名利场.ppt

VanityFair:ANovelwithoutaHeroisanovelbyWilliamMakepeaceThackeray,firstpublishedin1847.Thebook'stitlecomesfromJohnBunyan'sallegoricalstoryThePilgrim'sProgress,firstpublishedin1678andstillwidelyreadatthetimeofThackeray'snovel.Vanityfairreferstoastopalongthepilgrim'sprogress:anever-endingfairheldinatowncalledVanity,whichismeanttorepresentman'ssinfulattachmenttoworldlythings.Thenovelisnowconsideredaclassic,andhasinspiredseveralfilmadaptations.WilliamMakepeaceThackerayThackeray,anonlychild,wasborninCalcutta,India,wherehisfather,RichmondThackeray,heldthehighrankofsecretarytotheboardofrevenueintheBritishEastIndiaCompany.HismotherwastheseconddaughterofHarrietandJohnHarmanBecherwhowasalsoasecretaryfortheEastIndiaCompany.•HeisbestknownnowforVanityFair,withitsdeftskeweringofhumanfoiblesanditsroguishlyattractiveheroine.Hislargenovelsfromtheperiodafterthis,oncedescribedunflatteringlybyHenryJamesasexamplesofloosebaggymonsters,havefadedfromview,perhapsbecausetheyreflectamellowingintheauthor,whobecamesosuccessfulwithhissatiresonsocietythatheseemedtolosehiszestforattackingit.Plotsummary•AmeliaSedley,ofgoodfamily,andRebeccaSharp,anorphan,leaveMissPinkerton'sacademyonChiswickMalltoliveouttheirlivesinVanityFair—theworldofsocialclimbingandsearchforwealth.AmeliadoesnotesteemthevaluesofVanityFair;Rebeccacaresfornothingelse.•RebeccafirstattemptstoenterthesacreddomainofVanityFairbyinducingJosephSedley,Amelia'sbrother,tomarryher.GeorgeOsborne,however,foilsthisplan;heintendstomarryAmeliaanddoesnotwantagovernessforasister-in-law.RebeccatakesapositionasgovernessatQueen'sCrawley,andmarriesRawdonCrawley,secondsonofSirPittCrawley.Becauseofhismarriage,Rawdon'srichauntdisinheritshim.•FirstintroducedasafriendofGeorgeOsborne,WilliamDobbinbecomestheinstrumentforgettingGeorgetomarryAmelia,afterGeorge'sfatherhasforbiddenthemarriageonaccountoftheSedley'slossoffortune.BecauseofGeorge'smarriage,oldOsbornedisinheritshim.GeorgediesatWaterloo.AmeliawouldhavestarvedbutforWilliamDobbin'sanonymouscontributiontoherwelfare.JosephgoesbacktohispostinIndia.BothRebeccaandAmeliagivebirthtosons.•RebeccaclaimsshewillmakeRawdon'sfortune,butactuallyshehidesmuchofherloot,obtainedfromadmiringgentlemen.WhenshebecomesthefavoriteofthegreatLordSteyne,sheaccumulatesbothmoneyanddiamonds.InthemeantimeinnocentRawdondrawsclosertoLadyJane,wifeofRawdon'solderbrother,Pitt,whohasinheritedfromtherichaunt.•WhenRawdondiscoversRebeccainhertreachery,heisconvincedthatmoneymeansmoretoherthanheorthesonwhomshehasalwayshated.HerefusestoseeheragainandtakesapostinCoventryIsland,wherehediesofyellowfever.•BecauseherparentsarestarvingandshecanneitherprovideforthemnorgivelittleGeorgywhatshethinksheneeds,AmeliagivesuphersontohisgrandfatherOsborne.WilliamDobbincomesbackfromtheservice.•RebeccawandersinEuropeforacoupleofyearsandfinallymeetsJoseph,Georgy,Amelia,andWilliamontheContinent.RebeccasetsabouttoensnareJoseph.Shedoesnotmarryhim,buttakesallhismoneyandhediesinterrorofher.•AttheendofthebookRebeccahasthemoneynecessarytoliveinVanityFair;sheappearstoberespectable.WilliamhaswonAmelia.RebeccahasbeentheonewhojoltedAmeliaintorecognitionthatGeorge,herfirstlove,wasn'tworthy.•LittleRawdon,uponthedeathofhisunclePittandhiscousinPitt,becomestheheirofQueen'sCrawley.LittleGeorge,throughthekindnessofDobbin,haslosthisdistortedvaluesobtainedinVanityFair.ThereaderfeelsthattheseyoungpersonsofthethirdgenerationwillbebetterpeoplethantheirpredecessorsinVanityFairCharacters•AmeliaSedley•Ameliaistheheroine:goodnaturedbutpassiveandnaive.ShemarriesGeorgeOsborneagainstthewishesofGeorge'sfather.WhenGeorgediesatthebattleofWaterloo,shebringsuplittleGeorgealoneandwiththememoryofherhusband.SheignoresWilliamDobbin,andtreatshimshabbilyuntileventuallyheleaves.ItisonlyafterBeckyshowsherGeorge'slettertoherthatAmeliarealizeswhatagoodmanDobbinis,althoughshehasalreadywrittentohimtoaskhimtocomeback.SheeventuallymarriesDobbin.•BeckySharp•Theanti-heroine,andAmelia'sopposite,isanintelligentyoungwomanwhohasgreeneyesandagreatdealofwit.FluentinbothFrenchandEnglish,Beckyhasabeautifulsingingvoice,playsthepiano,andshowsgreattalentasanactress.Shelieseasilyandintelligentlytogetherway.Sheisextremelymanipulative.AlthoughBeckymanipulatesmenveryeasily,shedoesnoteventrytocultivatethefriendshipofmostwomen.AmeliaandMissCrawleyareexceptionstotherule.RawdonCrawleyRawdonisanempty-headedcavalryofficerwhoishiswealthyaunt'sfavoriteuntilhemarriesBeckySharp.Thewell-meaningRawdonhasafewtalentsinlife.Heisverygoodatcardsandpool.AlthoughRawdonknowsBeckyisattractivetomen,hebelievesherreputationisspotless.AfterRawdonfindsoutthetruthandleavesBeckyforanassignmentoverseas,heleaveshissontobebroughtupbySirPittandLadyJane.•SirPittCrawley,Baronet•RawdonCrawley'selderbrotherinheritsfromhiselderlyfather,andhealsoinheritsfromhiswealthyaunt,MissCrawley.SirPittisveryreligiousandhaspoliticalaspirations.Somewhatpedanticandconservative,SirPittdoesnothingtohelpRawdonorBeckyevenwhentheyfallonhardtimes.ThisischieflybecauseLadyJanecordiallyhatesBeckywhohadrepaidLadyJane'searlierkindness