英语专业本科毕业论文范文-Jane-Du.doc

大庆师范学院本科生毕业论文从女性主义角度分析名利场中的两位女性形象 院(系)、专业外国语学院 英语 研 究 方 向 英国文学 学 生 姓 名 学 号 指导教师姓名 指导教师 2012年5月20日Daqing Normal UniversityGraduation ThesisA Feminist Analysis of Two Women in Vanity Fair College & Major： School of Foreign Languages; English Research Field： British Literature Student Name： Student Number： Tutor Name： Tutor Title： Date: May 20, 2012 大庆师范学院本科毕业论文（设计）内容摘要名利场是英国19世纪批判现实主义作家萨克雷的代表作，通过描述两位性格迥异的女性形象及其各自不同的命运，揭露了当时英国上层社会的道德危机和腐败堕落，进而批判了资本主义社会金钱至上的观念。大部分人对名利场中的两位女性形象持否定态度，人们普遍认为利蓓佳夏泼自私、贪婪、虚伪，艾米利亚懦弱、缺乏主见，然而本文认为这两位女性都具有女性主义独立，智慧和坚强的特质，综合分析认为作者萨克雷实际上对这两位男权社会压迫下的女性持同情与赞扬的态度，而非批判。本文主要在介绍作者的女性主义思想发展的基础上，从女性主义角度对小说中两位女性形象进行分析。通过作者对笔下两位女性生动的描写，读者可以看到萨克雷对这两位女斗士的态度与波伏娃的女性主义理论不谋而合。关键词：女性形象；女性主义；男权社会；赞扬 AbstractVanity Fair is the masterpiece of Thackeray, a critical realism writer in the 19th century in Great Britain. By describing two typical female images with completely different characters and fates, it reveals the moral crisis and corruption of British upper society and then criticizes the money-orientated concept of capitalist society. Most people hold a negative attitude towards the female images in Vanity Fair and they generally consider that Rebecca Sharp is selfish greedy and hypocritical and Amelia is cowardly, stubborn, and weak-minded. However, this paper thinks these two females both have the feminism features, such as independence, wisdom, and braveness, and believes Thackeray actually sympathized and praised these two women rather than criticized them.This paper mainly analyzes the two female images in Vanity Fair from the perspective of feminism based on the authors thought development of feminism. Through Thackerays vivid description of the two females in a male-oriented society, we can see the authors attitude towards the two women coincides with Beauvoirs feminist theories.Key words: female image; feminism; male-oriented society; praise Contents1. Introduction11.1 Thackerays life and his “Vanity Fair”11.2 Feminism and the purpose of this paper11.3 Literature Review12. The Sources of Thackerays Feminism22.1 The social sources22.2 His family sources33. A Feminist Analysis of Amelia and Rebecca33.1 Amelia as a heroine33.1.1 A warm-hearted and pure Amelia43.1.2 An unswerving and faithful girl43.1.3 An courageous and decisive Amelia53.2 Rebecca as a heroine53.2.1 An iron-willed and independent Rebecca63.2.2 A rebellious and smart Rebecca63.2.3 An ambitious and adventurous Rebecca74. Conclusion7References8Acknowledgements981. Introduction This part makes a brief introduction to the author Thackeray, his novel Vanity Fair, and feminism, and introduces the heroines in the novel Vanity Fair from the perspective of feminism. Compared with other literature reviews, this paper has a different idea. 1.1 Thackeray s life and his “Vanity Fair”Thackeray(1811-1863) was an representative of critical realism in the 19th century England. He was born in India in the family of an English official. In his early life, Thackeray wrote all kinds of articles, mainly short pieces for journals and relatively slim books. Up to 1847, a series of his satirical sketches were collected in The Book of Snobs. But it was not until the publication of Vanity Fair that the world recognized the appearance of a new novelist of the first rank. Vanity Fair as Thackerays masterpiece gives a comprehensive view of English society in the early 19th century. By the title which is derived from Bunyans Pilgrims Progress meaning “a fair, wherein are sold all sorts vanity”, the author intended to paint a vivid picture of the egoistic, hypocritical and money-grabbing world of his age. The subtitle of the book is “A Novel without a Hero”. From this it can possibly mean firstly that there are no exactly positive characters in a world full of bad and faulty people. Secondly it may imply that this is a novel about women instead of men. Although the subtitle may mean that there is no real hero in the novel, Rebecca and Amelia can be the real heroines of the novel in a way.1.2 Feminism and the purpose of this paper“In a simple way, feminism is a belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes, and a movement organized around the conviction that biological sex should not be the pre-determinant factor shaping a persons social identity or socio-political or economic rights. Many feminists are especially concerned with social, political and economic inequalities between the sexes which favour men at womens expense; some have also argued that gendered and sexed identities, such as man and woman, are socially constructed. Feminists may disagree over the sources of inequality, how to attain equality, and the extent to which gender and gender-based identities should be questioned and critiqued; some of this disagreement may stem from continuing pressure to conform to masculine norms”1.The goal of feminist history is to explore and illuminate the female viewpoint of history through the rediscovery of female writers, artists, philosophers, etc, in order to recover and demonstrate the significance of womens voices and choices in the past. Two particular problems which feminist history attempts to address are the exclusion of women from the historical and philosophical tradition, and the negative characterization of women or the feminine in it; however, feminist history is not solely concerned with issues of gender per se, but rather with the reinterpretation of history in a more holistic and balanced manner.This thesis is to discuss the two main female characters images from the feminism perspective, which can make readers know more about the novel and the main themes as well as the social background. Whats more, this thesis can make them know the authors writing intention. Readers will have a deep understanding of the novel and the characters in the novel. At the same time, these discussions can give some implications for the modern readers and the modern women. 1.3 Literature ReviewSince the publication of Vanity Fair, a lot of scholars domestic and overseas have studied it from different viewing angles such as the heroines characteristics and reflected realistic problems.The research of Vanity Fair in China booms in recent years but most of them are scanty in depth or extension. Most researchers agree that the main characters in the book are lifelike. Some researchers focus on special characters to explore the humanity of the Victorian Age. The life of the heroines is a metaphor of human beings desire. The research of the foreign critics mainly divides into several aspects. Some critics consider that Thackeray is a sentimental novelist. These researchers consider that Vanity Fair is the strong support to the view that Thackeray is a cynic in heart and soul. Other researchers regard Vanity Fair as a realistic novel. In this novel, Thackeray has portrayed the living manners of his own age and they bear a true and deep resemblance to their prototypes of the 18th century. In addition, some researchers take Thackerays Vanity Fair as a master piece of satire. Gao (2002) surveys the position and role of women in a money-oriented and status-conscious male world. Wu (2003) exposes situation of corrupted and hypocritical society which advocates the Victorian Virtues of marriage and family. Charlotte commented: “The more I read Thackerays works the more certain I am that he stands alone-alone in his sagacity, alone in his truth, alone in his feeling Thackeray is a Titan”2. Critics shift their attention to almost every aspect of the novel as time goes on. Some are by the ethnical content; some are interested in the polysemy of the theme; some try to interpret the major characters; some pay attention to its psychological dimensions. This research mainly discusses the heroines vanity and snobbishness and its reflection in real society, with a purpose to make readers better understand the theme of the novel and thought of the author.Taking these literatures as reference, this paper decide to discuss the heroines feminism characteristics in realistic society and their feminism female images from their different characters and their behaviors. By discussing the topic, this paper aims to find out the theme of the novel and thought of the author on women. 2. The Sources of Thackerays FeminismAccording to a lot of literature about Thackeray, we can easily discover that his feminism can be traced back to the social circumstances and his family life in Thackerays day.2.1 The social sourcesIn the authors living time, Ancient Great Britain, after experiencing the 17th centurys bourgeois revolution and 18th centurys industrial revolution, until 19th century, finally finished the primitive accumulation of capital based on the large scale colonial plunder. At that moment, the British commerce was prosperous and the monopoly position of British industry was more stable than before. In that time, with the fast development of the science and technology, peoples ideology and faith changed a lot. Females began to realize their poor living situation, and the discrimination against them, and they decided to struggle for themselves. The Feminist movement emerged around the late 19th century with the beginnings of the first wave of feminism. The first wave refers to the feminism movement of the 19th through early 20th centuries, which dealt mainly with the Suffrage movement. It was an outgrowth of the anti-slavery and abolitionist movements, in which women fighting for the rights of Blacks in the United States realized that they themselves lacked some of the rights they were fighting for others.As a critical realism writer, Thackeray witnessed a corrupted, hypocritical and mammonish Victorian society. In a money-oriented and status-conscious male world, women underwent a pathetic society that was full of prejudice. From these it can be seen that the social background and the development of feminism in Thackerays time, which poses effect on his writing in this novel Vanity Fair and the creations of the females characters. Thackeray wanted to write something to wake up more women, and advocate them to stand up to fight and live in a new life.2.2 His family sources To a large degree, Thackerays feminism thought derived from his family, his mother, wife, and his daughters. Melville says, “Thackeray had a nature of almost womanly softness” 3.At the age of four, Thackerays father died. From that moment on, his mother became his only spiritual support in his early life. Unfortunately, later he had to separate with his mother when he was sent to England to study. In England, Thackeray led a terrible and lonely life because of his unhappy and cruel educational experience. He expressed, “I remember kneeling by my little bed a night, and saying, Pray God, I may dream of my mother”4 Thackerays mother described when she reunited with her child, “dear soul he has a perfect recollection of me he could not speak but kissed me and looked at me again and again”4. His early childhood experience made a contribution to his ideal of women which could be found in his books.In 1835, a girl Isabella Shawe whom he later married came into Thackerays life. The time he fell in love with her, she was 18 years old. Isabella Shawe was an innocent and childish girl which was just the reason why Thackeray loved her. However, it was proved to be a sad marriage for the author. His wife got mental illness and had never been normal at until the end of her life. what he treasured most then had turn into an enduring pain in his life. His second emotional support collapsed forever. In Thackerays later years, his spiritual support was his daughters. The time with his daughters was the happiest time. The love for his girls sustained his spirit. He made every effort to make his daughters live happily. In the rest of his life, he had never separated with them. “Thackerays affection for his daughters was one of the most touching things about him” 5.Besides, Thackeray had a number of female acquaintances. His need for this kind of companionship could be understood through the analysis of his reliance on his mother. “I cant live without the tenderness of some women” 3, he wrote to Mrs. Brookfield. In his many letters, we can find his need for the female companionship easily. In a word, Thackerays close relationship can be seen in his letters and the other books about him. These women and their ideas had a great influence on Thackerays thought. He showed great concern and sympathy for women in his life or his works because of his miserable life. That is the reason why we call him a feminist in some degree. In Vanity Fair, he showed pity and respect to these two women.3. A Feminist Analysis of Amelia and RebeccaIn this novel, these two female characters Amelia and Rebecca have the different characters and the author also has the different description on them since they are both the heroines of this novel. in common, they have the feminist features and virtues. 3.1 Amelia as a heroine Amelia is the heroine of this novel. She has many traditional virtues. Her pure and warm-hearted nature, unswerving and faithful belief, and her courageous and decisive spirit make a good impression on readers.3.1.1 A warm-hearted and pure AmeliaAmelia is a mild, kind-hearted lady. Besides, she is an innocent girl without any evil tricks in the traditional society. She lives a rich and happy life where she has the chance to receive a good education and grow up healthily and happily. Since childhood, she is treated with all courtesy and mothers intensive care which shapes her with the characters of gentility and kindness. From “ cry over a dead canary-bird; or over a mouse”6, it can be easily seen that Amelia is good-natured with a great mercy since that she will cry for a dead creature such as a mouse. Amelias parents Mr. Sedly and Mrs. Sedly are very kind people, especially Mr. Sedly. He is kind to Miss Sharp though she is only a poor and ordinary governess from the lower class in the hierarchical society. And Joseph, Amelias brother is dull and silly, but he is a friendly man to others. After all, in this family, there is no acrid or evil person. Thus the harmonious family environment makes a significant contribution to Amelias personality and her nature. We can find a lot of evidence which prove Amelia is certainly a warm-hearted girl. For example, in the first scene of this novel, everyone from the head-teacher to the students sees Amelia off and presents many gifts to Amelia in the iron gate of Miss Pinkertons academy for young ladies on Chiswick Mall. Because in the daily life, Amelia is kind to everyone, therefore everyone likes this angel-like girl. Compared with Beckey, Amelia has better relationships with others. And when Rebecca lives in her family, Amelia makes every effort to help Rebecca and regards her as her best girlfriend though she knows that Rebecca is lowborn. Later she also tries to bring Rebecca and her brother Joseph together. Later, when she knows that Rebecca has done many bad things that are harmful to her, she still chooses to forgive her. For all these reason, Amelia is a good and warm- hearted woman.In addition to that, Amelia is no doubt a pure and innocent person. She is just like a lily blooming in an ugly and vulgar society. The evil tricks never appear in her mind. She considers everybody to be kind-hearted. For example, Amelia couldnt understand Miss Pinkerton, the head-teacher of her school treats her very well just because her family is rich and Miss Pinkerton could benefit from her. In Amelia mind, Rebecca is her good girlfriend. However, Rebecca takes advantage of Amelias innocence to achieve her own aim. Although Rebecca has a lot of tricks, she wouldnt like to hurt Amelia because she realizes Amelia is a good girl. Good mind, good find.Also Amelia longs for love. George Osborne who comes from a wealthy family is her emotional dependence. She pins her happiness on the love she pursuits. “George was her Europe, her emperor, her allied monarchs and august prince regent He was her sun and moon when he came to Russel Square, her face lighted up as if she had been sunshine As soon as the door was shut, she went fluttering to lieutenant George Osbornes heart as if it was the only natural home for her to nestle in.” 6 Her love for George is so pure and deep.As the heroine of this novel, Amelia is endowed with a pure and warm heart. She is the most beautiful angel in this novel.3.1.2 An unswerving and faithful girlAmelia is an unswerving and faithful girl, which we could know through her attitude to Rebecca and Amelia.She sees Rebecca as her lifelong friend from the moment she brings her home. Mrs. Sedly does not like Rebecca because she sees through Rebecca and she figures out that Rebecca is taking advantage of her daughter. Mrs. Sedly shows that she doesnt want Rebecca staying in their home. It is sure that Amelia understands what her mother worries about. However she does best to put in a good word for Rebecca and tries to bring Rebecca and Joseph together. One time, when Osborne speaks ill of Rebecca and says Rebecca just wants to go into upper society, Amelia defends her girlfriend no matter how deep she loves Osborne. She