A novel with a diva: Becky Sharp and the operatic tradition

Addressing the common critical problem of interpreting Becky Sharp in William Makepeace Thackerays Vanity Fair, I argue that Becky sharp may be best understood as an opera diva. I examine the theoretical issues of an interdisciplinary study of music and literature, and specifically focus on the operatic tradition as an effective and revealing way to read literature. This thesis also suggests that reading Becky as a diva reveals what makes her such a dangerous presence both in the novel and in critical and popular reception.