Vanity Fair Chapter 42 Summary

Which treats of the Osborne Family

  • Yes, how is that Osborne family?
  • Mr. Osborne is more and more growly and miserable than ever.
  • He proposed to Miss Swartz, the mixed-race rich girl he had been trying to get George to marry, but was rejected by her and her minders out of hand.
  • Maria was finally married to Fred Bullock.
  • Jane is a spinster and lives in total depression, loneliness, and misery with her horrible father.
  • The Bullock family is connected with the aristocracy, so to make up for her own lower social rank, Maria starts to ignore and avoid her father and sister. She never has them over when she has her A-list parties, and sadly is too stupid and too bad of an actress not to let them know.
  • Dobbin's sisters sometimes visit Jane Osborne, just as they do Amelia. They've been telling Jane all about George Jr. and how adorable and wonderful he is.
  • One day, after George Jr. goes to spend a day with Dobbin's sisters at their estate, Amelia writes a letter to Dobbin, congratulating him on his upcoming marriage. There is a lot of sarcasm from the narrator here about just how happy Amelia is about the idea of Dobbin getting married.
  • George Jr. comes home with a gold chain and tells Amelia that an old, unattractive lady gave it to him.
  • Amelia's heart skips a beat because she realizes this must have been Jane Osborne.
  • When Mr. Osborne comes home that night he sees that Jane is really out of it. When he asks her what's wrong, she tells him that she has seen little George Jr. and that he is the spitting image of his father. Mr. Osborne doesn't say anything but starts to tremble