1. 3 Ability to please everyone
Becky was also good at pleasing the others, which could be shown from what she said to her brother in law “I know you better. I know your talents and your ambition. You fancy you hide them both: but you can conceal neither from me. I showed Lord Steyne your pamphlet on malt. He was familiar with it: and said it was in the opinion of the whole Cabinet the most masterly thing that had appeared on the subject. The Ministry has its eye upon you, and I know what you want. Says you are the finest speaker in England. You want to be member for the county, where with your own vote and your borough to be Baron Crawley of Queen’ Crowley, and will be before you die. I saw it all. I could read your heart, Sir Pitt. If I had a husband who possessed your intellect as he does your name, I sometimes think I should not be unworthy with a laugh. ‘poor little penniless I have got a little interest-and who knows, perhaps the mouse may be able to aid the lion.’”[1] It was easy to found that she was not only to make up to him but also show her ability and wisdom. She was good at appraising and pleasing others unknowingly. Her way of how to please others opened the eyes of audiences. What is the real purpose of her words? All her action was out of fame and her nature of pleasing other people who were helpful for her.
1. 4 Selfishness
Every miller draws water to his own mill. Subordinating the interests of collectives to those of individuals was her philosophy of life and she also insisted on the words “every miller draws water to his own mill”. She never concerned about the interest of the nation. In the war of Waterloo, she was looking after number one. She memorized the old days with Joseph in order to get his money. It made no difference whether the British won, she just thought about her own life.
1. 5 Unscrupulous hypocrisy and artificiality
In order to improve her social status, she took advantage of all resources, including marriage. “Marriage is the easy way to change her living condition”. [2] So she was planning how to make use of marriage to achieve her goal. At the beginning of the book, she had lost her mother so that she should do it on her own. She attempted to marry with Joseph to get his money. In fact, she cared nothing about him even laughed at him in private. She used various equipments to reach her goal including her husband. When Rawdon was reminded the proper amour between Becky and Sir Steyne, he followed her wife closely and accompany her to any party. When Sir Steyne came to see Becky, he always could meet with Rawdon. As a result, Becky had got out of danger. But he never expected that his wife sent him into prison with her lover for her husband was in her way. From her treatment of her husband, it is easy to see that she was hypocrite and unscrupulous.
1. 6 Indifference and irresponsibility
Someone thought she was indifferent from the way she treated the people around her. In the eyes of Becky, Rawdon was just a “servant”. How did she treate her son? She gave him two claps when her son listened secretly that she was singing. What about her only friend, kind and frank Amelia? She laughed at her when she was alone. All her treatment to her relatives had fully exposed her indifference. It is easy to imagine how she treated others. At the same time, she was thought to be irresponsible. The promises she had made was just for shirking her duty. She had no regular income and scraped a living by making promises. In a word, most of the promises she made was connected with debt. Glass believed Becky once again for the small profit in the future, and then she could continue her tricks. Anyway her promises and tricks had produced instant results.
2 Reasons for Becky’s character
“The figures in Vanity Fair are more real and powerful than those in other books in ever times.” [3] Novel is a reflection on the society. So the figures in the book reflect the different people in that society and are determined by the social reality. Meanwhile the personal experience of the writer also affects the shape of the figures. “There is no doubt that he is the most influential writer in the aspect of showing truth and nature.” [4] In the following paragraphs, the author will discuss those social and personal reasons.
2. 1 Social reason
Since the industrial revolution in the second half of the 18th century, which had rendered England the richest nation in the world, the class structure in English society had undergone radical changes. The industrial capitalists began to play a more important role and vied for political power with old aristocracy. England became a typical capitalist country. Having consolidated its positions at home, the British bourgeoisie strengthened its policy of colonial expansion in all parts of the world, successively competing for markets with other powerful countries in the world. Hand in hand with it went the increase of population from less than thirteen millions in England in 1825 to nearly three times as many at the end of the period. As the growth of the population, the cities have spread in a fast speed. A pool of labor swarmed into cites. But the living conditions for the workers were bad. England was experiencing an aggravation of contradictions both at home and abroad. In spite of the parliamentary in 1832, the living condition of the workers did not grow better but became steadily worse. Social democracy was advocated and spread in fast speed, but female, the disable, and the people from lower class had fewer rights. Political change and economic growth, the spread of cities, transforming power of technological discoveries made a confusing time in the 19th century. The social condition was reflected in novels. “The intellectuals and artists of the age had to deal in some way with the upheavals in society, the obvious inequities of abundance for a few and squalor for many and emanating from the throne of Queen Victoria, an emphasis on public rectitude and moral propriety.” [5] In the period of tense class struggle appeared a new literary trend—critical realism. William Makepeace Thackeray was no less severe exposer of contemporary society. Vanity Fair is a satirical portrayal of the upper strata of society. At that society, thee greed and hypocrisy of the upper classes are contrasted with the honesty and good heartedness of the obscure “simple people” of the lower classes. The character of Becky, a daughter of artist who had suffered a lot with no statue, tries her best to climb up to the upper class. In the end, she gets success. There is no doubt that she has suffered a lot and utilized all the way and resources she could use. In the following words, the author will analyze how she makes great success and what she has suffered.转贴于 酷文网-论文下载中心 http://www.coolwen.net
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