Womens Vanity in 19th century Britain reflect in WMThackerays.docx

Womens Vanity in 19th century Britain reflect in WMThackerays.docx

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WomensVanityin19thcenturyBritainreflectinWMThackerays

Women'sVanityin19thcenturyBritainreflectinW.M.Thackeray'sVanityFair

Introduction

“VanityFair”wasthepeakofThackeray’sliterarycareer.Therevolutionaryeventsin1848alarmedThackeray,whowasnotpreparedtoaccepttheideaofbreakingtheexistingsocialsystem.Thereareotherworks,whichwerewrittenbyWilliamMakepeaceThackeray,suchas“Pendennis“,“TheNewcomes”,“HenryEsmond”,“TheVirginians“.After“VanityFair”,however,Thackeraydidnotprogressinhissocialthought.Thesocialconditionschangedconsiderablyafter1848,butThackeraywouldnotturnhisattentiontothemaincontradictionofcontemporarysociety,asDickensdidin“HardTimes”,portrayingtheclassstrugglebetweenthebourgeoisieandtheproletariat.After1848Thackeraylostallhopeofimprovementinsociallife,andhisskepticismturnedintopessimism.Thatiswhyhisworksafter“VanityFair”showasignofweakeninginideologicaldepthandartisticpower.“VanityFair”isThacheray’smasterpiece.Itwaspublishedin1847-1848inmonthlyparts.Inthisnovel,therearemanykindsofpeoplecomingonstageinsuccession,suchasnoblemenLordSteyneandSirPittCrawley,capitaliststheelderMr.SedleyandtheelderOsborne,colonialofficerJosephSedley,diplomats,churchmen,militaryofficer,ladiesincommunicativefieldandsoon.Althoughtheyaredifferentinpersonality,socialstatusandfate,theyareidenticalinthedifferentiationtodescribethepicturesofVanityFair.Thackerayhasmadeasubheading（ANovelWithoutaHero）forthisbook;however,mostofeditionandversiondidn’tpublishthissubheading.AlthoughtheversionofYangbipublishedbyPeople'sLiteraturePublishingHouseisthemostauthoritativeChineseversionofVanityFair,italsodidn’tpublishthissubheading.Fortunately,theprefacedfortheversionbyYangjianghasmadeabriefintroductionforit.Actually,thissubheadingreallyisn'tessentialornotessential,andithasprofoundconnotationandismeaningfulandthoughtprovoking.“ANovelWithoutaHero”showsreadersthatVanityFairisdifferentfromanyothertraditionalromanticstories.Inthisstory,thereisnooutstandingpersonasahero,thereisnoearthshakingsaga,buttherearecommonpeopleinfluencedbytheenvironmentsandtimes,therearetrivialandvulgarthings.Sincethereisnohero,everyonehasitsdefectandnoneofthemisappreciatedbyauthor.Thesub-titleofthebook,"ANovelWithoutaHero“,emphasizesthefactthatthewriter’sintentionwasnottoportrayindividuals,butthebourgeoisandaristocraticsocietyasawhole.BuildinghisplotaroundthefatesofAmeliaSedleyandRebecca（Becky）Sharp,ThacheraymanagedtoshowapictureofthelifeoftherulingclassesofEngland.

Chapter1typicalimagesof19centurywomen

1.1RebeccaSharp

Therearetwodistinctivecharactersinthisstory,andoneofthemischarmingRebacca（Becky）Sharp.Shewasborninapoorfamily.Herfatherisabeaten-uppictureteacher,andhermotherisafollowerofsonganddancedrama.Sheleadsaveryhardlifesinceherchildhood,soshedreamstogetridofpredicamentandgoesintotheupperclass.

Forthepurposeofleadingabetterlife,ofpursuingwomen'svanity,Becky,shrewdandunscrupulous,sophisticatedbeyondheryears,isdeterminedtowormherwayintouppersocietyatallcosts.DuringthestayingattheSedleys,shetriesherbesttopleaseandingratiateeverybody.Finally,SheattemptsbutfailstoentrapAmelia’sbrotherJosephforahusband.Sosheisobligedtobecomegovernessinthefamilyofacertainbaronet,SirPittCrawley,M.P.ComingtoSirPitt’scountryseat,Rebeccafindsherselfinanatmosphereofavarice,hypocrisyandimmorality.Shedoesherbesttogaintheconfidenceofheremployersandmakesherselfagreeable.ShesoongainsthefavorofSirPittCrawley,whoiscaptivatedbyhercharmstosuchadegreethatafterthedeathofhiswifeheproposestoher.ButRebeccahastogiveupthisdazzlingchance,havingbeenalreadysecretlymarriedtotheoldman’syoungersonRawdonCrawleybecausetheyoungmanhasthebrightprospectofinheritinghisrichaunt’sproperty.Theperversewealthyoldwoman,however,disinheritsRawdononaccountofhismarriagewithadowerlessgirl,andsoBecky’shopesofbeingweddedtoarichhusbandaredashed,i.e.,herpursuingofwomen'svanityisaborted.

1.2AmeliaSedley

InoppositiontoBecky,theotherimportantcharacter,Amelia,islovelyandbeautiful.ThedifferencebetweensheandBeckyisthatsheleadsaquiterichlife,acceptherportioninlife,andlongforlove.Agood-for-nothingfromawealthyfamily,George·Osbome,isheremotionaldependencies.ThevanityofAmeliacanbeseenfromheradmirationonherlover.Themeaningofherlifeistoloveandadmireherhusband.“He（George）washerEurope,heremperor,heralliedmonarchsandaugustprinceregent……Hewashersunandmoon……whenhecametoRusselSquare,herfacelightedupasifshehadbeensunshine……Assoonasthedoorwasshut,shewentflutteringtolieutenantGeorgeOsbome’sheartasifitwastheonlynaturalhomeforhertonestlein.”[Thackeray,1824,65]AmeliaisabouttobemarriedtoGeorgeOsbornealight-mindedyounglieutenant,pamperedbyanuntroubledandwell-to-dolife.Thetwofamilieshavelongbeenonfriendlyterms.Herbelovedloverplaysbilliards,gambleandgamboloutsidewhilesheconsider（that）hemustbebusywithcavalrysquadron.ThesistersofGeorgenitpickher.Unexpectedly,Amelia’sfathergoesbankruptandleaveshisdaughterpenniless.OldOsborneturnshisbackonhisoldfriendandordershissontobreakwithAmelia.GeorgehasanintimatefriendCaptainDobbinwhoissecretlyandhopelesslyinlovewithAmelia.BeingagoodmanandwishingtoseeAmeliahappy,DobbinarrangesthemarriagebetweenherandGeorgeand,asaresult,theangryoldOsbornedisownshisson.GeorgealwayscomplaintregretfullyabouthisfriendDobbinlettinghimbecomeapauper.ItislessthanaweekoftheirmarriagethatGeorgegetsfedupofAmeliaandstartmerrymakingagain.AlthoughAmeliaissnubbedbyhim,sheisstilldevotedtohim.Therefore,wecansaythatherpeacockisalsohersadness.NowthewarwithNapoleonhascometoaclimaxandBritishtroopsaresenttotheContinent.Attheeveofthewar,GeorgeshouldaskBeckytoelopewithhim.WhathasAmeliadoneforherhusbandgoingoutforthebattle?

"Bywayofhelpingonthepreparationsforthedeparture,andshowingthatshetoocouldbeusefulatamomentsocritical,thispoolsoulhadtakenupasashofGeorge’sfromthedrawerswhereonitlay,andfollowedhimtoandfrowiththesashinherhand,lookingonmutelyashispackingproceeded.Shecameoutandstood,leaningatthewall,holdingthissashagainstherbosom…”[Thackeray,1824,238]Whatafunnycouple!

Wifedevotesallherlovetohusbandandworryabouthissafetyinthefrontline,whilehusbandshouldwanttoelopewithotherwomanattheeveofthebattle.

Chapter2Vanityof19th-centurywomen

Itisoftensaidthatliteratureisareflectionofage.Withthedevelopmentofscienceandtechnology,especially,sincetakingplaceofIndustrialRevolution,mostwesterncountrieshavecomeintoanagethatwascontrolledbymoney.People'slivingstandardwasincreasinglyimproved,whilethespirituallifekeptstayinthesameplace.Therefore,people'slifeseemsoutofoperation.ThesesituationsexistnotonlyinBritishbutalsoinothercountry.HereIputFranceandRussiaforexamples.

2.1wealth

Whenthebourgeoisiehasgainedinthepoliticalvictory,andareexemptingviolatedjoyfullycelebratesofformulatingthelawtoprotecttheirownproperty,butactuallyinaccidentmentionsthemoneytothesupremestatus,subsequentlytheinterpersonalrelationshipexposesasidemoreandmorecontrolledbymoney,thestatusandenjoybroughttothehumanofpursuingmoneyishuman'snaturalattribute,butbythiskindofdesire’sinflation,causedthehumannaturetohavethedissimilation;thesociallife,legalpolitics,ethicsmoralshasalsocomeunderthemoney’sinfluence.Intheordinarycircumstances,thestatusandthemoneyaretheidentities,hadtheformerthentosupportthelatter,viceversa.Thesummersprinklesof"FameandfortuneField",herkindseekspersonalgainishernaturaldispositionasifitisbornthatway,shedoesnotwantotherstoaffectherany,teachesherany.Theleadingcharacterhadtheflawdispositionisamodelofdissimilatinghumannature,sociallifehasaccomplishedeverycommonpeoplelikethis,Thackerayhasnochangeleeway,hecouldcreateverylittleunusualrefinedhumannature.

Actually,fromtheverybeginning,Beckyadvancesgraduallywithcarefulplanbutfailsateverystep.ShewantstomarryJosephandleadsafulllife,buttheplanisfrustrated;ShemarksMissCrawley'smoneyandmarriesRawdon,however,herhopestillgoesbytheboard.WhenshegetanofficerpositionincolonyforherhusbandfromLordSteyne,sheisabandonedbyherhusbandforherignominiousrelationshipwithLordSteynebeingdiscovered……Althoughshetryherbesttocoquet,flatter,deceive,flirtandbetray,shejustreceiveasumofmoneyandresideinthehotspringandsummerresortintheentireyear.Whenwelookbacktoherjourneyofstruggle,wewillfindthatsheisnotsatisfiedwithwhatshehadobtained.Thereachedgoalsoraimsarenotfullforher,orsatisfiedbyherortediousforher.Astheauthorsays,”Ah!

VanitasVanitatum!

Whichofusishappyinthisworld?

Whichofushashisdesire?

or,havingit,issatisfied?

”[Thackeray,1824,37]Allofwhicharecausedby