Abstract

Vanity Fair has been known as the masterpiece of William Makepeace Thackeray who is an excellent novelist of critical realism in England in the 19th century. The novel revolves around the fates of Rebecca Sharp and Amelia Sedley. Rebecca, a woman adventurer, looks seductive and has been trying her best to change her life who regards love as a game and finally loses her husband and her son, while the Victorian angel Amelia looks weak, good-natured who respects love and gain happiness ultimately. By studying the concepts of love of the two heroines, the author reaches the conclusion that their completely opposite concepts of love is the product of the society and furthermore aims at revealing that the dreamers in modern society should take appropriate measures to pursue their dreams bravely.

Key words: Vanity Fair; Rebecca Sharp; Amelia Sedley; love

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction1

2 Introduction to Vanity Fair1

3 The images of Rebecca Sharp and Amelia Sedley2

3.1 The image of Rebecca Sharp3

3.2 The image of Amelia Sedley.4

4 The concepts of love of Rebecca Sharp and Amelia Sedley.6

  4.1 The concept of love of Rebecca Sharp  6

  4.2 The concept of love of Amelia Sedley.  7

5 The causes of Rebecca’s and Amelia’s fates.8

  5.1 Family background  8

  5.2 Social background.  8

6 The consequences of Rebecca Sharp and Amelia Sedley.10

7 Conclusion.11

References13