解读《名利场》中的女性主义.docx

解读《名利场》中的女性主义.docx

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解读《名利场》中的女性主义

分类号:

H31　　　　密　级：

无

学士学位论文

解读《名利场》中的女性主义

AnAnalysisofFeminisminVanityFair

系别专业：

西语系英语专业

姓名学号：

赵雪娇*******

年级班级：

2012级4班

指导教师及职称：

孙桂荣副教授

2016年4月

吉林师范大学博达学院学位论文原创性声明

本人郑重声明：

所呈交的学位论文，是本人在指导教师的指导下，独立进行研究工作所取得的成果。

除了论文中特别加以标注的地方外，论文中不包含其他人已经发表或撰写过的研究成果。

申请学位论文与资料若有不实之处，本人承担一切相关责任。

作者签字：

赵雪娇

日期：

2016年4月13日

指导教师签字：

日期：

年月日

摘要小说名利场是英国19世纪著名批判现实主义作家萨克雷的成名作品。

作品刻画了截然不同的而又相关交连的两位女性人物贝基、夏普和艾米莉亚、赛得利。

通过这两个女人的悲欢离合，萨克雷反应的是维多利亚时代一个以男性为主导的社会，当时社会风气的腐化堕落和伦理道德败坏的现状。

造就了一种以艾米莉亚为代表的“家中的天使”的女性形象。

而另一种则是以夏普为代表的对当时这种父权制的反抗，勇于向维多利亚习俗挑战，敢于追求财富和地位的女性形象。

关键词名利场，女性形象，维多利亚时代，反抗

AbstractTheVanityFairisafamousnovelthatwaswrotebythecriticalrealismwriterThackerayin19thcentury.itdescribestwodifferentandrelatedgirls,RebeccaandAmelia.Thackerayrevealsamale-dominatedsocietyatVictorianagefromthevicissitudesoftwowomen.it’sacorruptandimmoralsocialculture.Itcreatesa“angleinthehouse”femaleimagethatrepresentedbyAmeliaandtheotherisabravetorebelpatriarchy,tochallengeagainstVictoriancustoms,topursuitwealthandpositionfemaleimagethatrepresentedbyRebecca.

KeywordsVanityfair,Femaleimage,Victorianage,Rebel

1.Introduction

1.1Thackeray’slifeandhisVanityFair

WilliamMakepeaceThackerayisoneofthegreatestcriticalrealistsof19thcentury.ThackeraywasborninJuly1811inIndianCalcutta,anddiedinDecember1863inLondon,hewassenttoEnglandtostudyatsixyearsoldandinheritedhisfather’sheritageatadult,butsoonsquandered,andthenhestudiedlawanddrawingbutnotsucceed,aseriesoftheexperienceoffailurethatmakehimfamiliarwithalllevelsofupper-middle-class,andlatertopracticewritingwritesfornewspapersandmagazines,publishedessays,travelnotes,etc.Thackerayisaprolificwriter.Theworksmorethan35volumes.Hisearlyworksarehumorousstoryandpoetry.Hecreatedcriticalrealismnovelatthemiddleandpublishedvanityfairin1848.ThebookestablishedhispositionintheEnglishliterature,andheisconsideredthegreatcounterparttodickensinthemid-Victoriannovel.Hewritesnoveltrytobeobjective,nothideanddistortthefactsinhisloveordesire.Thereisnotaherointhestorysovanityfair’ssubtitleis“notheronovels”.Thisalsotheinnovationofvanityfair.thestoryoriginatedfromtheBritishupper-middleclassinthe19thcentury.Thecountryprosperous,industryandcommercedevelopedbycrushingcoloniesorexploitedlaborsandarichmerchantwhoischargeofthesociety.EnglandandFrancefightthewarfortitle.Theupper-middleclassallkindsofcharactersfightforfameandprofit,socalled“Bustlingworld,allforprofit,andtheworld,allforreward”.Themainplotofvanityfaircanbedividedintotwoclues.TheoneclueisRebecca’sstoryofdesireandtheotherclueistheromanceofpure,short-sightedAmeliaandemptyshallowGeorge.（Thackeray2012:

XI）.ThepurposeofthispaperistoborrowAmeliaandRebecca’scharacterimagetoanalyzeVictorianwomenimageandposition,andtorevealthediffusethesteepprofitsandselfishnatureofcapitalism.

1.2Women’simageinVictorianEngland

Thesocialbackgroundatthattime,thestatusofwomenwereverylowin19thcentury.Notonlyexpressthedependenceofeconomyandpolity,butalsoislimitedbythepowerofeducationcomparedwiththemen.Womenareconsideredbrainlessandthemostwomenallagreethat.Virginia,wolfthoughtthereasonsthat“inalargeextentarelawsandcustoms”causedthissituationofEnglandwomen.Victorianmentoconfirmtheirvalueandstatusbydominateandcontrolwomen.Theyrequirewomenmustchastity,obedience,kindnessanddedication.Thisisatypicalpatriarchalsocietytogivewomenthemoralstandardchastity:

Victorianupperclassrequireswomenmustbeloyalforherhusband.Womenasmen’saccessoriesnaturallybeloyalforherhusbandevenworship.Inthepatriarchalsocietyofthetime,menandwomenhaveabigdifferentstatus.JustasEngelssaid:

”usuallywomenisconsideredacrimeandtocausegravelegalandsocialconsequences,forthemanwasthoughttobeaglorious,atmosthoweverberegardedasasmallblemishthatcanbeacceptinmoral.Rebeccaasaoppositeteachingmaterial.Sheseducedthemenandgottheinfatuationofmen,thereforepromotingtoahigherposition.AslasttheamourwasfoundbyherhusbandRawdon,sheallreputationandbeavagabond.Ontheotherhand,Ameliaisloyaltoherhusband,evenherhusbanddiedinwar,everytimeshewanttorepayDobbin.“George’sshadowimmediatelyfromthegravestoodupandsaid:

”Youaremine,can’tbelongtoothers.You’reminenow,youcanonlybelongtomeinfuture.”

（1）Fromthefateoftwowomenwasarrangedbyauthor.Awomenspurnedbypeople,awomenpraisedbypeople.Wecanknowtheimportanceofchastityinthatsociety.Obedience:

Whateverthefate,husbandorpassersbyinlife,theattitudealldifferentofRebeccaandAmelia.Rebeccadisobeyedthepoorlifeandmarriage.Aftermarriage,shealsodisobeyedwithRawdon.Sheisarepresentativeoffeminism,buttheseedsofthishintoffeministsubjectedtheattacksofmalechauvinism.Therefore,evenintheintrigueoffameinthefield.Shehastopretendtoobey,becausethisisthemen’sidealof“femininity”.It’stheonlywaytoclimbthesocialmosthighend.Kindhearted:

thekindheartedisnotonlyreflectedinfameandtheattitudeofmoney,itdependsmoreondealingwiththingsandtherelationshipofpeople.Rebeccanevercontactwiththepeoplewhodon’thavetheinterestrelationship,sowhenRebeccaleftnobodysadbutAmelialikesasingleroundpebbles.whensheleft,theyareallcry.Howeverinthemaleasthecenterofsociety.MenalllikeAmelia.Dedication:

dedicationinwomenisaneternaltopic.IntheVictorianperiod,wife,mothershoulddevoteeverythingforherhusband.Childrenandfamily,Ameliaisthetypicalofthisspirit.Forherhusband’sloyaltyisonlyasmallpartofthededication.Afterthelossofherhusband.Ameliatreatshersonasherlife.Whenhersonisnotaround,sheoftenwalkslongdistancetoseeherson’swindow.Sheisagreatwifeandmother.

2.AmeliaSedley—theVictorianAngelintheHouse

2.1ObedientandkindheartedAmelia

Inthestory,Ameliaisaobedientdaughter,loyalwife.conscientiousmother.kindheartedfriend.Sheisatypicalrepresentativeof“angelinthehouse”inVictorianage.Ameliawasborninarichfamily.Shehadagoodeducationinthechild.ShestudiedinthefamousPinkerton’sfemaleacademyinEngland.Shefinishedallthecoursesthatwasrequiredbytheupperclasssociety.Includingmusic,dance,orthography,embroidery,sewing,geographicalandphysicalcourses.ThesecoursesofstudytoAmeliahasarichknowledgeandgoodmoralself-cultivationandsheisveryfriendlytothestudents.Intheschool,Ameliaisapopulargirl,becausethefamilybackground,hardworkandgentlecharacter,shehasmanyadmirationandlove.Thackeraycalledher”alovelylittleanimal”and“goodcharacter”.Shecriedforadeadcanary.Orcriedforamousewascaughtbyacat.Shewasvulnerable.Suchassomeonesaidtohernotfriendly,thenthispersonisverybadforher.RebeccaandAmelialearninthesamePinkerton’sfemaleacademy.Aftergraduation,thekindheartedAmeliagetsthehomelessRebeccatohome.Rebeccawanttogetthewealthandachieveherdream.Shewasveryhumble,shequicklywonthefavorofAmelia’sfamilyandthefriendshipofAmelia.SoAmeliawanttohelpRebeccaandherbrother’smarriage.AmeliaalsosentherthingstoherfriendRebecca.Thackerayinthenoveldescribesrespectivelythescene:

thetwoofthemdevotiontocuddlewith,themostpathetictears,thesmelling-bottle,andsomeoftheverybestfeelingsoftheheart.Apersonsincerely,anotherpersondoawonderfulfalseplay（Thackeray2012:

125）.

2.2SpinelessandparasiticAmelia

Ameliahassomeobviousshortcomings.Sheisweakandtimid,dependentonotherswithouttheabilitytofacedifficultiesorunhappythings.Shecan’tdealwithbyherself.Shewillcryoravoidratherthantryingtosolve,shewon’ttouseherbrainoradvantageinmostcasesintoyield.HerhusbandGeorgediedinthewar.shebecameawidow,herfathergobankrupt.HerfatherinlawoldOsbornekeptprejudiceandhostilitytoher.Ameliajustbearsilently.Shewon’ttochangeit.Justwhenhersonbornthatgavehersomecomfort.AnotherexamplealsoillustratesAmelia’sgentleandincompetent,selfdeceptionandselfdestruction.Inaparty,Rebeccaflirtedwithherhusband.Dancingtogether.ButAmeliasatinadarkcorner.Obviouslyshewasabandonedbyherhusbandbutshedoesn’tknow.Ameliaisuselessandalwaystoputthehopeoflifeonothers.Shewantstogetassistanceandprotectionfromothers.Theauthorcalledher“weakparasites”.Amelialovesvain,vacuousandrichGeorgewithherallenergy.Inhermind,Georgeishersun.Georgegoestoplaygambleandentertainment,shethoughtherhusbandmustbebusyinthetroopandGeorge’ssistersoftenpurposelymakedifficultiesforher.Afterthebankruptcyofherfather,George’sfathertoreofftheirengagement,butthelovesickAmeliastillrefusedtogiveuptheloveforGeorge.WiththehelpofDobbin,AmeliaandGeorgemarriedsecretly.HoweverwhenGeorgeknewhiseconomywascutoffbyhisfather.Heveryregretful.Inthehoneymoon,Georgestartedtopursuepleasureoutside.Ameliawasdesolated,butherlovedidn’tchange,evenafterGeorgedied,sheputhimasGod.Shethoughthermarriedtoagoodmanlikeangelwon’tbeabletomarryanyone,thesonisheronlyhopeofwife.Shethoughthersonismost