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Vanity Fair is Thackeray’s most enduring masterpiece. With scratching irony Thackeray exposes the vices of this society: hypocrisy, money-worship, and moral degradation. This general approach bout Thackeray’s accounting for the fact that the novel has very few positive characters. Vanity Fair was written in England in 1847 to 1848, appearing in monthly installment. Old English experienced in the 17th century bourgeois revolution and the 18th century industrial revolution. The Reform Bill of 1832 passed the political power from the decaying aristocrats into the hands of the middle-class industrialists, thus the Industrial Revolution soon geared up(Wang,2007:28) Steam-powered engines were exploited for railways, iron ships, printing presses and farmers’ combines; scientific discoveries and technological inventions quickly brought amazing changes of the country. For a time, England was the “workshop of the world”, large amount of profits were accumulated from both its international trade and its colonies. Towards the mid-century, England had reached its highest point of development as a world power. However, these years also were the period of social unrest caused by sharp contrast between the poor and the rich. In the 19th century, on the basis of plunder, colonies finally completed capital accusation process. At this time, British industry was prosperous and seemed more stable than before in the world market. The new parts of English industries from all aspects grew up. But masses of working people became the capital’s slaves. Their lives were so hard. Some of the middle class faced the bankruptcy in free competition. Capitalists, in use of exploitation, lived a luxury life. So, the contradiction between the laboring people and the ruling class was sharp. And this also caused the upper class’s spirit and morality fall.
The female character of Carrie is condemned all the time, for she betrayed the qualities of that period. She lived with Drouet , later a hotel manager Hursthood for a wealthy life. Taken the social background and into consideration, she was so touching in the adversity, confronting the difficulties and never yielding to the failure. Rebecca paved herself the glorified road of entering a high society by any steps she could take. She was so independent, resisted the male-privileged society and class oppression. She was so clever that pleased any one who was useful for her. Also in the marriage, she gave play to female charm to extreme.
2.2 Introduction on two authors
Not only the social environments have made influence on the images and fates of women in Sister Carrie and Vanity Fair, but also the authors’ attitudes exert influence on the shaping of images and fates of women.
2.2.1 Dreiser’s attitudes towards Carrie
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, the twelfth of thirteen children. His mother was illiterate; his German immigrant father was severe and distant. From the former he seems to have absorbed a quality of compassionate wonder; from the latter he seems to have inherited moral earnestness and the capacity to persist in the face of failure, disappointment, and despair. His childhood was decidedly unhappy. From the age of fifteen Dreiser was essentially on his own, earning meager support from a variety of menial jobs. His education was to come from experience and independent reading and thinking. He was, however, a voracious reader, and the impact of such writers as Hawthorne, Poe, Balzac, Herbert Spencer, and Freud influenced his thought and his reaction against organized religion. His best novels are Sister Carrie and an American Tragedy (Jiang, 2003:23). He was not only considered as naturalist writer, but also the most prominent one. He denied the function of morality in works, some of which came from the reality and the real name; some of which were not accepted by the public. The characters of his works born poor, the struggle of living drove them to risk danger for chasing luxurious life. The most successful characters were who got rid of poverty at all costs in the competitive world and how finally their dream was not realized.