Becky Summer Thea Summer [SAFE]

This paper compares two iconic female protagonists in 19th- and early 20th-century literature: William Makepeace Thackeray’s Becky Sharp ( Vanity Fair , 1848) and Willa Cather’s Thea Kronborg ( The Song of the Lark , 1915). While both women reject traditional domestic roles and pursue extraordinary success against societal constraints, their methods and moral trajectories diverge sharply. Becky navigates patriarchal structures through cunning, manipulation, and performative social performance, ultimately achieving worldly but hollow victories. Thea, in contrast, pursues artistic integrity through isolation, discipline, and a near-spiritual connection to her craft. Through close reading and feminist literary analysis, this paper argues that Becky represents the strategic ambitious woman trapped by a corrupt system, while Thea represents the transformative ambitious woman who reshapes her world through creative genius.

The Becky Summer is defined by her "otherness." In a provincial or stagnant setting, she represents the outside world. She is often louder, more colorful, or freer than the locals. Her narrative purpose is to drag the primary character out of their comfort zone. In literature and film, this is the girl who convinces the shy boy to break into a swimming pool at night, or who introduces the cynical lead to the concept of radical hope. becky summer thea summer

Both reject marriage as primary destiny, but Becky seeks power over others while Thea seeks power over her own soul . This paper compares two iconic female protagonists in