《名利场》的现实意义初探-《名利场》的艺术特色

《名利场》的现实意义初探-《名利场》的艺术特色[08-05-2415:04:00]  作者：肖飞  编辑：studa0714摘　要:是19世纪英国批判现实主义作家萨克雷的代表作,这部伟大的作品具有鲜明的艺术特色。以幽默、讽刺、旁白等叙事手法陈述故事,通过愉快活泼的对话刻划人物,采用现实主义表现手法揭露当时英国上流社会尔虞我诈的种种丑态,使作品产生了独特的艺术魅力,从而奠定了萨克雷在英国文学史上的重要地位。关键词:《名利场》;现实主义;幽默;讽刺;旁白Abstract:VanityFairwrittenbyWilliamMakepeaceThackerayisgenerallyrecognizedashismasterpiece,throughwhichheestablishedhisimportantpositioninthehistoryofEnglishliterature.Inthenovel,Thakerayprofoundlyexposesthesocialevilsandrealityofthetimesthroughrealismandsatire.Thispapertriestomakesomeexplorationsofthenovelpselementsofrealismandsatirethatcontributemuchtoitsgreatsuccess.Keywords:VanityFair;realism;satire;humor;narrationThackeraysaid:theaimofthetragedyandpoetryistoinvokevariousfeelingsmuchemphasison“natureandtruth”.Itswritingstyleissomasculine,felicitous,humorousandpleasantthatunlesstoveryobtuseperceptions,oneFairiswrittendown.seesnothowitcanfailofbeingattractive.Particularlyitsartisticfeaturesaremoreuniquecomparedwiththoseof othercontemporaryEuropeanwriters.“theartofthenovelistoexpressnature,toconveytruth———[1]Actionsandlanguagesofthecharactersareofheroiccharacteristic.ThusheputsUndertheguideofthisprinciple,hismasterpieceVanityⅠInmyeyes,thefirstartisticfeatureofVanityFairisitsrealism.Itisprominentlymanifestedintermsofcharacterization.ThetriumphofThackeraypsartofcharacterizationishisrealism.Hispersonagesarerealistic.Manyofthemaredrawnfrompersonsactuallyknowntohim.ThusitissaidthatAmeliaSedleyisdrawnafterhisownwife,andSydneyMorgansuggestedastheoriginforRebecca(Becky)Sharp[2].HischaractersareneitherGodnorDevil,butrealhumanbeingswithcommonhumanjoysandsorrows,virtuesandweaknesses.Thisisthereasonfortheirvitality,theyaresolidfiguresoffleshandbloodandnotmerelylifelessabstractions.Realismismanifestedbytheeffectiveuseofphysicaldetails.Theyareneverpresentedinisolation,butintheirmilieu,bothsocialandphysical.Thackeraypsmoralityismorerealistic,nearertonaturethanthatofDickens.Therearenopoeticjustice,nosuddenconversionsandnoartificialtryingofthelooseendsattheend.Thewickedsufferers,andtheirsufferingcomequitenaturallyandconvincingly.Atthemomentoftheirhighestachievement,theirsuccessturnsouttobedustandash.BeckySharpsucceedsinmarryingRawdon,buthersuccessbecomespointlessinhermouthwhenSirPittproposestoherandsherealizesthatshehascommittedanerrorofjudgment.Dobbinisagentleman,whosucceedsinmarryingAmelia,butrealizesthatthepriceisnotworthhaving.Ameliawastesthebestyearsofherlifeinnursingthememoryofherhusband,andthencomestoknowthathewasnotworthyofherdevotionatall.Intheend,boththegoodandthewickedachieveonlyalimitedsuccess.AmeliapssuccessandhappinessisnotmuchgreaterthanthatofBecky.ThemoralityinferredinthisnovelismoresignificantthanthatofDickens.However,Thackeraypstoofrequentmoralcommentsoftenstrikeajarringnote,andintroduceanelementofartificiality.Theartisticandimaginativerealityistobefrequentlyviolatedbytheintrusionofadifferentorderofreality.Rawdoncheatsatcardsandthey—BeckyandRawdon—pendants—MissBriggsandRaggles,andthusarethemastersoftheartoflivingonnothingayear.TherelationshipbetweenBeckyandSteyneisbasedonmoney.SexhasnothingtodowithitasfarasRebeccaisconcerned.Besides,Thackerayalsoexcelsasapainterofmanners.WecansayVanityFairisanovelofmanners.ItseekstodepictthesocialbehavioroftheVictorianuppermiddle2class.Moneygettingandlosing,andsocialclimbingistheveryhuboflife.SotheyarealsotheverycoreofVanityFair.Theseaspectsoflifehavebeencrystallizedinthenovel,aswhattheywereinVictorianlife,throughthedescriptionofsocialrelationships,andthesesocialrelationshipscenteraroundmarriageandmoney[2].Afewexampleswillsufficetoillustratethepoint.Beckyisasocialrebelandtheachievementsofwealth,rankandsocialstatusandtheambitionsofherlife.Sheseekstoachievetheseaimsthroughmarriage.ShemarriesRawdonnotoutoflove,butwiththispurposeinhermind.Hadshenotmarriedhimfirst,shewouldhavemarriedOldSirPitt,becausehewasinabetterpositiontoprovideherwithwealthandstatus.Whenheproposestoher,sheshedstheonlygenuinetearsofherlife.Shehasnarrowlymissedhergoal.——fleecepettytradersandmerchants,eventheirdeSocialclimbingisthecrazeoftheday,asitiswithBeckySharp.Therichhavegrownricher,andthenewlyrich,likeOldOsborne,nowseeksocialrecognition,prestigeandstatusthroughtheirwealth.OldOsborneiscallousandhard2hearted.Andmoneyiseverythingtohim.HesnobbishlyseverstherelationswiththeSedleysassoonasOldSedleyloseshismoney,eventhoughJohnSedleyhasbeenhisbenefactorandhasbefriendedhimintimesofneed.Hecallshisformerfriendsbyharshnames.HeforbidshissontomarryAmeliaandwantshimtomarryanilliteratemulatto2girl,whohasalotofmoney.Heispreparedtogivehissonanyamountofmoneyonlyifhekeepstogenteelsociety,forinhisview,“thegenteelcannevergowrong”[4].Inbrief,ThackerayisatruerepresentativeofcustomsandconcernsofVictorianLife.Hehasrealisticallyrepresentedtheseamysideofhisage.Wecancallhimagreatrealisticwriter.ⅡInmyopinionsatireisanotherartisticfeatureofVanityFair.Asasatirist,hehasruthlesslyexposedvariousfolliesandfrivolities,weaknessesandvicesoftheuppermiddleclassofhistime.ButThackeraypssatireiskindlyandgenial,onlyoccasionallyalittlebitter.Thethreeweaponsbywhichheachieveshisexposureofhumanvanityandaffectationare(a)irony,(b)useofsatiricalnamesand(c)humoroussituations.(a)IronyUniqueinmanyways,ironyisthekeynoteofThakeray’sattitade.Itistheironyofanexperienced,elderlymanoftheworld,whoissurveyingthepanoramaofVanityFairwiththesameironicalsmile,justasheiswatchingtheactivitiesofchildrenatplay.Ironyisimplicitinstyle.Verbalirony,ironyoflife,ironyofcharacterandcircumstancesareallthere,coloringthenarrativeandimpartingtoitararecharmandfreshness.InVanityFair,wefindironyofeverykind.Itcoversawiderange.Itissometimesbiting,sometimesplayful,butalwayspertinentandtothepoint.AfewinstanceswouldservetobringoutthesalientfeaturesofThackeraypsirony.HereareafewofThackeraypsironiccommentsonthefalsemoney2valuesinVanityFair.“I,formypart,haveknownafive2poundnotetointerposeandknockupahalf2centurypsattachmentbetweentwobrethren;andcanptbutadmire,asIthinkwhatafineand”[4]durablethingloveisamongworldlypeople.Onanotheroccasionhecomments:“Whatacharmingreconcilerand[4]peacemakermoneyis!”CommentingonMissGrawley,hesays,“Thegoodqualityofthisladyhasbeenmentioned.Shehasabalanceatherbankerpswhichwouldhavemadeherbelovedanywhere.”[4]WomencomeinforagoodshareofThackeraypssarcasm.Hehashistongue2in2cheekashedescribesBeckypsneedofmoney:“Allshewantedwastheproposal,andah!HowRebeccanowfeltthewantofamother!—Adear,[4]tendermother,whowouldhavemanagedthebusinessintenminutes..”BeckypsfriendshipwithLadyJaneissuchthat,“.thesetwoladiesdidnotseemuchofeachexceptuponthoseoccasions,whentheyoungerbrotherpsendofSirPitt.LordSteynediesintheclutchesofasecond2ratecourtesan.JosSedley,havingspenthisgreatlustsoncurriesandwaistcoatsandhavingescapedhisvaletpsrazor.Georgediesinthebloodbathofpatriotism,thescenemore‘blackhumor’starkforbeingunderplayed,andtheremarkswithwhichThackerayprefacestheaccountofhisdeathpictureasapretamazinglyremainsacomicnovel,rarelyapproachingevenwhatwenowcall,Butdespitetheharshnessofthispicture,tifiedtribalversionoftheimmoralbrutalitycongenitaltoman.”[2]VanityFair.“ThosewhoreaditasaDostoevskyanrenderingofhell(b)SatiricalNamesonearthdistortitevenmorethanthosewhomakeitaproto2Marxisttract.”[1]ThetoneinwhichThackeraytellsthestory,thoughoccasionallybitter,ismoreoftengenial.Thackerayisadeptingivingtell2talenamestohischaracterswhichareoftenhumorousandironic.Forcertainoccupationstheauthorchooses“killingnames”.Lance—thesurgeon;Mrs.Briefless—thebarristerpswife;SirThomasCoffin—thecelebratedhangingjudge.ToportraypersonalcharacteristicstherearenamessuchasMr.Smirk,MissToday,theReverendMr.Crisp,andtheReverendMr.Flowerew.Mrs.Flamingodressesinacrimsonsilkgown.LordMethuselahisanoldman,andMrs.Highflyerisasocialclimber.Thesituationofthestory,atthetimethenamesarementioned,frequentlyaugmentsthesatire.Hereisanexampin.BeckyisridingwithSirPitttoQueenpsCrawley.Therainispouringdown.ThetownsalongthewayareLeakingtonMudburyandSquashmore.