School of Polytechnics, Hebei University of Science and Technology
1. Introduction
This part makes a brief introduction to the author Thackeray, his novel Vanity Fair, his life and art, and introduces the heroines in the novel Vanity Fair.
Thackeray (1811-1863) was a representative of critical realism in 19th century England. He was born in India in the family of an English official. He was sent back to England for education at Charterhouse School and then at Trinity College in the age of six. In 1831 he used to study law in Middle Temple but finally he gave it up. Then he went to Paris to study painting. In 1833 he work for The National Standard as a proprietor, he both wrote and drew for it. Unfortunately, the failure of an India bank where he had deposited his inherited fortune left him without means. As a result, in order to support his family he turned to journalism for a living. In his early life, Thackeray wrote all kinds of articles, mainly short pieces for journals and relatively slim books. Up to 1847, a series of his satirical sketches were collected in The Book of Snobs. But it was not until the publication of Vanity Fair that the world recognized the appearance of a new novelist of the first rank. Vanity Fair came out in 1847-48, which established his reputation as a novelist. The novel Vanity Fair is regarded as the peak of Thackeray?s literary career. “His realism declined after that. He was somewhat alarmed by the revolutionary movement of 1848 and was not prepared to accept the idea of breaking the existing social structure. Signs of reconciliation with reality can be traced in his later writings. And he drifted two series of lectures and wrote a number ballads and verses (Sun Hanyun,130)” He died of heart disease on December 24, 1863.
“Vanity Fair” is the fiction of an English writer who lived in the 19th century and named William Makepeace Thackeray, “Vanity Fair” is the work that makes him famous in literature, which holds the very important position in the English literature and even the world literature. It has succeeded portraying Rebecca Sharp and Amelia Sedley. It tells a story about two women who have different fates with each other. Rebecca is a beautiful woman who lives in the lowest stratum of the society, but has a
- 1 -
School of Polytechnics, Hebei University of Science and Technology
higher education. The experiences of living in different environment makes her have a distorted disposition. So she tries hard to step into the upper class and aim at fame and wealth blindly. Rebecca is portrayed as a rebellious and cunning young woman determined to make her way in society. Another is kind girl---Amelia, on the contrary, a warm hearted and pure girl lives in a rich family, yearning for love, living a happy life.
The title of this work comes from Bunyan?s Pilgrim’s Progress meaning “a fair, wherein are sold all sorts vanity”, the author intended to make a vivid picture of the selfish, hypocritical and money-grabbing world of that time. The subtitle of the book is “A Novel without a Hero”. From this we can see that firstly there are no exactly positive characters in a world full of bad and cunning people. Secondly it may hint that this is a novel about women instead of men. Although the subtitle may also imply that there is no real hero in the work, Rebecca and Amelia can be the real heroines of the novel in a way.
2. Amelia’s Character
As the heroine of this novel, Amelia is a kind and pure woman, many people do not understand why not regard Amelia as a perfect character in this novel. As we can see that she has many traditional virtues, but on the other hand the author also portrayed her as a obedient and passive woman. 2.1 A Kind and Pure Amelia
Amelia is a soft, warm-hearted lady and tender love toward her lover, her friend and all people around her. Besides, she is an innocent girl without any evil tricks in the traditional society.
She was born in a rich upper class family, and has chance to receive a good education and grow up healthily and happily. She is treated with all courtesy and mother?s intensive care which shapes her with the disposition of gentility and kindness. Amelia?s presents Mr. Sedly and Mrs. Sedly are very kind people, especially
- 2 -
School of Polytechnics, Hebei University of Science and Technology
Mr. Sedly. He is kind to Miss Sharp though she is only a poor and ordinary governess from the lowest class in the hierarchical society. And Amelia? Brother Joseph, he is dull and silly, but he is a friendly man to others. And all in all, there are no bad or evil persons in this family. From this we can see that the good family environment makes a significant contribution to Amelia?s characters of kindness.
Amelia is kind –hearted to her friend, Rebecca. When Rebecca saw the two magnificent Cashmere shawls, which Joseph Sedley had brought home to his sister, she said, “that is must be delightful to have a brother,” and this easily got the pity of the tender-hearted Amelia, for being alone in the world, an orphan without friends or kindred. “Not alone,” said Amelia; “you know, Rebecca, I shall always be your friend, and love you as a sister-indeed I will.” She regards Rebecca as her best girlfriend though she knows that Rebecca is from the lowest class and even tries her best to help her. And when she knows that Rebecca has done many bad things that are harmful to her, she still chooses to forgive her. So from all these reasons, Amelia is a kind woman.
What?s more, Amelia is also a pure and innocent woman. In her mind, it seems that everybody in this world is kind- hearted. For example, Amelia is hard to believe that the head-teacher of her school, Miss Pinkerton treats her well just because her advantageous family conditions and Miss Pinkerton could benefit from her. Amelia yearns for love. She puts all her emotion on Osborne, who comes from a wealthy family, but Osborne in fact is a playboy, he never makes Amelia?s dream of love come true. Yet Amelia still pursuits, “George was her Europe, her emperor, her allied monarchs and august prince regent…he was her sun and moon…when he came to Russel Square, her face lighted up as if she had been sunshine…As soon as the door was shut, she went fluttering to lieutenant George Osborne?s heart as if it was the only natural home for her to nestle in.” Her love for George is so pure and deep. Even after her husband died in the war, she yield to the fate and didn?t get married to other people.
- 3 -
School of Polytechnics, Hebei University of Science and Technology
2.2 A Obedient and Passive Amelia
Amelia is a traditional woman in the Victorian Times, she is a subordinate, passive and pure, and everything a Victorian lady aspired to be. Amelia is born in a family of the upper middle class but she always lives a long-suffering life, and accepted whatever her husband wanted or did. She can get good education, every luxury she desired and acquired respect through her family?s status. But look at Amelia, she is just like a “Angel in the House” or “queen of the Garden”, like most of housewives, although she has higher education, but she has no ideas about her only life, she just did whatever her husband wanted her to do, to be a good wife, and to be a good mother. “Victorian middle-class girls who aspired to ladyhood were expected to live carefully circumscribed lives while in training for marriage ideally, and if not, a useful old maid---hood” (Rowbotham16).
In chapter 57, Amelia accepted money from old Osborne after giving up little George. Her lack of pride stemmed from her being naturally simple and demand of protection, and revealed her suffering, poverty, humility and privations since her marriage. And many women similarly sacrificed themselves, they are subordinate and lacking the courage to resist.
Amelia lives a passive life; she lives in the suppression of her home under the protection of her parents. A middle-class young woman was expected to be submissive and virtuous so that one day she would either take care of her husband?s needs and desire or continue to bring up her children. So we can see from the book she regards love as her only life purpose, from she graduated until she gets married with George, she lives a suffering life, she sees a marriage to George as inevitable because it was their parents “order” and because her behavior and her class exemplify her worth as a prominent lady.
2.3 A Idealistic and Selfish Amelia
Although Thackeray portrays Amelia as a considerate mother, a docile wife, a filial daughter and even a sympathetic woman, there are still a lot of disadvantages of Amelia. She is sometimes as selfish and self-centered as Rebecca, in other words, she
- 4 -
School of Polytechnics, Hebei University of Science and Technology
lives in her own ideal world and she doesn?t admit something happened around her. For example, Amelia devotes herself to the relationship with her husband George blindly. Like Rebecca, she marries a man who is not able- minded than her. But unlucky she is never aware of her own identity, refuses to admit this fact, accept to whatever her husband wanted or did. on the contrary, Rebecca controls her husband Rawdon Crawley to reshape here own fate.
And what?s more she is selfish, subordinate and dependent in her relationship with George and Dobbin. She fell in love with George but she never refuses Dobbin to love her. And there is evidence to prove she is self-centred and she ignores Dobbin?s love for her but never refuses directly. Dobbin bought Amelia a piano as a gift, but in her mind the piano is from George, not Dobbin, she treasures the gift unless it was George? gift. She says, “I value it more than anything I have in the world. Can I do otherwise? Did not the give it to me?” Yet she knows that it was Dobbin sent her the gift but not George sent, “it struck her, with inexpressible pain and mortification. It was not George?s relic. It was valueless now” (Thackeray 2010, 670). She doesn?t like the piano as before when she knows Dobbin sent it to her. Dobbin always keeps Amelia and her son?s company after George died in the war. But he receives only Amelia?s reproach, “it is you who are cruel now. George is my husband, here and in heaven”(Thackeray 2010,671). Her self-deluding makes her to push aside the only friend she has, Dobbin, who really cares her and loves her.
3. Rebecca’s Character
Rebecca was born in a poor family, in the lowest class of English society at that time. she takes advantage of her beauty, talent, and anything could help her, in order to enter upper class and live a comfortable life. Thackeray portrays her as a cunning, selfish, hypocritical woman, it is the representative of the snobbish. On the other hand, she is a rebellious and courageous woman. She is a woman who has a strong desire to fame and wealth, struggled to make her way in the society.
- 5 -
英语专业毕业论文 名利场全英
