英文读书报告.doc

_The Reading Report of Vanity Fair Student number: 1. The author:Thackeray William Makepeace was an English journalist, novelist, famous for his novel VANITY FAIR (1847-48), a tale of middle-class families in London. Most of Thackerays major novels were published as monthly serials. Thackeray studied in a satirical and moralistic light to describe middle-class English life .He was once seen as the equal of his contemporary Dickens.William Makepeace Thackeray was born in Calcutta in 1811. His parents returned to England in 1817 and Thackeray was educated at Charterhouse and Trinity College, Cambridge. His father was an officer of the East India Company. When he was 4 years old, his father died and a wealthy merchant became his stepfather who always moved in polite society. However, Thackeray became addicted to gambling and left Cambridge in 1830 without a degree and heavily in debt. And then he began writing. Thackeray moved to Paris where he became the French correspondent for the radical newspaper The Constitutional. When The Constitutional ceased publication, Thackeray moved back to England and began contributing articles to a wide variety of newspapers and journals, including The Times, The Morning Chronicle, Frasers Magazine and Punch Magazine. And Thackeray began writing novels and in 1844 Frasers Magazine serialized Barry Lyndon. Because of life experience about moving in upper society and knowing the rules very much, in 1847 Thackeray published his most famous novel, Vanity Fair. This was followed by The History of Henry Edmonds (1852), New comes (1853) and The Virginians (1857). Although a successful novelist, Thackeray continued to write articles for journals such as Punch Magazine. In 1859 he became editor of the Cornhill Magazine, a monthly literary journal published by George Smith. William Makepeace Thackeray died in 1863. 2. The Background This novel was drawn from the British upper society of the early 19th century. On the time the British was a powerful country having prosperous industry. The whole society was controlled by wealthy merchants who got great profits through exploiting the workers or oppressing the people of the colonies, meanwhile the war for more colonies between British and France was at the corner. As to the current upper class, they were busy in chasing and competing fame and fortune, interested in showing off how elite the lives were. The so-called upper class and successful men paid much attention to how to extend their wealth and enjoyed vanity bringing pleasure and a sense of superiority.3. The Summary of The Book The story starts at Miss Pinkertons Academy for Young Ladies, whereBecky Sharp and Amelia Sedley, two major characters studied. They are preparing to depart for Amelias house which is in Russell Square. At Russell Square, Miss Sharp is introduced to the dashing and conceited Captain George Osborne whom Amelia has been into since she was at a young age, and to Amelias brother Joseph Sedley, a clumsy but rich civil-servant working at the East India Company. Becky notices Mr. Sedley and hopes to marry him in order to get wealthy, but she fails because of warnings from Captain Osborne, Sedleys own shyness, and Mr.Sedleys own embarrassment over his some foolish behavior after being drunk at Vauxhall. Staying for not long time, Becky Sharp says farewell to Sedleys family and begin the service of the crude and profligatebaronet Sir Pitt Crawley, who has employed her as afamily tutorto his daughters, where she met his second son Rawson Crawley. Her outstanding behavior at Sir Pitts house gains his favor, and after the premature death of his second wife, he proposes to her. However, he finds that she is already secretly married to Rawdon.Sir Pitts elder sisterMiss Crawley, who is a spinster, is very rich, having inherited her mothers fortune of 70,000. The Crawley families are longing for her property and act ingratiatingly in front of her. Initially her favorite is Sir Pitts younger son, Captain Rawdon Crawley. And for some time, Becky acts as Miss Crawleys companion for smart behaviors, living with Miss Crawley in London and Becky is deeply attracted by the lives of rich upper classes in the London Town. After breaking the news of her marriage with her nephew, out of anger and a feeling shamed, Miss Crawley decided not to inherit her nephew. The married couple constantly attempt to obey to Miss Crawley, and she relents little. However, she refuses to change her will.While Becky Sharp is living better, Amelias father, John Sedley, is bankrupted. The Sedleys and Osbornes were once close allies, but the relationship between the two families is ended after the Sedleys broke, and the marriage of Amelia and George is forbidden. George ultimately decides to marry Amelia against his fathers will simply, at the same time, due to the pressure of his friend Dobbin who cares Amelia a lot, and George is consequently inherited nothing from his father. While these personal events take place, here comes the Napoleonic Wars. George Osborne and William Dobbin are suddenly deployed toBrussels, as Captain Crawley at Brighton. Already, the newly wedded Osborne is growing tired of Amelia, and he becomes attracted to Becky who can help to show his advantages.At a ball in Brussels, George gives Becky a note inviting her to run away with him. He regrets this marriage shortly decided with Amelia, who has been deeply hurt by his attentions towards her former friend. The morning after, he is sent to Waterloo with Captain Crawley and Dobbin, leaving Amelia distraught. Becky, on the other hand, is indifferent to her husbands departure. She tries to help Amelia, but Amelia responds angrily, disgusted by Beckys flirtatious behavior at the ball and her lack of concern about Captain Crawley. Becky, regardless of this snub, wants to save the situation between the two women that have kept friendship for years. Becky is not very concerned for the outcome of the war, either. If Napoleonic shouldwin, she plans to become the mistress of one of marshals, and meanwhile she makes a profit selling her carriage and horses at inflated prices to panicking Britons seeking to flee the city. She plans almost everything, as the author writes, ”she is hard like a nut. ”Captain Crawley survives, but George dies in the battle. Amelia bears him a son who is also named George. She returns to live with her parents and is going to raise the kid by herself. Meanwhile, Dobbin, who is young Georges godfather, gradually begins to express his love bravely for widowed Amelia through lasting kindnesses to her and her son. Dobbin picks up Amelias precious piano at an auction, but Amelia mistakenly assumes this was done by her late husband. She is too much in love with Georges memory to feel Dobbins affections. Sadly, Dobbin goes to India for many years.As to Becky, she also has a son, but unlike Amelia, who devotes herself to and even spoils her child, Becky is a cold mother. She continues her climbing up in London and she meets the great Marquess of Steyne, who even brought her fathers paintings and now helps her and introduces her toupper society in London. She makes a success.But Rawdon gambles heavily. And Becky accepts trinkets and money from her many admirers and sells some of for cash. She also borrows heavily from the people around her and seldom pays bills. The wealthy life the couple lives is not true as it is. Ultimately Becky is suspected by Rawdon of carrying on anextramarital affairwith the Steyne, which leads to breaking up with Rawdon. He leaves Becky and takes his son to his brothers wife, Lady Jane, who help him out. Rawdon is ordered out of the way. Becky, having lost both husband and credibility, is warned by Steyne to leave the United Kingdom and wanders in different counties. Rawdon and Beckys son is left in the care of Pitt Crawley and Lady Jane. However, wherever Becky goes, she is followed by the shadow of the Marquess of Steyne. No sooner does she establish herself in native polite society than someone appears who knows her disgraceful history and spreads rumors, which holds back Becky in her way.As Amelias son George grows up, his grandfather turns up and takes him back from poor Amelia. After twelve years abroad both Joseph Sedley and Dobbin return to the UK. Dobbin professes his unchanged love to Amelia, but Amelia still cannot forget the memory of her dead husband. Dobbin also becomes close to young George, and his kind, mild manner makes a good influence on the spoiled young man. And it is revealed after Osbornes death that he had amended his will and left young George half of his large fortune and Amelia a generous annuity. When Amelia, Joseph, George, and Dobbin go on a trip toGermany, they encounter the poor Becky. She meets the young George at a card table and then finds Joseph Sedley. At that time, Becky has unfortunately changed- She is drinking heavily, losing her singing voice and much of her pretty looks, and spends time with card sharks and con artists.For Joseph pleading, Amelia agrees to meet Becky in spite of Dobbins disapproval. Dobbin quarrels with Amelia and finally realizes he is wasting his love on a woman too shallow to return it. However, when two women meet, Becky shows Amelia the note that George had given her which asks her to run away with him. This destroys Amelias idealized image of George, contributes returning love of Amelia to Dobbin.Becky comes back to Joseph. He eventually dies of a suspicious ailment after signing a portion of his money to Becky as life insurance. His death has made her fortune.In the end, Rawdon is dead and his son grows up to a new baronet. Becky is now living well again, active in aid of various charitable causes, supported financially by her son.4. Personal Analysis and CommentsSomeone says Vanity Fair as a novel without a hero. Through a woman pursuing fame and wealth, it is revealed what the current whole society is like, especially upper society.Becky is portrayed as a strong-willed and cunning young woman determined to make her way in upper society, and Amelia Sedley as a good-natured, loveable and simple-minded young girl.Becky Sharp, self-determined and sophisticated, shapes herself overwhelming and polite in order to climb out of poverty; Amelia Sedley, kind and generous, never competes with others, a bit weak and not knowing the difficulty as Becky. They are totally distinct in characters, which leads to different endings.To be honest, I have to say that Becky wins my appreciation. The struggling experience of her is still charming nowadays. To run out of poverty is indeed correct and there is nothing to