A Feminist Analysis of Two Women in Vanity Fair

1、论 文 摘 要威廉·梅克皮斯·萨克雷是英国批判现实主义代表作家之一，小说名利场是他的代表作。作品描述了两个截然不同却又相互关联的两位女性人物贝蒂和艾米丽亚。作者通过对两位女主人公不同的性格及命运的描写深刻地抨击了当时社会的金钱至上的腐朽和在当时男权社会中女人所处的地位。本文主要在介绍作者的女性主义思想发展的基础上，从女性主义角度对小说中两位女性形象进行分析。通过作者对笔下两位女性生动的描写，读者可以看到萨克雷对这两位女斗士的态度与波伏娃的女性主义理论不谋而合。关键词：女性主义；女性形象；男权社会；赞扬 Abstract William Makepeace Thackeray

2、 is one of the representatives of the English critical realistic writers. Vanity Fair is regarded as his masterpiece. It follows the fortunes of two contrasting but inter-linked lives, through two women characters，Becky and Amelia .Through describing the different lives of Becky and Amelia in happy

3、times and sorrowful days, the writer examines the position and role of women in a money-oriented and status-conscious male wok, attacks a corrupted and hypocritical society. This paper mainly analyzes the two female images in Vanity Fair from the perspective of feminism based on the authors thought

4、development of feminism. Through Thackerays vivid description of the two females in a male-oriented society, we can see the authors attitude towards the two women coincides with Beauvoirs feminist theories.Key words: feminism; female image; male-oriented society; praise Table of ContentsAbstract (Ch

5、inese) .IAbstract (English) .II1. Introduction.11.1 Thackerays life11.2 Thackerays “Vanity Fair”11.3 Feminism.11.4 The purpose of this paper.12. The Sources of Thackerays Feminism.22.1 The social sources.32.2 His family sources.33. A Feminist Analysis of Amelia.33.1A warm-hearted and pure Amelia.33.

6、2 An unswerving and faithful girl43.3An courageous and decisive Amelia.54. A Feminist Analysis of Rebecca.64.1 An iron-willed and independent Rebecca.64.2 A rebellious and smart Rebecca64.3An ambitious and adventurous Rebecca75. Conclusion.8Bibliography.9Acknowledgements101. Introduction This part m

7、akes a brief introduction to the author Thackeray, his novel Vanity Fair, and feminism, and also introduces the heroines in the novel Vanity Fair from the perspective of feminism. This paper will give a different idea. 1.1 Thackerays life and his “Vanity Fair”The English novelist William Makepeace T

8、hackeray created unrivaled panoramas (thorough and complete studies of subjects) of English upper-middle-class life, crowded with memorable characters displaying the realistic mixture of virtue, vanity, and vice. Thackeray (1811-1863) was a representative of critical realism in the 19th century Engl

9、and. He was born in India in the family of an English official. In his early life, Thackeray wrote all kinds of articles, mainly short pieces for journals and relatively slim books.1.2 Thackerays “Vanity Fair”Vanity Fair was a turning point in Thackeray's life and career. A gentleman by birth an

10、d education, Thackeray was forced to earn his living by writing because most of his money had been lost in a financial crash. The articles, reviews, essays, and sketches he produced for magazines and newspapers did not provide sufficient income either to support a gentleman's status or to provid

11、e for the futures of his two daughters. In addition, writing for a living made his status as a gentleman somewhat tenuous. The serialization of Vanity Fair, which was a financial success, quickly established Thackeray's literary reputation. Thackeray was jubilant, "There is no use denying t

12、he matter or blinking it now. I am become a sort of great man in my way-all but at the top of the tree: indeed there if the truth were known and having a great fight up there with Dickens." Though Thackeray's novels never sold at the rate of Dickens's novels (in the tens of thousands),

13、he became financially secure with Vanity Fair. Also his social status as a gentleman was assured because of his acknowledged genius; he was no longer an amusing, talented hack writer, just one of a crowd of London journalists.1.3 FeminismIn a simple way, feminism is a belief in the social, political

14、 and economic equality of the sexes, and a movement organized around the conviction that biological sex should not be the pre-determinant factor shaping a person's social identity or socio-political or economic rights. Many feminists are especially concerned with social, political and economic i

15、nequalities between the sexes which favor men at women's expense; some have also argued that gendered and sexed identities, such as "man" and "woman", are socially constructed. Feminists may disagree over the sources of inequality, how to attain equality, and the extent to wh

16、ich gender and gender-based identities should be questioned and critiqued; some of this disagreement may stem from continuing pressure to conform to masculine norms”(董靖历，2005)The goal of feminist history is to explore and illuminate the female viewpoint of history through the rediscovery of female w

17、riters, artists, philosophers, etc, in order to recover and demonstrate the significance of women's voices and choices in the past. Two particular problems which feminist history attempts to address are the exclusion of women from the historical and philosophical tradition, and the negative char

18、acterization of women or the feminine in it; however, feminist history is not solely concerned with issues of gender per se, but rather with the reinterpretation of history in a more holistic and balanced manner.1.4 The purpose of this paper This thesis is to discuss the two main female characters i

19、mages from the feminism perspective, which can make readers know more about the novel and the main themes as well as the social background. Whats more, this thesis can make them know the authors writing intention. Readers will have a deep understanding of the novel and the characters in the novel. A

20、t the same time, these discussions can give some implications for the modern readers and the modern women. 2. The Sources of Thackerays FeminismAccording to a lot of literature about Thackeray, we can easily discover that his feminism can be traced back to the social circumstances and his family lif

21、e in Thackerays day.2.1 The social sourcesIn the authors living time, Ancient Great Britain, after experiencing the 17th centurys bourgeois revolution and 18th centurys industrial revolution, until 19th century, finally finished the primitive accumulation of capital based on the large scale colonial

22、 plunder. In that time, with the fast development of the science and technology, peoples ideology and faith changed a lot. Females began to realize their poor living situation, and the discrimination against them, and they decided to struggle for themselves. The Feminist movement emerged around the

23、late 19th century with the beginnings of the first wave of feminism.2.2 His family sources To a large degree, Thackerays feminism thought derived from his family, his mother, wife, and his daughters. Melville says, “Thackeray had a nature of almost womanly softness”(Melville, & Lewis. 1996.)Thac

24、kerays close relationship can be seen in his letters and the other books about him. These women and their ideas had a great influence on Thackerays thought. He showed great concern and sympathy for women in his life or his works because of his miserable life. That is the reason why we call him a fem

25、inist in some degree. In Vanity Fair, he showed pity and respect to these two women.3. A Feminist Analysis of AmeliaAmelia is the heroine of this novel. She has many traditional virtues. Her pure and warm-hearted nature, unswerving and faithful belief, and her courageous and decisive spirit make a g

26、ood impression on readers.3.1A warm-hearted and pure AmeliaShe lives a rich and happy life where she has the chance to receive a good education and grow up healthily and happily. Since childhood, she is treated with all courtesy and mothers intensive care which shapes her with the characters of gent

27、ility and kindness. From “ cry over a dead canary-bird; or over a mouse”(Thackeray, & William. 1997.) it can be easily seen that Amelia is good-natured with a great mercy since that she will cry for a dead creature such as a mouse. Amelias parents Mr. Sedly and Mrs. Sedly are very kind people, e

28、specially Mr. Sedly. He is kind to Miss Sharp though she is only a poor and ordinary governess from the lower class in the hierarchical society. And Joseph, Amelias brother is dull and silly, but he is a friendly man to others. After all, in this family, there is no acrid or evil person. Thus the ha

29、rmonious family environment makes a significant contribution to Amelias personality and her nature. Amelia is a mild, kind-hearted lady. Besides, she is an innocent girl without any evil tricks in the traditional society.Also Amelia longs for love. George Osborne who comes from a wealthy family is h

30、er emotional dependence. She pins her happiness on the love she pursuits. “George was her Europe, her emperor, her allied monarchs and august prince regent He was her sun and moon when he came to Russel Square, her face lighted up as if she had been sunshine As soon as the door was shut, she went fl

31、uttering to lieutenant George Osbornes heart as if it was the only natural home for her to nestle in.” (Thackeray & William.1997.) Her love for George is so pure and deep.In addition to that, Amelia is no doubt a pure and innocent person. She is just like a lily blooming in an ugly and vulgar so

32、ciety. The evil tricks never appear in her mind. She considers everybody to be kind-hearted. For example, Amelia couldnt understand Miss Pinkerton, the head-teacher of her school treats her very well just because her family is rich and Miss Pinkerton could benefit from her. In Amelia mind, Rebecca i

33、s her good girlfriend. However, Rebecca takes advantage of Amelias innocence to achieve her own aim. Although Rebecca has a lot of tricks, she wouldnt like to hurt Amelia because she realizes Amelia is a good girl. Good mind, good find.As the heroine of this novel, Amelia is endowed with a pure and

34、warm heart. She is the most beautiful angel in this novel.3.2 An unswerving and faithful girlAmelia is an unswerving and faithful girl, which we could know through her attitude to Rebecca and Amelia.Amelia was one heroine in Vanity Fair. She was kind-hearted, softhearted and tender love toward her l

35、over, her friend and all people around her. In the following excerpts, it is clear to us.First, Amelia showed her deep love. Although he died, she established a kind of worship for the dead. For instance, in this room was all Amelias heart and treasure. Amelia loves George Osborne purely and faithfu

36、lly as always. From the moment she falls in love with him, she never changes her love no matter what happens. However, even Georges father makes her family bankrupt, she still love him. Her love for Mr. Osborne has become an emotional dependence even he died in the war, just as “hanging on happy and

37、 loving by day and by night, and reigned over it always.”(Gordon N. Ray. 1946.)Second, Amelia was kind-hearted to her friend, Rebecca. When Rebecca saw the two magnificent Cashmere shawls, which Joseph Sadly had brought home to his sister, she said, with perfect truth, “that it must be delightful to

38、 have a brother,” and easily got the pity of the tender-hearted Amelia, for being alone in the world, an orphan without friends or kindred. “Not alone,” said Amelia; “you know, Rebecca, I shall always be your friend, and love you as a sisterindeed I will.”(董靖历，2005)3.3An courageous and decisive Amel

39、iaIn this novel, Amelia is always seen as a weak and tame girl by many critics, but actually she is not. She loves George deeply for over half of her life. But George want to elope with her best friendRebecca before his going into the war. She does not know this. After Georges death, she doesnt choo

40、se to remarry a new husband even though Dobbin is passionately devoted to her, she refuses him. Then Amelia persists in widowhood for fifteen years. Fifteen years can never be a short time for a lonely woman with a child. It is really hard to imagine how she can go through the tough time. From this

41、point, we have to admit that Amelia is a brave and courageous girl. After Rebecca telling Amelia that George ever wanted to elope with her, Amelia suddenly understand everything. That is too cruel for her who has sacrificed everything to love this man. But to our surprise, Amelia snaps out of it qui

42、ckly and bravely. She realizes that George doesnt deserve her love at all and Dubbin who loves and takes care of her all the time should be the real one deserved her love. Later, she gets married with Dubbin and lives a happy life since then. Therefore Amelia is not a weak girl. After the analysis o

43、f Amelia, we can find that she is a pure, kind, faithful and courageous woman. The author, Thackeray gives her a perfect ending and let this beautiful angel find her true love and get out of the depression. Inferring from the authors arrangement, we can easily know that Thackerays attitude towards A

44、melia is positive. He admired Amelias courage. In his eyes Amelia is an angel and fighter who has so many virtues, fight for herself, pursue what she want and courageously jumps out of the trap of the traditional concept of love and marriage in an male-oriented society at last. 4. A Feminist Analysi

45、s of RebeccaBecky is another the heroine of this novel who has the virtues and the feminism features such as her independence and her fighting for her own fate, her rebellious as well as her smart female images.4.1 An iron-willed and independent Rebecca Rebecca Sharp was born in a poor family. Her f

46、ather was a beaten-up picture teacher, and her mother is a follower of song and dance drama. She lives a very hard life since her childhood, so she dreams of getting rid of predicament and going into the upper class. She suffers poverty, discrimination, inequity, and loneliness.Rebecca is an iron-wi

47、lled and independent woman. She wants to break away from the control of patriarchy and change her situation via her own strength. She has a mind to pursue economic independence so that she can achieve social status and realize her value. No matter what disasters happen to her, she always cheers up q

48、uickly and appears nothing has happened.4.2 A rebellious and smart RebeccaBecky uses all methods possible and her wisdom to develop its social status. In order to get the result needed she applies all kinds of techniques and measures? All these artifices serve the ultimate objective of touching the

49、central power of the society and occupying one part of the Vanity Fair to control the society to bring more profits. (王宪昭，2001)Becky Sharp is a crafty, smart and tricky woman. Her life goal is to gain money and get into the upper society. To achieve this goal, she does everything: flatter, betray an

50、d spoil other people. She does not love anyone except herself, even her own destiny man who always shares everything with her all the time. “Revenge may be wicked, but its natural”( Gordon N. Ray. 1946.) shows her “revengeful thoughts” which suggests that she will manage her goal at any costs with a

51、ny means. It is certain that Rebecca is a smart girl. When in Amelias home, she knows everyones characters and habits quickly, and knows how to cater to others. In a short time, she almost gets everyone be fond of her. And Rebeccas life goal is wealth and high society status. She never gives up her

52、dream. She tries everything to conquer the man dominated world no matter how hard it is. As a rebellious woman, she never surrenders to anyone. As smart and energetic woman, she knows how to make others like her or love her so that she could obtain her goal and dream. Thackeray portrays such a image

53、 as a female fighter in a male-oriented world. In this novel, Thackeray makes her achieve her dream at last, which is the best reward to her great spirit.4.3An ambitious and adventurous RebeccaRebecca is an ambitious and adventurous woman, which is caused by her miserable social and family reasons.

54、In her early life, Rebecca is a poor girl. When she was young, her mother died. her father was a poor painter who was an alcoholic and died when she was only seventeen. Rebecca worked while studying with no dependence and receiving great discrimination and cold-shoulder. Personnel changes and the de

55、solate life made her profoundly noticed the importance of wealth and status in that false, snobbish and cold society. She vowed to herself to be rich when she was only a little girl. Later, she did not miss any chance of entering into the upper society, just as “Rebeccas wit, cleverness, and flippan

56、cy made her speedily the vogue in London among a certain class” (Thackeray & William. 1997.)In order to win the man who dominates the society, she flirts with them. In such a man dominated society, if Rebecca wants to establish her high class status, she has to do something adventurous. Living i

57、s the most important thing for a woman, so she has to survive by hook or by crook. Just as Rebecca says, “I think I could be a good woman if I had five thousand a year. I could dawdle about in the nursery, and count the apricots on the wall. I could water plants in a greenhouse, and pick off dead leaves from the geraniums.” (Thackeray & William. 1997.)Rebecca Sharp is a new and modern fe