名利场讽刺手法分析

AnAnalysisonSatiricalDevicesinHowtoLiveWellonNothingaYear,VanityFairInHowtoLiveWellonNothingaYear,VanityFair,aquiterepresentativeexcerpt,Thackerayabundantlyandappropriatelyemploysthesatiricaldevicebyelaboratedescriptionofthewell-craftedandcompellingfeaturesofthecharactersinprofoundlycynicalandtrenchantwords,whichoutrightrevealshismarvelouscapabilityinwritingsatire.Toachievetheironicartisticeffect,heusedvariousmethodssuchasmakinglargequantitiesofliterarycomparisons,employingsymbolisminnaming,makingsarcasticcommentsonthecharactersandusingculturalallusionsandetc.Moreover,thewayThackerayemployssatiricaldeviceisnevertoodeliberatebutexceedinglynaturalandsmooth,makingtheauthor’ssarcasticattitudebetweenthelinespeculiarlyamusingtoperceivebythereaders.InthesecondparagraphofHowtoLiveWellonNothingaYear,whendescribingtheluxuriantandcomfortablelivesthatMr.andMrs.CrawleyledsoonaftertheirarrivalinParis,theauthorwrote,“whomayhavebeendisposedduringthisperiodofelationtoslightthepeople”,inwhichthesatiricaltonewasrathercrystal-clear.Thephrase“disposedto”vividlyindicatedthatMr.CrawleydidorpaidliterallynothingbutcouldstilllivewellandbefervidlywelcomedsimplyonthearistocraticprestigeoftheCrawleyfamily,ormoreprecisely,hisaunt,revealingthehypocrisyandabsurdityofthearistocratsofhigherclass.“Thisperiodofelationtoslightthepeople”showedMr.Crawley’sgenuineattitudetowardsthemilitaryandthewar:heactuallydespisedthemandonlywantedtomakeagreatfortunefromthewar,nomatterhowdespicableandabhorrentthatwas.AsThackerayputitinasatiricaltone,“OurfriendtheColonelhadagreataptitudeforallgamesofchance,andexercisinghimself,ashecontinuallydid,withthecards”,hedescribedMr.Crawley’stirelessindulgenceingamblingofallkindsas“exercisinghimselfwiththecards”,sneeringathispursuitofnothingseriousormeaningfulbutindulgentpleasureingambling.AsThackerayemployedanomniscientnarratortotellthestory,heevenstartedwith“ourfriend”torefertoMr.Crawleyinasuperficiallyeasygoingtone,furtherheighteningtheeffectofsatire.InthischapterofVanityFair,sometimesthesatiricaldeviceThackerayemployedcouldberatherobscureinformbutstillefficientinconveyingironicmeaning.WhiledescribingthedayswhenMrs.Crawleycommittedfraudthroughherelaborately-settricksinParis,theauthorwrote,“thisfatalamusementcommonlywaspracticedmuchtogood-naturedlittleMrs.Crawley’sannoyance”.Inthissentence,ThackerayreferredtoRebeccaas“good-naturedlittleMrs.Crawley”,apparentlyemployingthemethodofantiphrasistoemphasizethatshewas,intruth,anevil-naturedandgo-gettingwomanwhowouldseizeanychancetogetwhatevershewantedbymeansoffairorfoul.Furthermore,inahypocriticaltone,theauthorindicatedthatMrs.Crawleywascheatingpeopleoutoftheirmoneyinthoseprivategamblinghouses.Thewell-craftedsentencesconveyingintenselysatiricalmeaninglikethiswereabundantinHowtoLiveWellonNothingaYear,makingthescenesintheworkamazinglylivelyandthecharacters’characteristicsprofoundlydistinct.Besidesthesatiricaldevicesabove,Thackeraymadelotsofcomparisonstoachieveanironicliteraryeffectaswell.Forinstance,beforethedeathofMr.Crawley’sauntandtheirbusyarrangingtheaffairsoftheinheritance,Mr.andMrs.Crawleysimplyoccupiedalittleentresolofahotel,butsoonafterthattheytookthepremierandmadesomuchtrivialandluxuriantrequestondecorations;Mrs.Crawleynevergenuinelycaredforherbiologicalson,“shehadnot,tosaytruth,seenmuchoftheyounggentlemansincehisbirth”,whilethenannyofherson,thegardener’swife,trulylovedandtookverygoodcareofMrs.Crawley’syoungson,“forsometimeawaitedquiteanxiouslyhisreturn”;Mr.andMrs.CrawleyusedtoleadsoluxuriantandmunificentlifeamongthearistocratsinParis,however,someweeksafterCrawleys’departure,somanypeopleincludingthelandlordofthehotel,themillinerandeventhenurseofMrs.Crawley’ssonhadn’tbeenpaidapenny.余威152214101219