How did William Makepeace Thackeray’s writing differ from Charles Dickens’s writing?

William Makepeace Thackeray and Charles Dickens were considered the primary rivals of their era, yet their approaches to fiction differed significantly in style and intent.1

• Realism vs. Exaggeration: Thackeray favored a style he considered more "true to life," focusing on subtle depictions of human behavior and social dynamics. In contrast, he had little patience for the exaggerated characterizations and melodramatic plots often employed by Dickens.1
• Narrative Approach: Thackeray’s prose was characterized by lucidity and spontaneity, designed to be read aloud during Victorian family evenings. While Dickens also used serial publication, his later work became increasingly complex, utilizing insistent imagery and symbols to create an artistically coherent vision that transcended topical issues.12
• Moral and Social Commentary: Thackeray frequently used his narrative to analyze and deplore snobbery, hypocrisy, and the vanity of human ambition, viewing moralizing as a key function of the novelist. Dickens, particularly in his middle years, offered a darker, more somber critique of contemporary society, with his satire becoming harsher and his emotional tone more tragic as his secular hopes diminished.132

While both authors were masters of their craft, Thackeray’s work is often noted for its "antiheroic" stance and tragic irony, whereas Dickens’s later fiction is frequently compared to poetry for its thematic depth and symbolic weight.23