1、英文學-名利場英文PPT課件-Vanity-FairHistorical Context The novel is based on British upper-middle society in nineteenth century. Britain has strong, developed industry and commerce, and merchants who became rich by exploiting colonists dominate the society. Britain was at war with France, which is the battle

2、of Waterloo. All the people among the upper-middle society scrambled for fame, wealth and power. Publication Vanity Fair: A Novel without a Hero is a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, first published in 184748, satirizing society in early 19th-century Britain. The books title comes from John Bun

3、yans allegorical story The Pilgrims Progress. Vanity fair refers to a stop along the pilgrims progress: a never-ending fair held in a town called Vanity, which is meant to represent mans sinful attachment to worldly things. Content of the novelAmelia Sedley, of good family, and Rebecca Sharp, an orp

4、han, leave Miss Pinkertons academy on Chiswick Mall to live out their lives in Vanity Fair.Rebecca first attempts to enter the sacred domain of Vanity Fair by inducing Joseph Sedley, Amelias brother, to marry her. Rebecca takes a position as governess at Queens Crawley, and marries Rawdon Crawley. B

5、ut because of his marriage, Rawdons rich aunt disinherits him. As a friend of George Osborne, William Dobbin becomes the instrument for getting George to marry Amelia. George dies at Waterloo. Amelia would have starved but for William Dobbins anonymous contribution to her welfare. Both Rebecca and A

6、melia give birth to sons. When she becomes the favorite of the great Lord Steyne, she accumulates both money and diamonds. But she hides much of her loot. In the meantime innocent Rawdon draws closer to Lady Jane, wife of Rawdons older brother, Pitt, who has inherited from the rich aunt. When Rawdon

7、 discovers Rebecca in her treachery, he left her. Because her parents are starving and she can neither provide for them nor give little Georgy what she thinks he needs, Amelia gives up her son to his grandfather Osborne. William Dobbin comes back from the service, reconciles old Osborne to Amelia, w

8、hereat Osborne makes a will leaving Georgy half of his fortune and providing for Amelia. Rebecca, having lost the respectability of a husband, wanders in Europe for a couple of years and finally meets Joseph, Georgy, Amelia, and William on the Continent.Rebecca sets about to finish what she started

9、to do at the first of the book that is, to ensnare Joseph. She does not marry him, but she takes all his money and he dies in terror of her, the implication being that she has, at least, hastened his death. At the end of the book Rebecca has the money necessary to live in Vanity Fair; she appears to

10、 be respectable. William has won Amelia. Little Rawdon, upon the death of his uncle Pitt and his cousin Pitt, becomes the heir of Queens Crawley. Little George, through the kindness of Dobbin, has lost his distorted values obtained in Vanity Fair. Analysis of the characters Becky Sharp Amelia Sedley

11、 Jos Sedley Rawdon Crawley Sir Pitt Crawley Miss Matida Crawley George Osborne William DobbinBecky Sharp Thackeray explains why Becky does what she does: “She was of a wild, roving nature, inherited from father and mother, who were both Bohemians（波（波西米亞人）西米亞人）, by taste and circumstance . . . She sa

12、crifices husband, child, friends to it; but she enjoys the battle. At least I shall be amongst gentlefolks and not with vulgar city people. After eavesdropping on Williams talk with Amelia, Becky says to herself, “What a noble heart that man has, and how shamefully that woman plays with it . . . if

13、I could have had such a husband as that a man with a heart and brains too! I would not have minded his large feet . . .” Amelia Sedley Amelia is considered the heroine: good natured but passive and naive. She has a round, rosy snub-nosed face and brown hair. Miss Pinkerton describes her as industrio

14、us, obedient, sweet, and beloved. She has mastered these accomplishments: music, dancing, orthography, embroidery, and needlework. Amelias loyalty and long, blind devotion to George amount almost to stupidity. Any fault in George she interprets as a fault in herself and accuses herself of guilty lov

15、e to account for his having been killed. Sweet, lovable, refreshing, she has neither the sparkle nor the mentality of Becky. Becky Sharp & Amelia Sedley Amelia remains blind to Dobbins goodness throughout much of the book and although her eyes have been opened to a certain extent regarding Becky

16、, yet when she thinks Becky needs a friend, she returns to comfort and help her. Amelias innocence and ready belief in other people make her unbelievably good in contrast to Beckys unbelievable duplicity. Both attract young men, but for different reasons. Amelia depends on others for her opinions, a

17、nd this is why it takes a sharp companion like Becky to set her straight to make her see realities. Rawdon Crawley Thackeray describes him as a heavy dragoon with strong desires and small brains, who had never controlled a passion in his life. Rawdons marriage and his love for Rebecca and little Raw

18、dy, tame him. and after she(Becky) is alone, she wishes she had Rawdon again She thought about him with great sadness, and perhaps longing about his honest, stupid, constant kindness and fidelity: his never-ceasing obedience; his good humour; his bravery and courage.Contemporary critics Even before

19、the last part of the serial was published, critics hailed the work as a literary treasure. Although the critics were superlative in their praise, they expressed disappointment at the unremittingly dark portrayal of human nature, fearing Thackeray had taken his dismal metaphor too far. In response to

20、 his critics, Thackeray explained that he saw people for the most part abominably foolish and selfish. The unhappy ending was intended to inspire readers to look inward at their own shortcomings.Theorists The novel is a satire of society as a whole, The novel is a satire of society as a whole, chara

21、cterized by hypocrisy and opportunism, but it is characterized by hypocrisy and opportunism, but it is not a reforming novel;not a reforming novel; there is no suggestion that there is no suggestion that social or political changes, or greater piety and moral social or political changes, or greater

22、piety and moral reformism could improve the nature of society. reformism could improve the nature of society. It thus It thus paints a fairly bleak view of the human condition.paints a fairly bleak view of the human condition. This This bleak portrait is continued with Thackerays own role as bleak portrait is continued with Thackerays own role as an omniscient na