Vanity Fair Chapter 45 Summary

Between Hampshire and London

  • Pitt starts to really live it up at Queen's Crawley. His main goal is to earn back all the respect and reputation for the Crawley family that his father destroyed at the end of his life. To do this, Pitt upgrades the grounds, has people over for dinner, starts up foxhunting again, and donates to the local charities.
  • However, he has another reason to be doing all this stuff.
  • Becky keeps filling his head with ideas about how great a man he could be in Parliament, how talented a speaker he is, and how high-ranking cabinet ministers have their eyes on him.
  • All this talk really feeds into Pitt's ego and delusions of grandeur. He makes time every day to talk to Becky.
  • On Christmas day, there is a grand dinner for the whole family at Queen's Crawley. The Butes come, and Becky acts super nice to all of them.
  • Rawdon Jr. has made good friends with his cousins Pitt Binkie and Matilda, and really loves Jane.
  • Jane and Becky do not get along nearly as well this time around. Becky dislikes Jane for being good and kind and sort of simple-minded. Jane has her own reasons for disliking Becky. For one thing, Pitt pays way too much attention to his sister-in-law. For another, Rawdon Jr. tells Jane that his mother never kisses him, which is really disturbing.
  • Still, Rawdon Jr. gets to hang out with his dad and Jim, Mr. and Mrs. Bute's son. He also gets to see all the farm goings on and to watch the horses and dogs. He's generally having a great time in the country.
  • As a Christmas present, Pitt gives his brother Rawdon a hundred pounds.
  • Finally, Becky, Rawdon, and Rawdon Jr. go back to London.
  • Becky puts the finishing touches on Pitt's house there.
  • Pitt comes to London, and Becky has him meet Lord Steyne at her house. Lord Steyne is powerful and very highly connected, and Pitt is flattered that he is even talking to him.
  • Meanwhile, in the country, Jane is sad about how much Pitt likes Becky.
  • Becky needs Rawdon less and less. He spends his evening at his club now, or doing things for the kids.