Vanity-Fair)

VanityFairANovelWithoutaHeroVanityFair:GeneralIntroductionVanityFairisThackeray'smasterpiece,whichsatirizesthedownfallenupperclassandutilitarianbourgeoisupstartsinBritain.Thesub-titleofthebook,“ANovelWithoutaHero”,suggeststhefactthatwriter'sintentionwasnottoportrayindividuals,butthebourgeoisandaristocraticsocietyasawhole.ThetitlewastakenfromBunyan's“Pilgrim'sProgress”.VanityFair:GeneralIntroduction•InthisnovelThackeraydescribesthelifeoftherulingclassesofEnglandintheearlydecadesofthe19thcentury,andattacksthesocialrelationshipofthebourgeoisworldbysatirizingtheindividualsinthedifferentstrataoftheuppersociety.Itisaworldwheremoneygrubbingisthemainmotiveforallmembersoftherulingclasses.CharactersinVanityFair•AmeliaSedley:thedaughterofawealthymerchant••Rebecca(Becky)Sharp:anorphan••Joseph:Amelia'sbrother••SirPittCrawley;RawdonCrawley••GeorgeOsborne••DobbinBeckySharp•Theheroine,ormorecorrectlytheanti-heroine,isanintelligentyoungwomanwithagiftforsatire.Sheisdescribedasapetitesandyhairedgirlwhohasgreeneyesandagreatdealofwit.FluentinbothFrenchandEnglish,Beckyhasabeautifulsingingvoice,playsthepiano,andshowsgreattalentasanactress.Sheisalsocompletelyamoralandwithoutconscience.Shedoesnotseemtohavetheabilitytogetattachedtootherpeople,andlieseasilyandintelligentlytogetherway.Sheisextremelymanipulativeand,afterthefirstfewchaptersandherfailuretoattractJosSedley,isnotshownasbeingparticularlysincere.•Neverhavingknownfinancialorsocialsecurityevenasachild,Beckydesiresitaboveallthings.Nearlyeverythingshedoesiswiththeintentionofsecuringastablepositionforherself.AmeliaSedley•AmeliaisBecky'sopposite:pale,passive,andemotionallydevotedtoherhusbandandson.ShemarriesGeorgeOsborneagainstthewishesofGeorge'sfather,andwhenGeorgediesatthebattleofWaterlooshebringsuplittleGeorgealonewhilelivingwithherparents.Sheiscompletelydominatedbyherspendthriftfather(whostealsandsellstheannuityGeorge'sfriendsputtogethertotrytosupporther)andhermother.•AfterGeorgeOsborne'sdeath,Ameliaisobsessedwithhersonandwiththememoryofherhusband.SheignoresWilliamDobbin,whocourtsherforyears,andtreatshimshabbilyuntileventuallyheleaves.ItisonlyafterBeckyshowsherGeorge'slettertoherthatAmeliarealizeswhatagoodmanDobbinis,althoughshehasalreadywrittentohimtoaskhimtocomeback.SheeventuallymarriesDobbin.Plot•BeckyandAmelialeavingschool•InAmelia’shome,BeckytriestoentrapJoseph•BeckybecomingSirPittCrawley’sgoverness,secretlymarriedtoRawdonCrawley•Amelia’sfathergotbankrupt,captainDobbinhelpedAmeliaandGeorgeOsbornetogetmarriedwholaterdiedinthebattlefield•RawdonCrawleyimprisonedfordebt,findsBeckyentertainingLordSteyne.LeavesforIndiaanddiesoffever•BeckymetAmeliaagainandtoldhertheinfidelityofGeorge,AmeliamarriedDobbin•BeckyliveswithJosephandgetsallhispropertywhenhedies.•Beckyliveslikeagrandlady.AnalysisofVanityFair•Inthenovel,BeckySharpisaclassicexampleofthismoney-grubbinginstinct(本能).•EveryonewishestogainsomethinginVanityFairandactsalmostinthesamemannerasBecky.Theme•Asthetitlesuggests,thisisabookaboutvanityfair.Inthenovel,underthegaymaskoftheballsandparties,theworldisshownasfullofallkindsofvanity,especiallysnobbery,duplicityofsocial-climbers,andtheweaknessofhumannature.Itshowsthatthevanityofmanisuniversalandeverpresent.Nowasbefore,peoplestillclimboverandbetrayeachother;relativesstillfightovermoneyandproperty;husbandsandwivesstilldeceiveeachother;andmothersstillselltheirdaughtersformoneyandposition.Thefactisuglybutitisnonethelesstrue.TheCharacteristicsofVanityFair•(1)VanityFairhasasub-title,ANovelWithoutaHero,whichintendstoportraythebourgeoisandaristocraticsocietyasawhole.TheCharacteristicsofVanityFair•(2)VanityFairisworkofsocialcriticism,andisnotedfortheauthor’srealisticdepiction,theironicandsarcastictoneandconstantcommentandcriticism.•(3)InVanityFair,Thackeraygivesblockcharacters(人物群体).TheCharacteristicsofVanityFair•(4)ThackerayusessymbolisminVanityFair.•(5)Thackerayemploysanomniscient(无所不知的)narratortotellthestory.