Rebeccas Value of Wealth and Status in Vanity Fair.docx

Rebeccas Value of Wealth and Status in Vanity Fair.docx

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RebeccasValueofWealthandStatusinVanityFair

Rebecca’sValueofWealthandStatusinVanityFair

Athesis

Submittedinpartialfulfillmentoftherequirements

FortheBachelor’sDegreeinArts

By

######

RegisteredNo.###########

Class#,Grade#

SchoolofForeignLanguages

HubeiUniversityofTechnology

Supervisor:

########

May25,2015

摘要

与之前宽泛的研究不同，本文不仅从内容体系上概括了《名利场》倍吉的性格特点和名利价值取向，还从倍吉的时代背景、家庭背景、成长环境等方面分析了其一步步踏入深渊的成因，最终结合中国女性的生存现状，引导21世纪广大女性正视名利价值观，道德地、理性地实现中国梦。

经过本文的分析，我们会发现，贫穷不公与资本主义的残酷是倍吉反抗的源头；家庭社会学校等组成的冰冷的社会环境是倍吉虐根性的沃土；天生丽质与好学聪慧是其挥霍他人信任的资本；金钱名利至上的价值观是其悲惨空虚一生的根本原因。

关键词：

名利价值观；中国梦；倍吉

Abstract

Differentfromformerachievements,thisthesiswillmakeacomprehensivestudyofRebecca’sroughlifeandespeciallyherlamentableinnerheart.Attheendofthisthesis,wewilldiscussthesignificantenlightenmentonourmodernfemale,whichisaveryusefulwarningtoour21stwomenwhenwesetuptopursueourdream.

Fromhisthesisfollowed,wewillfindthatpovertyandcrueltyofcapitalismisthefountainheadofRebecca’smoraldeformity;thenumbnessofsocietyisthefertilegroundofherimmoralnature;extraordinaryintelligenceandbeautifulappearanceisthedominantfactorthatmakesherliessuccessful;exclusiveconcernwithmoneyandfame,whichistheprimarycauseofherincessantstruggleagainstvacantlife.

Keywords:

valuesoffameandwealth;ChineseDream;RebeccaSharp

Contents

摘要I

AbstractII

ContentsIII

1BackgroundsandMainPlotsofVanityFairRelatedtoRebecca1

1.1MainPlotsofRebecca’sTricksPursuingFameandWealth1

1.2BackgroundsofRebecca’sLife1

2RebeccaSharp’sValuesofFameandWealth3

2.1NegativeAspectsofRebecca’sValuesofFameandWealth3

2.1.1Rebecca’shypocrisyandselfishnessinpursuingfameandwealth3

2.1.2Rebecca’sgreedinpursuingwealth4

2.1.3Rebecca’scapriciousnessinpursuingfameandwealth5

2.1.4Rebecca’smoney-centralvalues5

2.2PositiveAspectsofRebecca’sValuesofFameandWealth6

2.2.1Revoltagainstmasculine-centerroutineinpursuingupperclass6

2.2.2Revoltagainstthebourgeoisieoppressioninpursuingfameandwealth7

2.2.3Revoltagainstpoverty7

2.2.4Contemptforinjusticewhilepursuingstatus8

3TheReasonsofRebecca’sTwistedValues9

3.1InfluencefromHerUnfortunateFamily9

3.2UnfortunateMarriage10

3.3InfluencefromSociety11

4TheEnlightenmentFromRebecca’sLifeExperiences12

5Conclusion13

Acknowledgments14

Bibliography15

1BackgroundsandMainPlotsofVanityFairRelatedtoRebecca

VanityFairwasthemasterpieceofThackeray,whowasarepresentativeofcriticalrealismin19thcenturyEngland,duringwhichwomenwasveryhardtosucceediftheydidnotmarryarichman.InthisworkThackeraygaveavividpictureoftheupper-classsociety.Thisnovelwascalledanovelwithoutahero,inwhichRebeccaSharpwasthemostimpressivecharacter.

1.1MainPlotsofRebecca’sTricksPursuingFameandWealth

Inhertime,marriagewaswomen’sfate,so,asforRebecca,marriagewasashortcuttochangehercurrentsituation,andaccordingly,Rebeccaappliedmarriagetopursuewealthandstatus.HerfirstplanwastotemptAmelia’sbrotherJoseph,butfailedasaresultofherhumblebirth.AndthenshesuccessfullymarriedRawdonCrawleysecretly,whohadbrightprospectofinheritinghisrichaunt’sproperty.RebeccapleasedandwonMiss.Crawley’strustbyhookandcrook.Itseemsthatherscrupulouseffortsworked.However,whenMiss.Crawley,theseeminglyenlightenedrepresentativeofthearistocracy,heardaboutRebecca’sworstoffence—elopementwithRawdonCrawley,theoldladyimmediatelybecomehystericalandthenfellintoafaint.

Obviously,Rebecca’shopesofmarryingarichhusbandweredashed,becausetheperverseoldwomandisinheritedRawdononaccountofhismarriagewithadowerlessgirl.Thisfullyexposedthehypocrisyofthearistocracy.Thisnovelhelpedusrecognizehowimportantone’sstatuswasincapitalistsociety.Simultaneously,itgaveusaglimpseoftheimpassablehierarchy.

1.2BackgroundsofRebecca’sLife

Rebeccawasthemostvividandbest-createdimageinVanityFair.ManycriticsregardedBeckeyasanevil,loose,snobbish,brazen,andambitiousadventuress.However,ZhangShengzhen（2008）,thelecturerofSchoolofForeignLanguagesinShandongNormalUniversity,saidthat,“ThesocietyinwhichRebeccalivedwastotallyahypocritical,snobbish,merciless,flatteringvanityfair.Asapoororphan,Rebeccawasbornwithoutstatusorwealth.Thesocietydidn’tofferheranychance,butharshcriticismofherpainstakingeffortstoobtainchances”.Fromherexperiences,wecouldseethatpeopleinlower-classstruggledtolivebyeverypossiblemeans.

Therefore,afterweconsideredthehistoricalbackgroundsshelived,shewasalsothevictimofthatage.Alongwiththesufferingshebroughttootherpeople,sheherselfalsosufferedlotsofagony.

2RebeccaSharp’sValuesoftheOrientationofFameandWealth

Theheroine,ormorecorrectlytheanti-heroine,isanintelligentyoungwomanwithagiftforsatire.Sheisdescribedasapetitesandyhairedgirlwhohasgreeneyesandagreatdealofwit.FluentinbothFrenchandEnglish,Rebeccahasabeautifulsingingvoice,andalsosheshowsgreattalentforbeinganactresswithoutself-conscience.Sheseemstohavetheinstincttocatchotherpeople’seyes,andlieseasilytogetherway.Sheisextremelymanipulativeand,afterherfailuretoattractJosephSedley,sheisneverbeingsinceretoanyone.

Braveassheis,BeckySharpisalsoanintelligentperson.Youmaysaysheisshrewd,butyoucan’tdenythefactthatsheisreallysmartwhenshegetswhatevershewants.Shedreamstobeanaristocratinuppersocietybutfailedagainandagain,soshechoosestouseherownbodyandsweetliestogetclosertotheuppersociety.

2.1NegativeAspectsofRebecca’sValuesofFameandWealth

DuringRebecca’sincessantstrugglingagainstherhumblebirth,sheisnothingbutaclownforalltheupperclass.FinallyRebeccaloseseverythingshehascontrivedforlifetime,andcompletelylosesthechancetoentertheVanityFairbyrelyingonthenoble.Sheisbornpoor,andherintentiontogetwealthandfameiscompletelydashed.Franklyspeaking,Rebeccahasasinceredesireofamendment,butwhatweloatheisthemethodsheresortsto.Inasocietywherepedigreeishighlyemphasized,thepoorlittlegirlcanneverachievehergoalinanormalway.Sotheonlywayoutistotakeadvantageofherbeauty,justlikeprostitutesusingtheirbodies.ItisherdestinythatmakesRebeccafail,thoughshesucceedsinensnaringJosephSedleyatlast.

2.1.1Rebecca’sHypocrisyandSelfishnessinPursuingFameandWealth

Thecharactersinthisnovelallhavegreatlustformoney,positionandsocialstatus.Theyshowgreatcontempttopeoplewhoareinferiortothem.EspeciallyRebecca,shrewd,unscrupulousandsophisticated,triedallmeanstogototheupperclass.

Atfirst,shewasjealousofherfriend,Amelia,whosemothercouldbuyeverythingifshewanted.Shewasalwaysgreenwithenvy.Tomyastonishment,shehadloveaffairswithAmelia’shusband—George.Ameliatreatedhersowell,butRebeccahurtAmeliadeeply.

WhenRebeccawentoutwithGeorgehappily,Ameliawasverysadinsecret.Herheartsankandshewasuneasy.Idon’tunderstandwhyRebeccawassocharmingthatshecapturedsomanymen.Shejustlikedamagnet.Somanymenlikedhimbecauseshewasbeautiful,humorous,andcapable?

Didn’tmenknowshewasasdangerousasasnake?

WhatIbelievedwasthatsheapproachedthemjustbecauseoftheirmoneyandsocialstatus.

Fromallmentionedabove,wecaneasilyseeBeckySharp’sselfishness,forshedoesnotloveanyone,eventhemanwhohasconjointdestinywithher.Inhermindeveryoneisaladderforher,andshecanmakesteadyprogressalongthiskindofladders,andbecomerichandpowerful.Onceshedoesnotneedthisperson,shewillkickasidehimwithouthesitation.Herhypocriticalloveenableshertoobtainwhatevershewants.Allinall,herhypocriticalloveislikeapowerfulchipwhichhelpsRebeccaSharpgainwealthandfame.

2.1.2Rebecca’sGreedinPursuingWealth

DuringRebecca’sfirstchancetocaptureJoseph,shepretendedtobeinterestedineverythingrelatedtoJoseph,althoughshedidnotevennowtheflavoroftheirfood.ShepretendedtohaveaffectionforJoseph,whichisthefirststepforhertoentertheuppersociety.

WhenshemetPittCrawley,sheransackedherbraintodealwithcomplextroublesforPitttowinaffectionsofPittCrawley’sfamilies.Luckily,shewonthemasterPittCrawley’strustbyhookandcrook,andsheaskedhertomarryhim.SheregrettedsomuchbecauseshehadalreadysecretlymarriedtoRawdon.ObviouslyifshehadnotmarriedtoRawdon,shewasverygladtomarrytoPittCrawley,despitethefactthattheoldmanwasasoldasherfather.

FromtheseplotswewillbeveryclearthatRebeccaisneverconcernedaboutlovebutmoney.InallofRebecca’slife,sheiseitherlyingorcloaking,whichconfirmsthemetaphorthatsheisalwayslivingwithamask.Rebeccamanagedtoshuttlethroughtheupperclassbutfailedtocomfortherinnerheart,andfinallyshelosthermoralstandard,almosthurteveryonelovedher.

2.1.3Rebecca’sCapriciousnessinPursuingFameandWealth

Whenshewasaschoolgirl,RebeccaSharphaddeterminedtofindapositionforherself,nomatterhowmuchcostssheshouldpayorhowmanydifficultiesshewouldmeet.

Obviously,RebeccaSharp’sgoalwastoobtainnothingelsebutwealthandstatus.SheregrettedforlosingthenameofMrs.PittCrawley,becauseit’sashortcuttoachieveherdreamofgettingintothe