從女性主義視角分析《名利場》中兩位女性形象

Introduction1.1BackgroundandsignificanceVanityFairisoneofthemostimportantworksofBritishcriticalrealismnovelwrittenbyWilliamMakepeaceThackeray.Inthisstory,hedescribestwoprotagonistsRebeccaSharpandAmeliaSedley,botharefulloftragedyintheirlife.Therearealotofdifferencesbetweenthem,includingfamilybackgroundandsocialexperience,sothattheyhavedifferentcharacterandpersonality.Ontheonehand,RebeccaSharphasastrongsenseofself-awareness,courage,independenceandcalmlikeaman.Ontheotherhand,sheisself-interested,caustic,heartless,cunningandhypocritical.Thearticledescribesherdemoralization,andsheisfullofcunningtricks.Butnomatterhowshestruggles,shecouldnotescapethefateofdependingonmentostepintheupperclass.Theotherwoman,Amelia,isbeautiful,kindandpure.Besides,sheisselflessdedication.Butsheistooblindtolove,toodependentonmalepower.Herweakcharactermakesshecannotlivewell.WhatsheshowsarethecharacteristicsinVictorian,themalepowerdominantallsociety.VanityFairfocusesonthewholeliveoftwoyoungwomen,RebeccaSharpandAmeliaSedley,wholiveswithastrongsenseoftragedy.ThestoryissetinBritainduringtheregentperiodintheearly19thcentury,andmainlydepictstheinterpersonalrelationshipandlifeofthedecliningaristocracyandbourgeoisieintheupperclass.There’sabeautiful,good-naturedandpure,butalittlestupid,clumsygirl,AmeliaSedley,sheisborninawealthyfamily.Theothergirl,RebeccaSharp,isself-interested,acerbicandheartless,andsheisbornintoapoorfamily,hasalowclassandpoorlife.Therefore,shetriesherbesttostruggletochangeherlifeandstepintheupperclass.ThisthesisintendstousefeministtheorytoanalyzetheimagesofthetwoheroinesinVanityFair,withtheaimofrevealingthelivingconditionsofwomeninthe19thcenturyBritishsocietyandthesocialvaluesofmiddle-classwomenatthistime,andthentohelpreadersunderstandthesocialbackgroundofthe19thcenturyBritishsocietyfromallaspects.Inaddition,thisthesisusesfeministtheorytoadvocatewomentoreflectonthemselves,awakenwomen’sself-consciousness,realizewomen’svalue,pursuegenderequality,andbravelypursuetheirownlife.1.2IntroductionofWilliamMakepeaceThackerayandTheVanityFairWilliamMakepeaceThackeray(1811-1864),themostoutstandingcriticalrealistwriterinthe19thcentury.ThackeraywasborninKolkata,Indiain1811.HisfatherworkedattheEastIndiaCompany.Afterhisfather’sdeathin1817,ThackerayremovedtotheUKwithhismother.In1829,ThackerayattendedTrinityCollege,CambridgeUniversity.Duringhisstudies,heestablishedgoodfriendshipwithTennyson,EdwardFitzgerald,andWilliamBrookfield.AftergraduatingfromCambridgeUniversity,hewenttoWeimar,Germanytostudyart,wherehemetthefamousGermanauthorGoethe.InAugustofthesameyear,ThackeraymarriedanIrishgirlnamedElizabethShawn.Shortlyafterthemarriage,Thackeray’swifewasmentallydisturbedthenhislifefelltoalowpoint.In1848,thefateofThackeraysawaturningpoint.Hepublishedacollectionofworks,ThePowerCollection,andthepublicationofthebookwonthetitleofsocialsatireforThackeray.In1851Thackeray’ssixspeechesEighteenthCenturyBritishHumorWritersachievedagreatsuccess.Inthefollowingyears,ThackeraysuccessivelypublishednovelsHenryAisid,RoseandRing,andNewhamFamily,whichhadahugeimpactontheliteraryworld.Thackeray’sworksarefullofcrueltyandcruelcriticismsofthenineteenth-centuryBritain,showingthetruthoflifewiththewitandhumorpeculiartoBritisheducatedgentlemen.FerrisbelievesthatThackeray’sVanityFairisacriticismofthecorruptionofthecapitalistsociety(Ferris8).ThackeraysharesDickens’sympathyforthesufferingofthepeople.Theempathetic"goodwomen"inhisworkssometimesalsostronglyprotestagainstsocialdissatisfaction.Thiswasnotacceptedbypeopleunderthesocialconditionsatthetime,butwaseasilylovedbymodernpeople.In1848ThackeraypublishedthefamousworkVanityFair,whichopenedupanewworldinthehistoryofthedevelopmentofBritishrealisticnovels.ThepublicationofthenovelestablishedhispositionintheBritishliteraryworld,ThackerayisthereforeonparwithDickens.VanityFairdependsontheBritaininthenineteenthcenturypatriarchalsociety.Inthisperiodwomenhavealowstatusandnoindependenthumanrights.Womenhavebeenrepressedandrestrainedathomeforalongtimetobecometraditional"familyangels".Theyareabsolutelyrelyonmeninallaspectsinlife.Inthemid-nineteenthcentury,theEnlightenmentwaslaunched,femaleconsciousnesswasawakened,thefeministmovementbrokeoutonalargescale,womenbegantopursueeconomicindependenceandfreedomofmarriage,andcalledfortheimprovementofwomen’ssocialstatus.VanityFairfollowsthefortunesoftwocontrastingbutinter-linkedlives（席旭琳，12）,tellingthetwoheroines’differentexperiencesanddestiniesunderthepatriarchalsociety.ThevirtueandunderstandingoftheheroineAmeliabecamethetypicalfemaleimageintheVictorianera,andBecky’sadventurousandrebelliousspiritwasregardedastheawakeningoffemaleconsciousness（范馨悅，167）.Thisarticleaimstoexplorethefeministcolorinthenovelbyanalyzingthesituationofthesorrowandjoybetweenthetwomaincharactersofthenovel,andencouragewomentofightagainstmaleoppressionandachievetrueindependence.1.3LiteratureReview1.3.1StudiesAbroadVanityFairislikeamirrorreflectingthespiritualandmorallandscapeofthenineteenthcenturyEnglisharistocraticbourgeoisie.Notonlydoesitreflectthehistoricalconditionsandlifesituationsofitstime,butthecomplexityofitstextallowsforanendlessvarietyofinterpretations,whichmainlyfocusonthefollowingaspects:Oneisastudyofthecharacterizationofthenovel,whichaimstohelpreadersbetterunderstandthewholelifeofBeckySharpandthepurposeofthiswork.SomecriticshavearguedthatVanityFairisahumorousandsatiricalcritiqueofthedominantVictorianvaluesofmoneyandprofitthroughitsportrayalofBeckySharp.ForeignscholarRichardKayepointsoutthat“Thackeray’sfocusontheprotagonistisBeckySharpratherthanAmelia”(Kaye,2005:26).What’smore,herearealsomanyscholarswhofocusonthethemesofthenovelandthelifeoftheauthor:InaFerrisseesVanityFairas“acritiqueofthecorruptionofcapitalismthatcelebratesthegoodVictorianangelAmeliaandprodsthefamechasinghighsocietycross-dresserBeckySharp”(Ferris,2004:177).RichardAltickreadsThackeray’sworkprimarilyintermsofhislife,providingamoreobjectivebasisforunderstandingitssocialcontextandcharacterization.Inaddition,otherscholarshavestudiedtheworkfromtheperspectiveofartisticstyle:SomecriticshavepointedoutthatVanityFairembodiesThackeray’sdualityofsentiment.IranMilliganexploresThackeray’swritingtechniqueandstylefromanarrativeperspective:theuseofdevicessuchascontrolleddescriptionsandomniscientperspectivesintheworkenhancethenovel’sartistry.WriterDooley,inThackeray’sUseofVanityFair(2004),considersVanityFairtobe“theworld’smostunorthodoxwork,asreflectedinitsportrayalofcharacters,sharpsatireandexplicitdidacticism”(Dooley,2004:704).AfterreadingVanityFair,thefamousauthorCharlotteBront?consideredThackeraytobeauniqueandunparalleledgenius,andthattherewasadeeperandmoreuniqueintelligenceinThackeraythanhiscontemporarieswouldhaverecognized.1.3.2StudiesatHomeWiththepassageoftime,Thackerayandhisworkshavereceivedmoreandmoreattentionfromdomesticscholars,whileacademicresearchonhimhasalsobeengraduallydeepening.DomesticresearchonVanityFairismainlyfocusedonthefollowingaspects:Oneisthatsomescholarshaveinterpretedthecharmofthisworkintermsoftheartoftranslation.Forexample,thefamousChinesetranslatorYangBi’stranslationofVanityFairvividlyrecreatesthevariouscharactersoftheBritishupperclassinthenineteenth-century,andthetranslationisfunnyandhumorous,withincisiveandaccuratediction,fullyconveyingthepurposeandfeministconsciousnessexpressedbyThackerayandachievingtheunityofthespiritofthetranslationandtheoriginalwork.What’smore,somescholarshavealsoexploredVanityFairfromtheperspectiveof“intersexuality”intermsofethicalthinking.Forexample,inherarticleTheGenderCharmandModernDilemmaof“Bisexuality”,scholarHuWen(2012)usestheWesternfeministtheoryofbisexualitytoexaminethegendercharm,humandynamismandmalehostilityofBeckySharp’s“bisexuality”,showingtoacertainextenttheidealof“bisexuality”,andatthesametimeanalyzingthemoderndilemmaoffeminism.Inaddition,somescholarshaveexploredthepersecutionofwomenincapitalistsocietyfromasocialcontext.Forexample,GongBeifangarguesthat“BeckySharpessentiallysubvertspatriarchy”(Gong,2004:80),andthroughherunconventionalandethicalportrayal,shepowerfullyrebelsagainstthemalebondageofwomen.SomescholarshavealsocomparedtheportrayaloftheheroineinVanityFairwiththeheroinesofotherworks,suchasLeeSachscomparingBeckywithScarlettinGonewiththeWindandfindingtheirdifferencesandsimilarities.ThevariousstudiescurrentlyanalyzingThackeray’sattitudetowardsSharpandAmeliadonotgiveadefinitiveanswer.ComparedtoAmelia,agentleandkindtraditionalVictorianwoman,Becky’srebelliousspiritismoretouchingandistheepitomeofThackeray’sportrayalofupperclasssocietystandingintheheightofthetimes.1.4FeminismandWilliamMakepeaceThackeray’sFeminism1.4.1DefinitionofFeminismAsanewtrendofthoughtthatoriginatedinFrance,feminismexpressedthedesireforfemaleindependence.ItlaterspreadtootherWesterncountriesandbecamewidelyprevalentthroughouttheworld.Feminismwasoriginallyderivedfromtheideasoftheeighteenth-centuryEnlightenment.ThosebrilliantEnlightenmentthinkerswhoweretheintellectualswhopushedEuropeansocietytowardsmodernity.TheworksofVirginiaWoolf,afamousBritishauthor,expressedwomen’scritiqueofgenderinequality.Duringthisperiod,feminismfocusedonvarioussocialmovements,suchastheequalpaymovementledbyClaraZetkin.Thesemovementshadamajorimpactonthefeministmovementofthenineteenth-centuryandopenedthewayforlatergenerationsoffeministmovements.Thefeministmovemententeredanewphasefromtheearlytwentieth-centurytothe1960s.Duringthisperiod,“feminismwasdividedintotwoschools,Marxistfeminism,directedbyCatherineMacKinnon,andradicalfeminism,ledbyKateMillet”(Tian,2005:145).Theformeradvocatedgenderequalityanddemandedthatwomenachieveeconomicindependencethroughclassconflict.Thelatterdemandedwomen’ssexualemancipation.Theyrailedagainstthewholesystemofmale-dominatedsocietyandgenderroles.Itwasnotuntil1919,duringtheMayFourthMovement,thatfeminismwasintroducedintoChina,butitclashedwithtraditionalvaluesystems,particularlyConfucianism,whichhaddominatedChinaforovertwothousandyears.Asideascontinuedtobeliberated,Chinesescholarsbecameawareoftheimportanceofgenderrelations.“Theybeganandcontinuetoexplorewomen’sissuesinareassuchasgenderroles,powerandlanguage”(Liang,2004:241).Fromtheperspectiveofsocialdevelopment,feminismisacombinationofboththeoryandpractice.IthasbeenimportanttothecourseofWesternhistoryandhashadanindelibleimpactontherestoftheworld.Feminismadvocatesgenderequalityandcallsforsocialchangeinfavourofwomen’sdevelopment.Earlyfeminismtookthestruggleforgenderequalityasitsmaingoal.Onapracticallevel,theemancipationofwomenwasguidedbymalevaluestandards.Egalitarianfeminismemphasisedthepursuitofmalestandardsastheonlyyardstickandstandard,ignoringfeminism’svaluegoalsanditsownemancipation.ThiswasamilestoneinthedevelopmentofWesternfeminismasawhole,clearlystatingtheideaofequalitybetweenmenandwomen.Mid-centuryfeminismofdifferencerecognisesthenaturalnessofgenderdifferencesandaffirmsfemininity,butatthesametimeishighlycriticalandderogatoryofmalevaluesandseesgenderdifferencesascentraltotheresolutionofinequalities.Intheculturalsphere,itispresentedasavengeanceandrevengebywomenagainstmen,andmenseewomenastheirantagonists.Postmodernfeminismemphasisesrespectforwomen’sdifferencesonthebasisofmulticulturalismandpromoteswomen’svaluesandenergyandtheirsocialfunctions.Italsoemphasisesrespectforwomen’sindividualvalues,i.e.thedesiretorealisetheunityofwomen'sindividualandsocialvalues;ignoringthenaturalbiologicaldifferencesbetweenmenandwomenisafeministviewofequality.Feminismisaninclusivetermwithvariousconnotationsand,aboveall,itisinextricablylinkedtosocialtheory.Ashistoryhasdeveloped,feminismhasbeengivensomenewconnotations.Secondly,itcanbeseenasapoliticalmovementinpursuitofequalityineducation,workandvoting.DeborahMadsondemonstrateshisuniqueunderstandingoftheterm,“wheresubjectivityandpoliticscometogetherinamostnaturalandorganicway”(Madson,2006:248).AccordingtoZhangYanbing,thehistoricalmeaningof“feminism”usuallyrefersto“amovementthatrecogniseswomen’sequalrightswithmeninlaw,politicsandthefamily”(Zhang,1998:179).Thisviewhasbeenendorsedbymanyscholars.Inaword,thecoreideaoffeminismistofocusonchangingthestatusofwomeninthefamilyandimprovingthestatusofwomeninsociety.FeminismfirstappearedinFrancein1870,andsincethenitwasintroducedintootherEuropeancountriesandAmerica.Ithasgotdevelopmentandchangesformorethanonehundredyearinwesterncountries.Withthedevelopmentofwomen’sliberationmovement,feminismunderwentthreetimesmovementsincludingthefirstwaveattheendofeighteenthcentury,thesecondwavein1860sandthethirdwavein1990s.Thefirstwaveoffeminismdevelopedfromtheendofthe1700stothe1920s.Duringthisperiod,theaimofwomen’smovementsistofightforwomen’sequalrightsinsocietyandfamily,suchasvotingright,propertyright,educationalright,workingrightandsoon.ThesecondwaveoffeminismisthewomenliberationmovementappearedinEuropeandAmericaninthe1960s.Withtheaimsofcriticizingsexdiscriminationandpatriarchy.In1963,BettyFriedanpublishedTheFeminineMystique,whichwaslikeahorncallingonwomentofightforselfliberation.Afterthat,thewomen’sliberationmovementdevelopedquickly.Thethirdwaveoffeminismappearedinthe1990s,anditisdevelopingnow.Likethescholarsinthesecondwave,scholarsinthiswavepaidattentiontowomen’spolitical,economicandsocialrights.Buttheydrewtheirfocusonwomen’sself-right.Theypraised“unfeminine”emotionandexperience,proposingthatwomencanbeangry,aggressiveandoutspoken.Amainthemeofthethirdwaveistodemandmoreinclusiveness,flexibilityandpracticality.Asacriticaltheory,feministcriticismcamefromwomen’sliberationmovementinthe1960s.Afterthatthistheorydevelopedintomanyschoolsandtheoreticalviewpoints.Itborrowedmanyviewpointsandtheoreticalmethods,suchasmentalanalysis,post-structuralism,Marxismandthepostcolonialtheory.However,feministcriticisminthewestcanbedividedintotwomajorschools,Anglo-AmericanschoolandFrenchschool.AsforFrenchschool,theydidn’tfocusonthereflectofliteratureontherealityandwomen’sexperience,butonthelanguage,features,psychologyandphilosophyinliterarycriticism.ThemainrepresentativesofthisschoolareJuliaKriestiva,LuceIrigarayandsoon.Anglo-Americaschool,bycontrast,paidmuchattentiontotraditionalideas,suchastheme,motifandfigure.ThemainscholarsbelongtothisschoolareElaineShowalter,SandraGilbert,SusanGubaandsoon.ThisschoolcanbefurtherdividedintoAmericanschoolandEnglishschool,andthelatterwasinfluencedbyMarxism.SimonedeBeauvoir,asafamousfeministwriterandrepresentative.ShepublishedTheSecondSexin1949.ThisbookdeclaresthatFrenchsocietyandwesterncountriesarepatriarchalandcontrolledbyman.Beauvoiroverturnedtraditionalopinionsandideasofsocietyonwomenfrombiology,psychoanalysisandhistoricalmaterialismaspects.Inherbook,shepointedthatmalecreatedthesocietyandourculture,definingwhatismanandwhatiswoman.Weshoulddoasthesocialrulesmadebymale.Thus,femalebecamethedependentsonmale,actingasasecondaryplayer.Besides,sheassertedthatwomanshouldstrivetobreaktheoppressionofpatriarchyanddefinethemselves.Anotherfamousfeministwriter,KateMillettpublishedSexualPoliticsin1969.Thisbookisachallengetothetraditionalsocialideologicalcharacteristicsoffemaleandmale.Millettthoughtthatfemalewascreatedbymaleandsociety.Genderisaconstructmadebytraditionalnormsandculturalideas.Millettmaintainsthatfemalemuststrivetofightagainstthesocietycontrolledbymale.Thoughtherearemanydifferentapproachesandschoolsoffeminism.Feministcriticshavesomecommonideas.Feminismpaymuchattentiontomale’sdominationandfemale’sliberation.Theythinkthatsocietyandculturearecontrolledbymale,andwomanmustfightagainstpatriarchyandstrivetobuildupanewequalsociety.1.4.2WilliamMakepeaceThackeray’sFeminismInthe1960s,withtheriseofthewomen’smovement,feministtheoryandfeministcriticismmadetheirbeginningsinWesterncountries.Ingeneral,feministtheoryisadevelopmentofthefeministmovementinthefieldofliterature.Ithasguidedtheactivitiesofanumberofliterarycriticswhohavebeeninfluencedbythistheory.Themainobjectivesincludecriticisingmaledominatedlanguageandliteraturebypresentingmaleideologies;documentingtheuntoldhistoryofundervaluedwomenwritersinordertorestorethemtotheirrightfulplaceinliterature,andcreatinganatmosphereinwhichwomen’stalentscanbethoroughlyacceptedandappreciated.Inadditiontoliterature,feministcriticismcanalsobeusedtostudyotherfieldssuchascommunication,educationandphilosophy,wherewomen’sexperiences,interestsandpoliticsarethefocusofattention.Thereisalsoaslightdifferenceinthestudyoffeministliterature.TheFrenchfeministliteraryscholarswereconcernednotwiththereflectionofrealityandthereproductionofwomen’spersonalexperience,butwiththelinguistic,representational,psychologicalandphilosophicalaspectsofliteraryworks.IncontrasttotheFrenchschool,theAnglo-Americanschoolwasmoreconcernedwithtraditionalconceptionsofliteratureasareproductionofwomen’slivesandexperiences,andmadetheclosereadingandinterpretationofliterarytextsthemaintaskoffeministliterature.Ingeneral,feministliterarycriticssharethefollowinggoals:firstly,toopposeconsciousandunconsciouspatriarchalpresuppositionsinliterarydiscourse;secondly,toexplorewomen’sliteratureandconstructawomen’sliterarycanon;andthirdly,tostudytheimpactofvariousculturalfactors,includingsocial,historical,political,linguistic,physicalandpsychologicalfactorsonwomen’slivesandliterature.

2ComparisonofTwoFemaleImagesinVanityFair2.1AnalysistheImageofBeckySharp2.1.1BeckySharp’sLivingEnvironmentandSocialStatusRebecca’scharacteriscloselyrelatedtoherfamilybackground,herfatherisanartist,butindulgingindrinkingandgambling.Hermotherisdeadearlywhensheisveryyoung.Inaddition,hermotherisanactorintheopera,anditisaself-supportingprofessionatthetimebutisnotrespected.Rebeccahasbeenashamedoftheprofession.Sothatshenevermentionshermother’sprofessiontoothersinpublic,onlytosaythathergrandmother’sfamilywasafamousfamily.Asthebooksays,sheexpressesthathergrandmother’sfamilyhasgraduallybecomemoreandmoreprosperous,thestatusoftheirancestorsisgraduallyhigherandthereputationincreasinglybecomesprominent(Thackeray,2001).Rebeccahasnotlivedacomfortableandhappylifesinceherchildhood.ComparedtoAmelia,Rebecca’sparentsaredeadearlywhensheisyoung,andshedoesn’thavesisterorbrother.Therefore,shehasneverexperiencedtheloveandwarmthofthefamily.Onthecontrary,shetastesthehardshipsoflifeearlywhensheisyoung.Asthebooksays,thepoorlifemakesherhaveamelancholytemper,andshehastobemoreconsideratethanthosechildrenofherage(Thackeray,2001).Sheknowsthatshehastoreplacetheroleoffatherandmotherinthefamilyandtaketheinitiativetotakeontheresponsibilityofthefamily.UnlikeAmelia,whohasarichandprestigiousfamilytoarrangeeverythingforher.AsforRebecca,shehasnoparentstoguidehermarriageandlife.Therefore,shehastoachievethedreamofmarryingawealthymantochangeherlifebyherself.Becauseofhavingevertastedthepainofpoverty,herdesireforwealthbecomesmoreandmoreurgent.Sheisnotwillingtolivesuchapoorlife,soshetriestoentertheupperclass.Moreover,itissuchaterriblefamilyenvironmentthatmakesherdesireforwealthandfamegrowmoreandmore.Shetriesherbesttochangeherdestinyandclass.Andshewantstomarryawealthyandinfluentialmantochangeherterriblelife.However,withthecountlesstricksandscamsshemakesthatutilizingherbeautyandtricks,aswellastheendlessvanityandegoism,resultinginthefinalfailureandtragicfate,althoughshehaseverenteredtheupperclass.2.1.2BeckySharp’sPersonalityTraitsandBehaviorsBeauvoirbelievedthatwomen’sself-consciousnessisdeterminedbysocialandeconomicenvironmentratherthanfemininity(Beauvoir,1953:301).Sharp’smotherwasaFrenchdancerattheoperawhodiedwhenSharpwasyoung.Herfather,apoorpainterwhoborrowedmoneyfromothersfordrinking,diedwhenSharpwas17.Beforehisdeath,Sharpwassenttoagirls’school.Asaresult,Sharpgrewupwithoutenoughmaternalloveoreconomicprosperity.AsaresultofSharp’schildhoodexperience,shebecameaself-consciouswomanwhoachievedsuccessbyrelyingonherintelligence.SinceMissPinkertonoftenbulliedSharpwhenshewasatthegirls’school,SharpverballyinsultedMissPinkertonwhensheleftthegirls’school.Becauseshebelievedthat“revengemaybeevil,butitisnatural”(Thackeray,2001:2).UnlikethecompromiseandweaknessofVictorianwomen,Thackeray’sSharpchoserevengetoprotectherself,showingabravecharacter.WhenSharparrivedatAmelia’shouseandwasconfrontedbyJoseph,Amelia’srichandsinglebrother,Sharpwasdeterminedtocapturehisheart,whichexpressesSharp’sdesireformoney.SharptriedtoimpressJosephwithhersongatthedance.Shewasgoodatusingherskillstogetwhatshewanted,andshesucceededinattractingJoseph.However,sheignoredJoseph’sface-savingpersonalityandJosephleftwithoutsayinggoodbye.Undeterred,Sharpwenttothenexthousetoworkasagoverness,showingthatsheisadeterminedwomanwithacleargoal.Asagovernessinthebaronet’shouse,shelearnedtoexploitaristocraticvanity,askingMonsieurCoroletforFrenchadvice,playingbackgammonwithSirPeterandtakingcareofhisdailyaffairs,thusgaininghisconfidence.AfterthemillionaireMissCrooletcametothemanor,SharpknewthatCrooletwastheheirofMissCroolet'sestate,sosheapproachedCrooletfirst.Withherdancingandwit,shewontheaffectionofMissCroletteandwasbroughtbacktoLondonbyher,andsucceededinsecretlymarryingRawdon.InThackeray’swriting,Sharpseemedtobeanall-aroundperson,withacharmingvoice,fascinatingdancestepsandasmartmind.Ingeneral,Sharpwasbornintoapoorfamilyanddidnotreceiveaneducation,whichshowsSharp’sspiritofself-improvementandhardwork,eventhoughshestudiedthisinpursuitofmoney,fameandfortune.Aftermarriage,Sharpcontinuedtostudy,and“shelearnedaristocraticmannerswithamazingdiligence”(Thackeray,2001:111),whichsuccessfullyopenedthedoortotheupperclass.Despitenotbeingsuccessfulinfameandfortune,shedidnotgiveupandusedherpersistencetohaveafulfillinglife.2.1.3BeckySharp’sExperiencesandFateWhensheisatPinkerton,herbehaviorisdifferentfromothers,whensheseesthereputableladiesaroundher,shefeelssoblessedandthenshefeelsveryjealous(Thackeray,2001).Thenshedecidestoletherselfoutofthelowerstatus,totakeadvantageoftheconveniencesoftheschooltolearn.Andshesoonmasterstheknowledgethatthepeoplefromupperclassmustknow(Thackeray,2001),whichisinordertoprepareherselfforenteringthearistocraticclass.Shethinksfateisunfairforher,andconsideringsheissmarterandmoreintelligentthangirlsborninthewealthyfamilyonlybecauseoflackingmoneytobeignored(Zhang,2019).Atthattime,shedecidestomakegooduseofherintelligencetogetfortuneandfametoentertheupperclass.Atthesametime,shehasevenresistedMissPinkertoninpublic.MissPinkerton,theheadmasterofthePinkerton,whopossessestheabsoluteauthorityinPinkerton.ButshealwaysdiscriminatesagainstRebeccabecauseofRebecca’spoverty.OnlybecauseMissPinkertonasksRebeccatoteachchildrenmusicthatRebeccathoughtnotherwork,sothatsherejectsherrequirementandquarrelswithher.What’smore,whenRebeccaleavesschool,shethrowsawaythedictionarywhichsymbolizestheauthoritytotheground.Wecansee,theactivitysheshowsatPinkertonisanobvioussignofherconstancyandfearlessnesscharactertofightagainstthesocialauthority.Besides,itisshownrebelliousthoughtsandthedesireforfortuneonRebecca.Duringthevisiting-timetothefamilyofherbestfriendAmelia,shestillshowsakindofself-interested,acerbic,ruthlessandcraftycharacter.Sheisde