The Interretation of Rebecca in Vanity Fair.docVIP

云南民族大学外语学院07-08学年学期论文 ——文献综述 任课教师：马瑜 班 级：05级C班 学 号：2005064310 姓 名：马彬彬 日 期：2008-6-17 The Interpretation of Rebecca in Vanity Fair Introduction Vanity Fair was the masterpiece of Thackeray, who was a representative of critical realism in 19th century England. In this work Thackeray gave a vivid picture of the upper-class society. This novel was called a novel without a hero, in which Rebecca Sharp was the most impressive character. I have read and consulted many materials regarding Rebecca in Vanity Fair, now I conclude some analyses of Rebecca’s image, which are listed as follows: The vermin and victim of the society Rebecca was the most vivid and best-created image in Vanity Fair. Many critics regarded Beckey as an evil, loose, snobbish, brazen, and ambitious adventuress. However, Zhang Shengzhen, the lecturer of School of Foreign Languages in Shandong Normal University, said that, “The society in which Rebecca lived was totally a hypocritical, snobbish, merciless, flattering vanity fair. As a poor orphan, Rebecca was born without status or wealth. The society didn’t offer her any chance, but harsh criticism of her painstaking efforts to obtain chances.” From her experience, we see the people in the lower-class struggle, pursue for a living by every possible means. Therefore, according to her time and her experience, doubtlessly, she was also the victim of that age. Along with the suffering she brought to other people, she herself also suffered lots of agony. In her time, marriage is women’s fate, so, as for Rebecca, marriage is a shortcut to change her life situation, and accordingly, Rebecca employed marriage to pursue wealth, status, power and influence. Her first plan was to pursue Amelia’s brother Joseph, but failed as a result of humble birth. And then she successfully and secretly married Rawdon Crawley, who had bright prospect of inheriting his rich aunt’s property. Rebecca pleased