1.Vanity Fair

VANITYFAIR——WILLIAMMAKEPEACETHACKERAYThetitle“VanityFair”comesfromthetownofVanityinJohnBunyan’sbook“ThePilgrim’sProgress”.Thephrase“VanityFair”nowmeanstheworldwithitsglitteringtemptationsandpleasureswhichalwaysdeceivehumanbeings.AbouttheauthorWritingstyleBackgroundPlotsummaryAnalysisofthecharactersTHEAUTHORThackeray(1811-1863)wasbornatCalcutta(加尔各答，印度东北部的港市)in1811.Attheageofsix,hewassenttobeeducatedinEngland.Inhisearlyeducation,anindependentspiritwasinfusedtohim.Sohewenthisownway,attendingvariousschools,andleavingTrinityCollege,Cambridgewithouttakingadegree.THEAUTHORHemarriedIsabella,anIrishgirl,in1836,whoenchantedhimwithhersinging,andwhowasthemodelforAmeliainVanityFair.Threedaughterswereborn.Afterthebirthofthethirdchild,Mrs.Thackeray'smindwasaffected.ThegirlsweresenttoThackeray'smotherinParis.Asayoungmanwitharuinedfortuneandatragicmarriage,Thackeraywasforcedtoearnhislifewithhispen.WRITINGSTYLEThackeraylivedatalmostthesametimeasCharlesDickens(1812-1870).WhileDickenspreferredtowriteaboutthesufferingsofthepoorpeople;Thackeraychosetoexposethefolliesoftherich.PoliticallyThackeraywasaradical,advocatingsocialreformanddemocracy.WRITINGSTYLEInhisopinion,theexistingsocietywascorruptedaswellascorrupting.Heregardedsnobbery势利andthemoney-grabbing唯利是图asthechiefviceinhissociety.Healwaysspeaksinanironical,sarcasticandcynicaltoneofanon-looker.Heusedhispentodisclosethedarknessofsociety,andtheVanityFairisavividandsatireembodimentofthattimeandsociety.WRITINGSTYLEOFVANITYFAIR1、Thackeraydescribedhisbook“VanityFair”asanovelwithoutahero.Inthisbook,menandwomenjustastheyareinreallife-neitherwhollygoodnorwhollybad,butallofthemaredeceivedordeludedinsomeway.Thisisaworldpeopledbygreedy,pompous,self-satisfiedmenandwomenwholivewithoutGod,withoutreligion,andwithoutmoralscruplesofanykind.2、Theauthorreallyhasawaytomixeverykindofhumortogether.It'sgottopicalhumor,politicalhumor,jokesaboutsillynames,anddeeplysadironyaboutthedeclineofthearistocracy,aswellasthesociety.——P205note25之后Itisafactthat…..theirtriflingdebtTheauthordidnotsimplysaythatMr.andMrs.Crawleyarestingyandmeantoothers.Butbytellingthesituationthattheydidn’tevenpayfortheirservants,readerscaneasilyunderstandandtoimaginethewaystheytreatotherpeople,friendsorlandlords.3、Thackeray'sownroleinthenovelisasanomniscientnarrator上帝视角,heisoneofthewritersbestknownforusingthetechnique.——P197para.2line14、TheauthorisgoodatdramaticpresentationMyagonies,Beckycontinued,wereterrible(Ihopeshewon'tsitdownonthebottle)whentheytookhimawayfrommeIthoughtIshoulddie;butIfortunatelyhadabrainfever.→dramaticcomparisonanddescription,bitsofirony.5、ThetoneofVanityFairseemstodarkenasthebookgoeson.Atthenovel'sbeginning,BeckySharpisabrightgirlwithaneyetoimprovingherlotthroughmarryingupthesocialscale;thoughsheisthoroughlyunsentimental,sheisnonethelessportrayedasbeingagoodfriendtoAmelia.Bynovel'sendsheisimpliedtohavebecomeanadulteressandamurderess.Ameliabeginsasawarm-heartedandfriendlygirl,thoughsentimentalandnaive,butbystory'sendsheisportrayedasvacuousandshallow.BACKGROUNDHistoricalcontext历史背景:In19thcentury,Britainhasstrong,developedindustryandcommerce,andmerchantswhobecamerichbyexploitingcolonistsdominatethesociety.BritainwasatwarwithFrance.(NapoleonwasdefeatedinthebattleofWaterloo)Allthepeopleamongtheupper-middlesocietyscrambledforfame,wealthandpower.PLOTSUMMARYAmeliaSedley(ofrichfamily),andRebeccaSharp(anorphan)leaveMissPinkerton’sacademytoliveouttheirlivesinVanityFair.First,Rebeccatriestoentertheupper-classbyinducingJosephSedley,Amelia’sbrother,tomarryher,butfailed.Then,shetakesapositionasgovernessatQueen’sCrawley,andmarriesRawdonCrawley.Butbecauseofhismarriage,Rawdon’srichauntdisinheritshim.Ameliabecomespoorbecauseofhisfather’sbankruptcy.AsafriendofGeorgeOsborne,WilliamDobbinbecomestheinstrumentforgettingGeorgetomarryAmelia.GeorgediesatWaterloo滑铁卢战役.AmeliawouldhavestarvedbutforDobbin’sanonymous匿名的contributiontoherwelfare.BothRebeccaandAmeliagivebirthtosons.RebeccamovesonfurthertobecomethemistressofLordSteyne.WhenRawdondiscoversit,heleavesher.Theirson,littleRawdonisadoptedbyRawdon’sbrotherandbecomestheheirofQueen’sCrawley.Amelia’slifebecomesharder.SheloveslittleGeorgeverymuchbutshehastogivesuphimtohisgrandfather.WhenDobbinandJosephcomebackfromtheirservice,theyreconcileoldOsbornetoAmelia.OldOsbornegivesAmeliaalargesumofmoney,andlittleGeorgebecomeshisheir.RebeccawandersinEuropeforyearsafterRawdonleftherandfinallymeetsJoseph,AmeliaandDobbin.SheinducesJosephagain.Shedoesn’tmarryhimbuttakesallhismoney.NowshehasthemoneynecessarytoliveinVanityFair.AmeliaacceptsDobbin’sproposalaftersheknewthatGeorgehadanaffairwithRebecca.AmeliaSedley(ofrichfamily)Poor,bankruptcyMarryGeorgeOsbornewiththehelpofWilliamDobbin(loveAmelia)Georgedied,lifeharder,littleGeorgetooldOsborneDobbinandJoseph(herbrother)cameback,reconcileoldOsbornetoAmelia,richagainAcceptDobbin’sproposalaftersheknewtheaffairbetweenGeorgeandRebeccaRebeccaSharp(anorphan)InduceJoseph,failedMarryRawdonCrawley,disinherited,poorBecamemistressofLordSteyn