英语专业毕业论文名利场全英.docx

英语专业毕业论文名利场全英.docx

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英语专业毕业论文名利场全英

1.Introduction

ThispartmakesabriefintroductiontotheauthorThackeray,hisnovelVanityFair,hislifeandart,andintroducestheheroinesinthenovelVanityFair.

Thackeray（1811-1863）wasarepresentativeofcriticalrealismin19thcenturyEngland.HewasborninIndiainthefamilyofanEnglishofficial.HewassentbacktoEnglandforeducationatCharterhouseSchoolandthenatTrinityCollegeintheageofsix.In1831heusedtostudylawinMiddleTemplebutfinallyhegaveitup.ThenhewenttoParistostudypainting.In1833heworkforTheNationalStandardasaproprietor,hebothwroteanddrewforit.Unfortunately,thefailureofanIndiabankwherehehaddepositedhisinheritedfortunelefthimwithoutmeans.Asaresult,inordertosupporthisfamilyheturnedtojournalismforaliving.Inhisearlylife,Thackeraywroteallkindsofarticles,mainlyshortpiecesforjournalsandrelativelyslimbooks.Upto1847,aseriesofhissatiricalsketcheswerecollectedinTheBookofSnobs.ButitwasnotuntilthepublicationofVanityFairthattheworldrecognizedtheappearanceofanewnovelistofthefirstrank.VanityFaircameoutin1847-48,whichestablishedhisreputationasanovelist.ThenovelVanityFairisregardedasthepeakofThackeray’sliterarycareer.“Hisrealismdeclinedafterthat.Hewassomewhatalarmedbytherevolutionarymovementof1848andwasnotpreparedtoaccepttheideaofbreakingtheexistingsocialstructure.Signsofreconciliationwithrealitycanbetracedinhislaterwritings.Andhedriftedtwoseriesoflecturesandwroteanumberballadsandverses（SunHanyun,130）”HediedofheartdiseaseonDecember24,1863.

“VanityFair”isthefictionofanEnglishwriterwholivedinthe19

thcenturyandnamedWilliamMakepeaceThackeray,“VanityFair”istheworkthatmakeshimfamousinliterature,whichholdstheveryimportantpositionintheEnglishliteratureandeventheworldliterature.IthassucceededportrayingRebeccaSharpandAmeliaSedley.Ittellsastoryabouttwowomenwhohavedifferentfateswitheachother.Rebeccaisabeautifulwomanwholivesintheloweststratumofthesociety,buthasahighereducation.Theexperiencesoflivingindifferentenvironmentmakesherhaveadistorteddisposition.Soshetrieshardtostepintotheupperclassandaimatfameandwealthblindly.Rebeccaisportrayedasarebelliousandcunningyoungwomandeterminedtomakeherwayinsociety.Anotheriskindgirl---Amelia,onthecontrary,awarmheartedandpuregirllivesinarichfamily,yearningforlove,livingahappylife.

ThetitleofthisworkcomesfromBunyan’sPilgrim’sProgressmeaning“afair,whereinaresoldallsortsvanity”,theauthorintendedtomakeavividpictureoftheselfish,hypocriticalandmoney-grabbingworldofthattime.Thesubtitleofthebookis“ANovelwithoutaHero”.Fromthiswecanseethatfirstlytherearenoexactlypositivecharactersinaworldfullofbadandcunningpeople.Secondlyitmayhintthatthisisanovelaboutwomeninsteadofmen.Althoughthesubtitlemayalsoimplythatthereisnorealherointhework,RebeccaandAmeliacanbetherealheroinesofthenovelinaway.

2.Amelia’sCharacter

Astheheroineofthisnovel,Ameliaisakindandpurewoman,manypeopledonotunderstandwhynotregardAmeliaasaperfectcharacterinthisnovel.Aswecanseethatshehasmanytraditionalvirtues,butontheotherhandtheauthoralsoportrayedherasaobedientandpassivewoman.

2.1AKindandPureAmelia

Ameliaisasoft,warm-heartedladyandtenderlovetowardherlover,herfriendandallpeoplearoundher.Besides,sheisaninnocentgirlwithoutanyeviltricksinthetraditionalsociety.

Shewasborninarichupperclassfamily,andhaschancetoreceiveagoodeducationandgrowuphealthilyandhappily.Sheistreatedwithallcourtesyandmother’sintensivecarewhichshapesherwiththedispositionofgentilityandkindness.Amelia’spresentsMr.SedlyandMrs.Sedlyareverykindpeople,especiallyMr.Sedly.HeiskindtoMissSharpthoughsheisonlyapoorandordinarygovernessfromthelowestclassinthehierarchicalsociety.AndAmelia’BrotherJoseph,heisdullandsilly,butheisafriendlymantoothers.Andallinall,therearenobadorevilpersonsinthisfamily.FromthiswecanseethatthegoodfamilyenvironmentmakesasignificantcontributiontoAmelia’scharactersofkindness.

Ameliaiskind–heartedtoherfriend,Rebecca.WhenRebeccasawthetwomagnificentCashmereshawls,whichJosephSedleyhadbroughthometohissister,shesaid,“thatismustbedelightfultohaveabrother,”andthiseasilygotthepityofthetender-heartedAmelia,forbeingaloneintheworld,anorphanwithoutfriendsorkindred.“Notalone,”saidAmelia;“youknow,Rebecca,Ishallalwaysbeyourfriend,andloveyouasasister-indeedIwill.”SheregardsRebeccaasherbestgirlfriendthoughsheknowsthatRebeccaisfromthelowestclassandeventriesherbesttohelpher.AndwhensheknowsthatRebeccahasdonemanybadthingsthatareharmfultoher,shestillchoosestoforgiveher.Sofromallthesereasons,Ameliaisakindwoman.

What’smore,Ameliaisalsoapureandinnocentwoman.Inhermind,itseemsthateverybodyinthisworldiskind-hearted.Forexample,Ameliaishardtobelievethatthehead-teacherofherschool,MissPinkertontreatsherwelljustbecauseheradvantageousfamilyconditionsandMissPinkertoncouldbenefitfromher.

Ameliayearnsforlove.SheputsallheremotiononOsborne,whocomesfromawealthyfamily,butOsborneinfactisaplayboy,henevermakesAmelia’sdreamoflovecometrue.YetAmeliastillpursuits,“GeorgewasherEurope,heremperor,heralliedmonarchsandaugustprinceregent…hewashersunandmoon…whenhecametoRusselSquare,herfacelightedupasifshehadbeensunshine…Assoonasthedoorwasshut,shewentflutteringtolieutenantGeorgeOsborne’sheartasifitwastheonlynaturalhomeforhertonestlein.”HerloveforGeorgeissopureanddeep.Evenafterherhusbanddiedinthewar,sheyieldtothefateanddidn’tgetmarriedtootherpeople.

2.2AObedientandPassiveAmelia

AmeliaisatraditionalwomanintheVictorianTimes,sheisasubordinate,passiveandpure,andeverythingaVictorianladyaspiredtobe.Ameliaisborninafamilyoftheuppermiddleclassbutshealwayslivesalong-sufferinglife,andacceptedwhateverherhusbandwantedordid.Shecangetgoodeducation,everyluxuryshedesiredandacquiredrespectthroughherfamily’sstatus.ButlookatAmelia,sheisjustlikea“AngelintheHouse”or“queenoftheGarden”,likemostofhousewives,althoughshehashighereducation,butshehasnoideasaboutheronlylife,shejustdidwhateverherhusbandwantedhertodo,tobeagoodwife,andtobeagoodmother.“Victorianmiddle-classgirlswhoaspiredtoladyhoodwereexpectedtolivecarefullycircumscribedliveswhileintrainingformarriageideally,andifnot,ausefuloldmaid---hood”（Rowbotham16）.

Inchapter57,AmeliaacceptedmoneyfromoldOsborneaftergivinguplittleGeorge.

Herlackofpridestemmedfromherbeingnaturallysimpleanddemandofprotection,andrevealedhersuffering,poverty,humilityandprivationssincehermarriage.Andmanywomensimilarlysacrificedthemselves,theyaresubordinateandlackingthecouragetoresist.

Amelialivesapassivelife;shelivesinthesuppressionofherhomeundertheprotectionofherparents.Amiddle-classyoungwomanwasexpectedtobesubmissiveandvirtuoussothatonedayshewouldeithertakecareofherhusband’sneedsanddesireorcontinuetobringupherchildren.Sowecanseefromthebooksheregardsloveasheronlylifepurpose,fromshegraduateduntilshegetsmarriedwithGeorge,shelivesasufferinglife,sheseesamarriagetoGeorgeasinevitablebecauseitwastheirparents“order”andbecauseherbehaviorandherclassexemplifyherworthasaprominentlady.

2.3AIdealisticandSelfishAmelia

AlthoughThackerayportraysAmeliaasaconsideratemother,adocilewife,afilialdaughterandevenasympatheticwoman,therearestillalotofdisadvantagesofAmelia.Sheissometimesasselfishandself-centeredasRebecca,inotherwords,shelivesinherownidealworldandshedoesn’tadmitsomethinghappenedaroundher.Forexample,AmeliadevotesherselftotherelationshipwithherhusbandGeorgeblindly.LikeRebecca,shemarriesamanwhoisnotable-mindedthanher.Butunluckysheisneverawareofherownidentity,refusestoadmitthisfact,accepttowhateverherhusbandwantedordid.onthecontrary,RebeccacontrolsherhusbandRawdonCrawleytoreshapehereownfate.

Andwhat’smoresheisselfish,subordinateanddependentinherrelationshipwithGeorgeandDobbin.ShefellinlovewithGeorgebutsheneverrefusesDobbintoloveher.Andthereisevidencetoprovesheisself-centredandsheignoresDobbin’sloveforherbutneverrefuses

directly.DobbinboughtAmeliaapianoasagift,butinhermindthepianoisfromGeorge,notDobbin,shetreasuresthegiftunlessitwasGeorge’gift.Shesays,“IvalueitmorethananythingIhaveintheworld.CanIdootherwise?

Didnotthegiveittome?

”YetsheknowsthatitwasDobbinsentherthegiftbutnotGeorgesent,“itstruckher,withinexpressiblepainandmortification.ItwasnotGeorge’srelic.Itwasvaluelessnow”（Thackeray2010,670）.Shedoesn’tlikethepianoasbeforewhensheknowsDobbinsentittoher.DobbinalwayskeepsAmeliaandherson’scompanyafterGeorgediedinthewar.ButhereceivesonlyAmelia’sreproach,“itisyouwhoarecruelnow.Georgeismyhusband,hereandinheaven”（Thackeray2010,671）.Herself-deludingma