《名利场》中两位女主人公的对比分析精编版.docx

1、名利场中两位女主人公的对比分析精编版A Comparative Analysis of the Two Heroines in Vanity Fair名利场中两位女主人公的对比分析AbstractVanity Fair is a famous novel and masterpiece written by William Makepeace Thackeray, and it is a famous work of critical realism. In the novel, Thackeray has created two female images - Becky and Ameli

2、a, who are fresh and plump. They respectively stands for two types of female images: one is the “bad woman image” represented by Becky who breaks the tradition ones; and the other is the typical traditional “family angel image” represented by Amelia. However, both the bad woman and angel have the du

3、al natures in Thackerays eyes. In this paper, it makes a comparative analysis of the two female images shaped by Thackeray in Vanity Fair, to discuss the similarities and differences between two females images characters, values, and destiny, and probe into the deep reasons for such differences. Thr

4、ough this novel, the 19th century English society can be seen at all levels and how different people survive in the cruel society. Researching this topic has important significance in understanding and becoming familiar with the society and culture of the 19th century British capitalism.Key words: c

5、haracters; Becky; Amelia中文摘要名利场是19世纪英国著名小说家威廉梅克比斯萨克雷的成名作也是其代表作，是一部著名的批判现实主义作品。小说中塑造了两位女主角蓓基和爱米丽亚，形象鲜活丰满，栩栩如生。她们分别代表了两种女性形象：一种是蓓基所代表的打破传统女性形象的“坏女人”；一种是爱米莉亚所代表的典型传统家庭天使形象。然而，不管是坏女人还是天使，在萨克雷的眼中都是有其两重性的。本文就萨克雷在名利场中所塑造的两位女性形象进行对比分析，分析二人性格、价值观及命运的异同，并探讨导致这种差异的深层原因。 透过这篇小说，我们可以看到19世纪英国上流社会的各个层面，以及不同的人怎样在社会

6、中谋得他们的一席之地。研究此课题对了解和熟悉19世纪英国资本主义社会文化具有重要的意义。关键词：性格；蓓基；爱米丽亚Outline1. Introduction 2. Comparison of Becky and Amelia in Vanity Fair 2.1 Different Characters 2.1.1 Becky - Breaking the Traditional Image of Women 2.1.2 Amelia- A Typical Traditional Female Image 2.2 Different Attitude toward Love and Mar

7、riage 2.2.1 Becky - A Tool Leading Her to the Upper Society 2.2.2 Amelia - Devoted Herself to Love 2.2 Different Fates 2.2.1 Beckys Destiny 2.2.2 Amelias Fates 3. Reasons for Their Different Fates 3.1 Living Environment 3.2 Social Situation in Victorian Era 3.3 Traditional Female Morality 4. Conclus

8、ion1. IntroductionVanity Fair is a masterpiece of the British novelist Thackeray. It mainly depicts the encounters and destinies of two beautiful girls - Becky and Amelia who live in the British upper class in the early time of the 19th century. Becky is a typical adventuress in the capitalist socie

9、ty. The influences and discriminations of the underworld cause her personalities to become distorted. In order to make a living, she doesnt give up any opportunities and tries to reach her purpose through marriages. She likes to show her face in public. In fact, the life pursued by her is filled wit

10、h fame and wealth as well as the endless desires. She is evil, but successful. She is an outcome of the dual function of the era and society. On the contrary, Amelia is a pretty and simple woman with good characters and pure love. She comes from a rich merchant family, looking forward to the ideal l

11、ove and trying to weave her own life with love. She is poor, but happy. Being deeply attracted by these two heroines distinct personalities and different fates, the author tries to explore the implied social reasons for their different encounters and views of love and marriage.Through analyzing Beck

12、y and Amelias different characters, views on love and marriage as well as fates in this novel, this paper aims at summarizing the core moral concepts of the Victorian women and exploring the implied social reasons. Hope this paper can not only be a supplement to the previous studies, but also help t

13、he readers better understand the deep connotations of this novel.2. Comparison of Becky and Amelia in Vanity FairBritain at that time is nothing short of Vanity Fair. Therefore, to survive in such a cruel society, one must have certain life skills, especially people born in poor families. So do Beck

14、y and Amelia. In this part, the characters, attitude to love and marriage, as well as their fates will be compared. 2.1 Different CharactersIn the Vanity Fair, the two heroines, Becky and Amelia, appear full blown, especially Becky who is one of the most successful and typical characters in novels.

15、In the following part, their different characters will be discussed. 2.1.1 Becky - Breaking the Traditional Image of WomenBeing doughty to pursue: In the Vitoria times, social culture and economic status determine the status of women. In Victorian Britain, “women have no opportunity to get knowledge

16、 through education or work; they are only told to what kind of their behaviors are in conformity to norms, which bound the females characters”(Hagan, 1975: 479). Rebecca is a poor orphan, but she wants to win the respect, and obtains the economic status and social status. Her independent personality

17、 is in conflict with her status conferred by the society. Her desire of respect derives from her childhood experience. Her father would beat his wife and daughter when drunk, and complained the societys injustice. Her fathers punishment intensified her anger, and her childhood experience made her re

18、alize she was living in in a cage of patriarchal society. She wants to have a different childhood life, but the society imposed restrictions of females on her. Therefore, in that society, to live with your own goals and desires is a great challenge for her. In the Victorian times, only women in the

19、upper class have the opportunity to accept the education about manners; for a girl like Rebecca such a girl from the bottom of the society, life is more bound. Rebeccas social status condemns her to rely on her own but no other way. She will never accept the restrictions of gender and status imposed

20、 form the society, and she has her own plans and tries to realize her aspirations by herself.Resisting Spirits: After his father died, Rebecca is allowed to stay in school, but has to teach other girls French. Rebecca is angered by other students discrimination, and she begins to desire for prestige

21、 extremely. The school life makes her more aware no one else can rely on but herself, so she begins to plan for her own future. She can not bear others discrimination any more, so she determines to enter the upper society. However, before graduation, she finds the challenge to the traditional concep

22、ts will only hurt herself, so she gets her own anger and ambition hidden, and pretends to surrender. She has learned from Amelia that being submissive and naive will be more popular to people. And the huge differences in Miss Pinkertons treating on Amelia and her, makes she realize that she has to h

23、ide her natural instincts, but to show elegant and polite manners. Innate rebellion dooms her wont change her behavior to achieve the social expectations of women.(Hammond, 2002: 26) She socializes carefully with people around her, and then laughs at them behind. Lord Steynes humiliation lets her ge

24、t the sense of satisfaction, because his noble status symbolizes for the cage set by her childhood social system.Wit and Capability: In Victorian patriarchy traditional society, women can not leave the man alone, but the men only thinks themselves. Rebecca has transforms womans inferior role through

25、 her intelligent manipulation or deceive men around her. As a governess, she break the rules restricted by the society for women through becoming indispensable figures. In the masters home, although she is only a family teacher, but she finds herself actually dominating the family business to a grea

26、t extent. Rebeccas words and deeds under the cover of innocence are very persuasive. She controls others through her words and actions to make them believe she a woman like Amelia: obedient, and childlike innocent.2.1.2 Amelia- A Typical Traditional Female ImageAmelia complies with the requirements

27、of being “an angel in the house”.(Hammond, 1992: 663) She not only acts as a qualified mother, but also acts as a docile wife and a filial daughter.The social gender is not only determined by the physiological sex, but also constructed by the society. Throughout the Victorian era, for most of the mi

28、ddle-class women, their life is shaped by both their family roles and the idea of what feminization is. And their sense of self-concept is determined by their social status and economic conditions. Females are described as caring, simple and ignorant groups. According to the Victorian society, the i

29、deal wife should be loyal, obedient, passive, self-denying and and pure and so on. Amelia is such a representative. She desires to be an “Victorian angel” which is consistent with the requirements of the times. However, the society doesnt support her sense of self-concept and limits all her independ

30、ent awareness. Beauvoir has ever said that when females rely on males to make a living and enjoy such a kind of lifestyle, they are willing to be others.(Zeng, 2006: 149) And this is a very exact description for Amelia.During the six years of studying in Pinkerton girls school, Amelia has been also

31、praised and loved by people around her. When she finishes her studies, the headmaster Miss Pinkerton says that: “Amelia possesses the unique personalities that a qualified British woman should have. She studies hard and has moderate temperament, winning the praise of teachers and classmates. Thus, e

32、veryone in the school, young and old, loves her.” Amelia regards Becky as her most intimate friend. Once, after Beckys staying at her home for a week, she still wants her to stay at there for another week, which sounds extremely incredible. The sentimental Amelia inherently tends to depend on people around her, making her be in a subordinate position in the patriarchal society, but she doesnt mind at all. She takes love and marriage as a lifelong career. She is the embodiment of angels and her coward and gentle personalities are in accord