Vanity Fair
Chapter 11: Arcadian Simplicity
by William Makepeace Thackeray
The reader is introduced to Reverend Bute. The subject of death is taken lightly.
The reader is introduced to Reverend Bute. The subject of death is taken lightly.
As school begins at Salem House, David and Steerforth share stories. Mr. Peggotty and Ham visit David at school.
Becky is ambitious once again. Amelia sends correspondence to Dobbin. Becky reveals a note to Amelia before Dobbin's arrival.
George continues to admire Zenith as he prepares for lunch at the Athletic Club. Reluctantly, George acknowledges his feeling of discontent to Riesling.
Raskolnikov has a strange conversation with Zamyotov, the police inspector, at the local diner.
Rebecca makes a deal before returning to London. Rebecca and Rawdon make arrangements with Mr. Raggles. Rebecca receives word of Miss Crawley's death and inheritence.
Jane goes to Ferndean. From a distance, she sees Rochester reach a hand out of the door, testing for rain. His body looks the same, but his face is desperate and disconsolate. Rochester returns inside, and Jane approaches the house. She knocks, and Mary answers the door. Inside, Jane carries a tray to Rochester, who is unable to see her. When he realizes that Jane is in the room with him, he thinks she must be a ghost or spirit speaking to him. When he catches her hand, he takes her in his arms, and she promises never to leave him. The next morning they walk through the woods, and Jane tells Rochester about her experiences the previous year. She has to assure him that she is not in love with St. John. He asks her again to marry him, and she says yes—they are now free from the specter of Bertha Mason. Rochester tells Jane that a few nights earlier, in a moment of desperation, he called out her name and thought he heard her answer. She does not wish to upset him or excite him in his fragile condition, and so she does not tell him about hearing his voice at Moor House.
A tale of a young man, seduced by the mystery of Lord Ruthven. He soon finds that there are aspects to the Lord which he did not first recognize for what they were. Aubrey finds love, but his happiness is not lasting. He makes an oath to Ruthven, the consequences of which are devastating.
Ishmael retells a story from the a gam with the whaling ship Town-Ho.
Willam Dobbin and Amelia reconcile with each other. Becky visits Joseph with less than honorable intentions. Rebecca's ambition pays off financially, but leaves her friendless.
Marian waits for the letter, and is met by the Count. Laura returns from the search for her brooch with news of her own strange encounter. Marian is awoken from a strange, dream-like state in which she has a vision of Walter.
The reader is introduced some additional members of the Lammeter family. Godfrey makes a request of Nancy at the Christmas dance.
Becky continues to the people of Vanity Fair with her charm, but many question the source of her wealth. Rawdon's debts catch up with him.
Sally Carrol thinks that she wants a different life than the one she leads in the South, with a man who isn't like the boys she grew up with. Her engagement to Henry and her trip North show her what that different life would be like.
Becky's life after Rawdon is told to the reader.
The Lees of Happiness, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a short story about the growing love of husband and wife, Jeffrey and Roxanne. When Jeffrey has a stroke, a close family friend frequently visits and helps the couple through the difficult time.
Horace Tarbox is known as a prodigy. He sees a plan for his life, until he meets Marcia Meadow. The knock at his door changes all the plans he thought he had.
History is within everyone, so living life is the best way to know history/people/life. History books should be written from this more open, organic perspective. Someone experiencing life is closer to true knowledge than someone who reads about it.
With certain defeat looming over the Greeks, Agamemnon presents an offer to Achilles.
Marjorie's attempts to improve Bernice's social skills has unexpected consequences.
Colonel Pyncheon helps convict the owner of a seven-gabled house (Matthew Maule) of witchcraft. At the gallows, Matthew curses and the Colonel. On the day the Colonel opens the seven-gabled mansion, he is found dead. Future generations experience unhappiness and Hepzibah (the current resident) opens a ten-cent shop.
The author describes the symptoms that have appeared in and on the cows and how he treated them.
A biography of Sir Isaac Newton.
Esmeralda, awakened by the Truand's attack, is visited by Gringoire and a cloaked stranger. Claude Frollo presents Esmeralda with two choices. An angered Claude Frollo takes Esmeralda to see the recluse.
Zeus, keeping his promise to the Trojans, sends a false dream to Agamemnon.