英文读书报告.docx

英文读书报告.docx

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英文读书报告

TheReadingReportofVanityFair

Studentnumber:

1.Theauthor:

ThackerayWilliamMakepeacewasanEnglishjournalist,novelist,famousforhisnovelVANITYFAIR（1847-48）,ataleofmiddle-classfamiliesinLondon.MostofThackeray'smajornovelswerepublishedasmonthlyserials.Thackeraystudiedinasatiricalandmoralisticlighttodescribemiddle-classEnglishlife.HewasonceseenastheequalofhiscontemporaryDickens.

WilliamMakepeaceThackeraywasborninCalcuttain1811.HisparentsreturnedtoEnglandin1817andThackeraywaseducatedatCharterhouseandTrinityCollege,Cambridge.HisfatherwasanofficeroftheEastIndiapany.Whenhewas4yearsold,hisfatherdiedandawealthymerchantbecamehisstepfatherwhoalwaysmovedinpolitesociety.However,ThackeraybecameaddictedtogamblingandleftCambridgein1830withoutadegreeandheavilyindebt.Andthenhebeganwriting.ThackeraymovedtoPariswherehebecametheFrenchcorrespondentfortheradicalnewspaperTheConstitutional.WhenTheConstitutionalceasedpublication,ThackeraymovedbacktoEnglandandbegancontributingarticlestoawidevarietyofnewspapersandjournals,includingTheTimes,TheMorningChronicle,Fraser'sMagazineandPunchMagazine.AndThackeraybeganwritingnovelsandin1844Fraser'sMagazineserializedBarryLyndon.Becauseoflifeexperienceaboutmovinginuppersocietyandknowingtherulesverymuch,in1847Thackeraypublishedhismostfamousnovel,VanityFair.ThiswasfollowedbyTheHistoryofHenryEdmonds（1852）,Newes（1853）andTheVirginians（1857）.Althoughasuccessfulnovelist,ThackeraycontinuedtowritearticlesforjournalssuchasPunchMagazine.In1859hebecameeditoroftheCornhillMagazine,amonthlyliteraryjournalpublishedbyGeorgeSmith.WilliamMakepeaceThackeraydiedin1863.

2.TheBackground

ThisnovelwasdrawnfromtheBritishuppersocietyoftheearly19thcentury.OnthetimetheBritishwasapowerfulcountryhavingprosperousindustry.Thewholesocietywascontrolledbywealthymerchantswhogotgreatprofitsthroughexploitingtheworkersoroppressingthepeopleofthecolonies,meanwhilethewarformorecoloniesbetweenBritishandFrancewasatthecorner.

Astothecurrentupperclass,theywerebusyinchasingandpetingfameandfortune,interestedinshowingoffhowelitetheliveswere.Theso-calledupperclassandsuccessfulmenpaidmuchattentiontohowtoextendtheirwealthandenjoyedvanitybringingpleasureandasenseofsuperiority.

3.TheSummaryofTheBook

ThestorystartsatMissPinkerton'sAcademyforYoungLadies,where BeckySharpandAmeliaSedley,twomajorcharactersstudied.TheyarepreparingtodepartforAmelia'shousewhichisinRussellSquare.

AtRussellSquare,MissSharpisintroducedtothedashingandconceitedCaptainGeorgeOsbornewhomAmeliahasbeenintosinceshewasatayoungage,andtoAmelia'sbrotherJosephSedley,aclumsybutrichcivil-servantworkingattheEastIndiapany.BeckynoticesMr.Sedleyandhopestomarryhiminordertogetwealthy,butshefailsbecauseofwarningsfromCaptainOsborne,Sedley'sownshyness,andMr.Sedley’sownembarrassmentoverhissomefoolishbehaviorafterbeingdrunkatVauxhall.

Stayingfornotlongtime,BeckySharpsaysfarewelltoSedley'sfamilyandbegintheserviceofthecrudeandprofligate baronetSirPittCrawley,whohasemployedherasa familytutor tohisdaughters,whereshemethissecondsonRawsonCrawley.HeroutstandingbehavioratSirPitt'shousegainshisfavor,andaftertheprematuredeathofhissecondwife,heproposestoher.However,hefindsthatsheisalreadysecretlymarriedtoRawdon.

SirPitt'seldersister MissCrawley,whoisaspinster,isveryrich,havinginheritedhermother'sfortuneof£70,000.TheCrawleyfamiliesarelongingforherpropertyandactingratiatinglyinfrontofher.InitiallyherfavoriteisSirPitt'syoungerson,CaptainRawdonCrawley.Andforsometime,BeckyactsasMissCrawley'spanionforsmartbehaviors,livingwithMissCrawleyinLondonandBeckyisdeeplyattractedbythelivesofrichupperclassesintheLondonTown.Afterbreakingthenewsofhermarriagewithhernephew,outofangerandafeelingshamed,MissCrawleydecidednottoinherithernephew.ThemarriedcoupleconstantlyattempttoobeytoMissCrawley,andsherelentslittle.However,sherefusestochangeherwill.

WhileBeckySharpislivingbetter,Amelia'sfather,JohnSedley,isbankrupted.TheSedleysandOsborneswereoncecloseallies,buttherelationshipbetweenthetwofamiliesisendedaftertheSedleysbroke,andthemarriageofAmeliaandGeorgeisforbidden.GeorgeultimatelydecidestomarryAmeliaagainsthisfather'swillsimply,atthesametime,duetothepressureofhisfriendDobbinwhocaresAmeliaalot,andGeorgeisconsequentlyinheritednothingfromhisfather.Whilethesepersonaleventstakeplace,hereestheNapoleonicWars.GeorgeOsborneandWilliamDobbinaresuddenlydeployedto Brussels,asCaptainCrawleyatBrighton.Already,thenewlyweddedOsborneisgrowingtiredofAmelia,andhebeesattractedtoBeckywhocanhelptoshowhisadvantages.

AtaballinBrussels,GeorgegivesBeckyanoteinvitinghertorunawaywithhim.HeregretsthismarriageshortlydecidedwithAmelia,whohasbeendeeplyhurtbyhisattentionstowardsherformerfriend.Themorningafter,heissenttoWaterloowithCaptainCrawleyandDobbin,leavingAmeliadistraught.Becky,ontheotherhand,isindifferenttoherhusband'sdeparture.ShetriestohelpAmelia,butAmeliarespondsangrily,disgustedbyBecky'sflirtatiousbehaviorattheballandherlackofconcernaboutCaptainCrawley.Becky,regardlessofthissnub,wantstosavethesituationbetweenthetwowomenthathavekeptfriendshipforyears.Beckyisnotveryconcernedfortheouteofthewar,either.IfNapoleonicshould win,sheplanstobeethemistressofoneofmarshals,andmeanwhileshemakesaprofitsellinghercarriageandhorsesatinflatedpricestopanickingBritonsseekingtofleethecity.Sheplansalmosteverything,astheauthorwrites,〞sheishardlikeanut.〞

CaptainCrawleysurvives,butGeorgediesinthebattle.AmeliabearshimasonwhoisalsonamedGeorge.Shereturnstolivewithherparentsandisgoingtoraisethekidbyherself.Meanwhile,Dobbin,whoisyoungGeorge'sgodfather,graduallybeginstoexpresshislovebravelyforwidowedAmeliathroughlastingkindnessestoherandherson.DobbinpicksupAmelia’spreciouspianoatanauction,butAmeliamistakenlyassumesthiswasdonebyherlatehusband.SheistoomuchinlovewithGeorge'smemorytofeelDobbin'saffections.Sadly,DobbingoestoIndiaformanyyears.

AstoBecky,shealsohasason,butunlikeAmelia,whodevotesherselftoandevenspoilsherchild,Beckyisacoldmother.ShecontinuesherclimbingupinLondonandshemeetsthegreatMarquessofSteyne,whoevenbroughtherfather’spaintingsandnowhelpsherandintroducesherto uppersocietyinLondon.Shemakesasuccess.

ButRawdongamblesheavily.AndBeckyacceptstrinketsandmoneyfromhermanyadmirersandsellssomeofforcash.Shealsoborrowsheavilyfromthepeoplearoundherandseldompaysbills.Thewealthylifethecouplelivesisnottrueasitis.UltimatelyBeckyissuspectedbyRawdonofcarryingonan extramaritalaffair withtheSteyne,whichleadstobreakingupwithRawdon.HeleavesBeckyandtakeshissontohisbrother'swife,LadyJane,whohelphimout.Rawdonisorderedoutoftheway.Becky,havinglostbothhusbandandcredibility,iswarnedbySteynetoleavetheUnitedKingdomandwandersindifferentcounties.RawdonandBecky'ssonisleftinthecareofPittCrawleyandLadyJane.However,whereverBeckygoes,sheisfollowedbytheshadowoftheMarquessofSteyne.Nosoonerdoessheestablishherselfinnativepolitesocietythansomeoneappearswhoknowsherdisgracefulhistoryandspreadsrumors,whichholdsbackBeckyinherway.

AsAmelia'ssonGeorgegrowsup,hisgrandfatherturnsupandtakeshimbackfrompoorAmelia.AftertwelveyearsabroadbothJosephSedleyandDobbinreturntotheUK.DobbinprofesseshisunchangedlovetoAmelia,butAmeliastillcannotforgetthememoryofherdeadhusband.DobbinalsobeesclosetoyoungGeorge,andhiskind,mildmannermakesagoodinfluenceonthespoiledyoungman.AnditisrevealedafterOsborne'sdeaththathehadamendedhiswillandleftyoungGeorgehalfofhislargefortuneandAmeliaagenerousannuity.

WhenAmelia,Joseph,George,andDobbingoonatripto Germany,theyencounterthepoorBecky.ShemeetstheyoungGeorgeatacardtableandthenfindsJosephSedley.Atthattime,Beckyhasunfortunatelychanged----Sheisdrinkingheavily,losinghersingingvoiceandmuchofherprettylooks,andspendstimewithcardsharksandconartists.

ForJoseph'pleading,AmeliaagreestomeetBeckyinspiteofDobbin'sdisapproval.DobbinquarrelswithAmeliaandfinallyrealizesheiswastinghisloveonawomantooshallowtoreturnit.However,whentwowomenmeet,BeckyshowsAmeliathenotethatGeorgehadgivenherwhichaskshertorunawaywithhim.ThisdestroysAmelia'sidealizedimageofGeorge,contributesreturningloveofAmeliatoDobbin.

BeckyesbacktoJoseph.HeeventuallydiesofasuspiciousailmentaftersigningaportionofhismoneytoBeckyaslifeinsurance.Hisdeathhasmadeherfortune.

Intheend,Rawdonisdeadandhissongrowsuptoanewbaronet.Beckyisnowlivingwellagain,activeinaidofvariouscharitablecauses,supportedfinanciallybyherson.

4.PersonalAnalysisandments

SomeonesaysVanityFairasanovelwithoutahero.Throughawomanpursuingfameandwealth,itisrevealedwhatthecurrentwholesocietyis