelia suffers in George’s absence, George is busy enjoying in

the company of other women. Unable to hear people talking about George and

his lady in a light manner, Dobbin, to the great displeasure of George,

blurts out the truth about George’s engagement with Amelia. Dobbin also

rebukes George for neglecting the angelic Amelia. George, with some

hesitation, accepts money from Dobbin to buy a gift for Amelia. But he is

driven by self-love, and buys a diamond shirt pin for himself. Amelia is

euphoric to see George.

George’s father, John Osborne, is worried about John Sedley’s

business. He makes it clear to George that he is not to marry Amelia unless

she brings along ten thousand pounds.

Chapter 14 Miss Crawley at Home

Miss Crawley falls severely ill and is transported back to her house.

Rebecca nurses her throughout her illness. Miss Crawley refuses to be

looked after by anyone else, not even her old loyals, like Miss Briggs and

Mrs. Firkin. These two companions are greatly threatened by Becky’s

presence. Rawdon comes regularly to ask Becky about the improvement in the

patient.

After great caring and watching over on Becky’s part, Miss Crawley

recovers. Becky keeps her entertained and accompanies her on drives. On one

such drive they pay a visit to Amelia, which again Amelia returns after a

few days. Amelia is invited for dinner in which George Osborne is also a

guest. George tells Rawdon to be careful of a desperate flirt like Becky.

Sir Pitt becomes a widower again. Throughout the time of Miss

Crawley’s convalescence, he writes frantic letters to Rebecca to return to

Queen’s Crawley. One day, he personally comes to fetch her and proposes

marriage to her. Rebecca has only tears to shed at this marriage proposal;

she confesses between her sobs that she is already married.

Chapters 15 & 16 In which Rebecca’s husband appears for a short time

and the letter on the Pincushion

Miss Crawley is astonished to know that Rebecca has turned down Sir

Pitt’s proposal. After much explanation to Miss Crawley, Becky admits that

she loves someone else. Becky is a little remorseful that she has missed

the position of a Lady, but she has enough ‘resolution and energy of

character,’ to not continue mourning for what is lost.

She writes a letter to her secret husband, who is none other than Rawdon,

and plans an elopement. Becky is sure that Miss Crawley will be hysterical

for a while and then forgive her two favorites. She runs away leaving a

letter for Miss Briggs, who does not have a clue about how to break the

news and sends for Mrs. Bute Crawley. Together they inform Miss Crawley,

who is frantic. Sir Pitt is furious. All this while Becky and Rawdon,

together, are hoping that Miss Crawley will sooner or later come around and

forgive them.

Chapter 17 &18 How Capt. Dobbin bought a piano and who played on the

piano Capt. Dobbin bought.

Mr. John Sedley goes bankrupt and the family moves to a modest house

in Fulham Street. There is an auction in their old house where Rawdon and

Becky buy a painting of Jos Sedley on an elephant and Dobbin buys the old

piano and sends it to its previous owner, Amelia.

Jos arranges financial help for his parents but does not come down to

meet them. After his marriage, Rawdon Crawley is a much-altered man. Becky

just avoids the ruined Sedleys.

Everybody is sure that George Osborne will not marry Amelia and speaks

ill about her. Aware of this fact, John Sedley asks the heartbroken Amelia

to return all the gifts that George had given her and break the

relationship. George is moved by Amelia’s letter and, on Dobbin’s

insistence, goes to meet her.

Chapter 19 Miss Crawley at Nurse

Mrs. Bute Crawley tries every way to make Miss Crawley despise Rawdon

and Becky. For this, she reminds Miss Crawley of every vice of Rawdon and

takes Miss Crawley to Miss Pinkerton’s, who helps them trace Becky’s

earlier life. Thus, she fortifies the Park Lane house against the enemy.

Seeing Miss Crawley weak, Mrs. Bute Crawley presses upon the old woman

to alter her will but does not succeed. At a drive in a park, Miss

Crawley’s carriage passes by Rawdon’s carriage, who acknowledges the party

but is coldly spurned. For Mrs. Bute it is a sure triumph. She plans to

take Miss Crawley to Brighton to avoid such encounters in the future.

Chapters 20 & 21 In which Capt. Dobbin acts as the messenger of Hymen

and Quarrel about on heiress.

Dobbin volunteers to convince Mr. Sedley about Amelia’s marriage.

Amelia is as happy as she can be. George tells Amelia that his parents and

sisters have formed a new acquaintance with a Miss Swartz, who is an

extremely beautiful and rich heiress. John Osborne plans to get George

married to Miss Swartz and he keeps giving his son, hints about this wish

of his.

Miss Swartz is invited home for dinner where George is ordered to be

present. During the meetings instigated by the foul words of his sisters

towards Amelia, George declares to Miss Swartz that he loves Amelia and

even rises against his father to defend her. His father is enraged and

warns him not to argue with him if he wants to remain in the family. George

defies his father’s orders and tells Dobbin that he will marry Amelia the

very next day.

Chapter 22 A marriage and part of a Honeymoon.

Like a typical patriarch, Old Osborne is sure that George will return

the moment his supplies fall short. Amelia and George tie the knot at a

chapel near Fulham Road. Immediately after the marriage, the couple leaves

for Brighton. Dobbin stays back to overcome his depression caused due to

Amelia’s marriage and also to inform Mr. Osborne.

At Brighton, the young couple, later joined by, Jos meets the Crawley

couple, who is enjoying their stay. However, the Crawley couple is also

worried about Miss Crawley’s acceptance as she still refuses to yield.

Dobbin too joins them later, bringing the news that all the soldiers are

ordered to Belgium.

Chapters 23 & 24 Capt. Dobbin proceeds on his canvass and in which Mr.

Osborne takes down the family Bible.

Dobbin tries very hard to convince George’s sisters, to be supportive

of his marriage to Amelia. Miss Osbornes are moved, but they dare not

oppose their father. Sure about the fact that, George will lose his share

of the property, Mr. Fredrick Bullock, a businessman, at heart becomes more

interested in Miss Maria Osborne. This is because; he realizes that now she

is worth thirty thousand pounds more.

Very gradually, Dobbin breaks the news about George’s marriage to Mr.

Osborne, who is shattered, angry and deeply disappointed. He decides to

disown George and disinherit him. He sends a letter for George through

Dobbin.

Chapter 25 In which all the principal personages think fit to leave

Brighton.

George is panic struck, the moment he reads the letter, from his

father’s lawyer, disinheriting him from his father’s property. He rudely

blames Dobbin for (George’s) his being out of favor of his father, then

later ‘generously’ forgives him. Within a week of marriage, George begins

to neglect Amelia for the company of others, especially the Crawleys. The

regiment is next commissioned to Brussels.

Before leaving town, Becky insists on getting back a sum lent to

George, which he does, and appeasing Miss Crawley. The latter becomes easy

as Mrs. Bute Crawley, the only great obstacle, rushes to her home because

Mr. Bute Crawley had injured himself. Rebecca seizes the opportunity and

sends feelers through honest Miss Briggs. Becky also dictates a letter to

Rawdon for Miss Crawley. Miss Crawley refuses to see Rawdon. On further

insistence, she asks him to see her lawyer. On following her instruction,

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