William Makepeace Thackeray was known for his moralistic study of upper and middle-class English life. His best-known work, VANITY FAIR, has its central character Becky Sharp. She is a perfidious woman who has an insatiable desire to get ahead in the world. She covets one man’s wealth, but when marriage is not feasible, she succeeds in a plan to ingratiate herself into the heart of her employer’s son. Their marriage is not feasible. She succeeds in a plan to ingratiate herself into the heart of her employer’s son. Their marriage is not salubrious, and Becky lives ostentatiously from a surreptitious liaison with another man. The affair culminates in a debacle. She is exposed, her husband leaves her, and she must live in penury in Europe. This is the ignominious end for a clever but misguided woman.
- Vanity Fair: Kebanggaan yang Sia-sia
- Perfidious: Tidak dapat dipercaya
- Insatiable: Tidak pernah puas
- Covets: Menginginkan dengan sangat
- Feasible: Layak/Dapat dilakukan
- Ingratiate: Menyukai/Mendekati
- Salubrious: Sehat/Menyehatkan
- Ostentatiously: Dengan cara mencolok
- Surreptitious: Rahasia/Tersembunyi
- Liaison: Hubungan/Koneksi
- Culminates: Mencapai puncak
- Penury: Kemiskinan
- Ignominious: Memalukan/Mengejek
- Misguided: Salah arah/Terperdaya
The Cost of Vanity
In the bustling city of New York, there lived a wealthy socialite named Caroline. She was known for her love of luxury and her insatiable desire to have the best of everything. She lived her life in an ostentatiously lavish manner, always striving to outdo her peers.
Caroline coveted the finer things in life, but her wealth and privilege had made her perfidious. She had lost sight of what was truly important in life and had become consumed by her own vanity.
Despite her wealth, Caroline was deeply unhappy. She knew that her life was empty and meaningless, but she didn’t know how to change it. She tried to ingratiate herself with others, hoping that their approval would bring her happiness, but it never did.
One day, Caroline met a man named John. He was a kind and gentle man who lived a simple life. He didn’t have much money, but he was happy and content with what he had. Caroline was intrigued by John’s simplicity, and she began to spend more time with him.
John showed Caroline a different way of life, one that was more salubrious and fulfilling. He taught her to appreciate the simple things in life and to find joy in the little moments. Caroline began to see the error of her ways and realized that her pursuit of wealth and status had been misguided.
As Caroline’s relationship with John grew, she began to see the world in a new light. She realized that her insatiable desire for more had led her down a path of emptiness and despair. She knew that it was time to make a change.
Caroline liaised with John to create a plan to give back to those in need. They worked together to create a charity that would help those living in penury. Caroline knew that this was her chance to make a difference and to redeem herself for her ignominious past.
The charity was a huge success, and Caroline’s efforts culminated in a sense of fulfillment she had never felt before. She had finally found true happiness, and it had come not from her wealth or status, but from giving back to others.
Caroline realized that true happiness was feasible for everyone, regardless of their wealth or status. She had found a new purpose in life, and she knew that she would never go back to her old ways again.
