How is Pendennis connected to William Makepeace Thackeray’s own life?

Pendennis (1848–50) is considered a semiautobiographical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray.12

The connection to the author's own life lies in the narrative arc of the protagonist, Arthur Pendennis, which mirrors several of Thackeray’s personal experiences. Specifically, the novel traces the character's youthful career, including his first love affair, his time spent at "Oxbridge University," and his subsequent employment as a journalist in London. Through these events, Thackeray crafted a "partly fictionalized autobiography" that serves as a convincing portrait of a young man navigating the temptations and challenges of early adulthood.12