Study guides: books, letter v

Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray is a piece of literature about the rigid social order, impossible expectations and the characters of different initial statuses who all try to live up to these expectations. Both men and women are obsessed with their social image and reputation: they are ready to do anything to achieve something more than they have now. Almost every single act shows the...

Volpone is a satirical comedy by Ben Jonson that laughs off human greed and immorality. Even the names of the characters that can be translated as “sly fox” and “fly” hint us that they aren’t the people, but more of an embodiment of the vices the author wants to show. Volpone is a skilled and rich con artist who uses his looks and manners to lure rich people and...