1、VanityFair第1页，共17页。BackgroundContentCharactersLiterary significance and criticism 第2页，共17页。Historical 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
2、 society.Britain was at war with France,which is the battle of Waterloo.All the people among the upper-middle society scrambled for fame,wealth and power.第3页，共17页。Publication Vanity Fair:A Novel without a Hero is a novel by William Makepeace Thackeray,first published in 184748,satirizing society in
3、early 19th-century Britain.The books title comes from John Bunyans 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.第4页，共17页。Content o
4、f the novelAmelia Sedley,of good family,and Rebecca Sharp,an orphan,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 a
5、s governess at Queens Crawley,and marries Rawdon Crawley.But 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 anon
6、ymous contribution to her welfare.Both Rebecca and Amelia 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
7、has inherited from the rich aunt.When Rawdon discovers Rebecca in her treachery,he left her.第5页，共17页。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
8、 the service,reconciles old Osborne to Amelia,whereat 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.Rebec
9、ca sets about to finish what she started 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 l
10、ive in Vanity Fair;she appears to 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.第6页，共17页。Analysis of the ch
11、aractersBecky SharpAmelia SedleyJos SedleyRawdon CrawleySir Pitt CrawleyMiss Matida CrawleyGeorge OsborneWilliam Dobbin第7页，共17页。Becky 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（波西（波西米亚人）米亚人）,by taste
12、 and circumstance.第8页，共17页。She sacrifices husband,child,friends to it;but she enjoys the battle.At least I shall be amongst gentlefolks and not with vulgar city people.第9页，共17页。After eavesdropping on Williams talk with Amelia,Becky says to herself,“What a noble heart that man has,and how shamefully
13、that woman plays with it.if 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.”第10页，共17页。Amelia SedleyAmelia is considered the heroine:good natured but passive and naive.She has a round,rosy snub-nosed face and brown hair.Miss Pinkerton
14、describes her as industrious,obedient,sweet,and beloved.She has mastered these accomplishments:music,dancing,orthography,embroidery,and needlework.第11页，共17页。“She was of a wild,roving nature,inherited from father and mother,who were both Bohemians（波西米亚人）,by taste and circumstance.Sir Pitt CrawleyRebe
15、cca takes a position as governess at Queens Crawley,and marries Rawdon Crawley.Becky SharpBecause 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.PublicationPublicationWhen Rawdon discove
16、rs Rebecca in her treachery,he left her.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.CharactersBoth attract young men,but for different reasons.Historical ContextRebecca,having lost the respectabil
17、ity of a husband,wanders in Europe for a couple of years and finally meets Joseph,Georgy,Amelia,and William on the Continent.Amelia Sedleyand 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 kindnes
18、s and fidelity:his never-ceasing obedience;his good humour;his bravery and courage.George dies at Waterloo.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 love to account for his havin
19、g been killed.Sweet,lovable,refreshing,she has neither the sparkle nor the mentality of Becky.第12页，共17页。Becky Sharp&Amelia SedleyAmelia remains blind to Dobbins goodness throughout much of the book and although her eyes have been opened to a certain extent regarding Becky,yet when she thinks Becky n
20、eeds 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,and this is why it takes a sharp com
21、panion like Becky to set her straight to make her see realities.第13页，共17页。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 Rawdy,tame him.and after she(Be
22、cky)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.第14页，共17页。Contemporary critics Even before the last part of the serial
23、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 his critics,Thackeray explained
24、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.第15页，共17页。After eavesdropping on Williams talk with Amelia,Becky says to herself,“What a noble heart that man has,and how shamefully that wo
25、man plays with it.The novel is a satire of society as a whole,characterized by hypocrisy and opportunism,but it is not a reforming novel;there is no suggestion that social or political changes,or greater piety and moral reformism could improve the nature of society.Becky Sharp&Amelia SedleyMiss Pink
26、erton describes her as industrious,obedient,sweet,and beloved.Amelia SedleyBritain was at war with France,which is the battle of Waterloo.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.Af
27、ter 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.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 attachme
28、nt to worldly things.Even before the last part of the serial was published,critics hailed the work as a literary treasure.At least I shall be amongst gentlefolks and not with vulgar city people.Rebecca,having lost the respectability of a husband,wanders in Europe for a couple of years and finally me
29、ets Joseph,Georgy,Amelia,and William on the Continent.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.Theorists The novel is a satire of society as a whole,
30、characterized by The novel is a satire of society as a whole,characterized by hypocrisy and opportunism,but it is not a reforming novel;hypocrisy and opportunism,but it is not a reforming novel;there there is no suggestion that social or political changes,or greater piety is no suggestion that socia
31、l or political changes,or greater piety and moral reformism could improve the nature of society.and moral reformism could improve the nature of society.It It thus paints a fairly bleak view of the human condition.thus paints a fairly bleak view of the human condition.This This bleak portrait is cont
32、inued with Thackerays own role as an bleak portrait is continued with Thackerays own role as an omniscient narrator,one of the writers best known for using omniscient narrator,one of the writers best known for using the technique.He continually offers asides about his the technique.He continually of
33、fers asides about his characters and compares them to actors and puppets,but his characters and compares them to actors and puppets,but his scorn goes even as far as his readers;accusing scorn goes even as far as his readers;accusing all who may be all who may be interested in such Vanity Fairs as being either of a lazy,or a interested in such Vanity Fairs as being either of a lazy,or a benevolent,or a sarcastic mood.benevolent,or a sarcastic mood.第16页，共17页。Thank you.第17页，共17页。
