 A comedic and semi-historical novel, "Vanity Fair" brought its author immediate renown on its 1847 publication.According to 19th-century literary norms, the book's heroine should have been the upper-class Amelia Sedley; Thackeray, though, ensures that she is outshone by the lower-class Becky Sharp throughout.Sedley is a "dull and colourless foil"; she has all the positive traits that Sharp lacks, yet these bring her none of the benefits that Sharp experiences.