The Interpretation of Becky in Vanity Fair from a Different Perspective

蔣靈璇

I.The Factors of Sharps Progress

Once you are alive，you will be influenced by numerous factors.During in those varied elements，social backgrounds，family environments，educational conditions are the most influential causes.And these three causes are the most critical factors for the shaping of ones personality and individual characteristics.

A.The Social Backgrounds

The society Becky lived in was the most big and powerful period of British Empire.Though the fast developing capitalism in Victorian Age had brought in the amazing economic prosperous and the strength of the country，it also brought about countless social problems.And the vicious development of its abuse was represented by the money oriented policy which had permeated through the every corner of daily life，influenced the morality and mastered the interrelationships.The Background of Her Family

She was of a wild，roving nature，inherited from a drunk father and an opera-girl mother.Living in such a family and environment，Beckys childhood was filed with violence，vulgar and cheating.Influenced by these factors，Becky formed a more mature and sophisticated temperament than other children who were in the same age group.

As stated above，we can get a conclusion that Beckys family condition is a doubled-edged sword.It is just her family which enforced Becky to become a strong-willed and talented girl who tried her best to proceed to the upper class.

B.The Experiments in Chiswick Mall

Beckys life started a new page after she came to Chiswick Mall as French teacher.

In consideration of Beckys extraordinary maturity，the author once said like this，“oh，why did Miss Pinkerton let such a dangerous bird into her cage.” In my eyes，this inharmonious relationship looks like the relationship between the new and developing woman and the rigid traditional one.

After，Becky determined to get rid of poverty she refused to be a free music teacher.

“Give me a sum of money，” said the girl，“and get rid of me，if you like better，get me a good place as governess in a noblemans family – you can do so if you please.” And in their further disputes she always returned to this point.

Becoming a governess in a nobles family and living with the nobleman were the fantastic ways to get in touch with the aristocrat.From a poor student in Chiswick Mall to the governess of a noble family，Becky had a great jump in her life.And the experiments she went through in Chiswick Mall would play a critical role in Beckys latter life.

II.The Stages Becky Has Taken

After taking a panoramic view of the original work，I found that the ups and down of Beckys life was intimately involved with her totally different experiments in the typical places and the typical characters – Joseph in Russell Square，Crawley of Queens Crawley and the Lord Steyne in Gaunt Square.If we want to discuss the stages Becky had taken to symbolize the progress of new woman，the experiments happened in those places are our unavoidable subjects.

A.Becky with Joseph in Russell Square

Before Becky entered upon her duties as governess in a private family，she was invited by her only friend Amelia.This invitation made her met Joseph – Amelias brother who was a taxman in East Indian Company which means that he was pretty rich in Russell Square.Marrying a rich man is the best way to get a statue.Joseph might be the right person at present.

In the following days at Russell Square，Becky not only showed her interest in India constantly which mad Joseph quiet proud，but also wan over Mr.Sedley.As time passed by，Beckys charm wins the affection of Joseph.However，Joseph left because of healthy issue after the proposing.All was over.The first attempt to step into the upper class was failed.She left Russell Square with endless sadness.

B.Crawley of Queens Crawley

When the dream that speeding to the upper class shattered in Russell Square，Sir Pitt Crawley offered her another more powerful spring board.Therefore，this opportunity offset her regret，and still gave her the chance to restart.

“The 19th century saw an increasingly widespread and article statement of womens claims-perhaps in reaction to the emergence of an image of true “femininity” that seemed to become more constricted as the century move on.” Becky was the one in this group.So she wisely determined to render her position with the Queens Crawley family.

In the days she lived in Queens Crawley，she married Rawdon Crawley who was appointed to be the inheritor of her aunt，Miss Crawley who got fortune of ￡70，000.This was the right step for her to begin to scale the rungs of the British Social scene.However，things happened on the other way around.After hearing about the news that her beloved Rawdon married to a governess，the wealthy Miss Crawley deprived the right of Rawdon to inherit the huge fortune.

C.Lord Steyne in Gaunt Square

“To Rebecca，a husband of no possession of fortune is actually of no use.” Consequently，after loosing the perfect chance，she managed to seduce other man o f power an influence to fulfill her swelling ambition of higher social position.She got another great man-Marquis of Steyne who lived in Gaunt House，wealthy，honored，and bored.

With the help of Marquis of Steyne and her wits，she became the most attractive woman in London.She succeeded in owning what she died for in this relationship until the fatal day when Rawdon Crawley walked in on the two of them.

III.Never Submitting to Destiny

A.Living as a Vagabond

At the summit of her success，Beckys unsuitable relationship with the rich and omnipotent Marquis of Steyne was discovered by Rawdon Crawley.From that moment on，the air castle Becky shaped was shattered.Becky lost her husband and was warned by Steyne to quit England.Wherever she went，her life would be destroyed by Steynes men.

In spite of these suffers，she tried to make a character for herself and conquer the scandal.She began to donate to the church and try to do everything that was respectable.She saw people avoiding her，and still tried hard to smile upon them.We never could suppose what pangs of humiliation she might be enduring inwardly from her countenance.

However，thanks to her iron-willed characters，Becky did not give up even she was in her hardest time.So here comes to the good news.

B.Back to the Life as Before

After living as vagabond for quite a long time and had fallen very low in funds and repute，Becky got her emancipator back-Joseph Sedley who come back from India and still loved her.So she attached herself to Joseph Sedley，though not by any legal bonds.Becky talked her hardship to Joseph with tears which enforced Joseph to get a conclusion that he was the first man won Beckys love.Step by step，Becky resumed her seduction of Joseph and gained control over him whose death appeared to have made her fortune.

In the end，Becky succeeded in establishing herself in such a vanity fair at the cost of lives of two men and the alienation of all her friends and family.No matter how，she had got what she wanted to gain.

Conclusion

Although Becky was portrayed as woman who sought for the achievements of wealth，rank and social status and ambitions of her life through marriage，she was the woman with the courage to fight against her destiny and disobeyed the traditional conservative feudal value and with the iron-willed belief to undergo the hardship.We should judged a person not only by her performances but also take the social backgrounds and certain situation of woman into consideration.In this view，Becky Sharp in Vanity Fair was a courageous bourgeoisie woman.