Vanity Fair book club questions

The reading plan

Meeting 1: Part 1 to Chapter 24

1. When marriage offers a richer future, where would you draw the line between practical planning and using someone?
2. How much should Amelia's devotion count against George's neglect when judging their relationship?
3. Does Rebecca's ability to adapt to powerful patrons suggest strength, dishonesty, or something else?
4. What does the anger over Rebecca's hidden marriage suggest about who feels entitled to control her choices?
5. How should family finances affect a parent's judgment of a proposed marriage?

Meeting 2: Chapters 25 to 46

6. How much weight should George's confrontation with his conduct carry against his neglect of Amelia?
7. What do practical care, financial planning, and despair reveal about the different ways people face separation?
8. Where would you draw the line between affection and calculation in the competition for Miss Crawley's favor?
9. How does Osborne's rejection of his son's widow affect your view of family loyalty?
10. How should we judge the Crawleys' comfortable life when it depends on gambling, unpaid bills, and negotiated debts?

Meeting 3: Chapters 47 to 67

11. Does music's power to soften Rebecca's hostile welcome make that society seem more open or more shallow?
12. How does Rawdon's discovery of Rebecca's hidden money change your judgment of their comfortable life?
13. How should discovering who bought her instrument affect Amelia's response to Dobbin's declaration of love?
14. Where does loyalty end and self-respect begin in Dobbin's refusal to accept another rejection?
15. What does the hidden letter's power to break Amelia's old attachment suggest about love and trust?

Themes to talk about

Tips for the host

1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.