Images of Becky Sharp and Emilia Sedley and their role in the novel by W. Thackeray "Vanity Fair". Contents

TYPOLOGY OF FEMALE IMAGES IN THE WORKS OF W. TEKKERAY

The typological approach to the figurative system in the work of W. Thackeray helps to reveal the inner logic of the writer's artistic thinking, since it presupposes the presence of a "literary and aesthetic community" in the sphere of those phenomena "which can be called related due to the proximity, similarity of some its essential features”. The typological method reveals stable patterns in the writer's artistic system: content-semantic connections between individual images, the generality of structural and poetic techniques (portrait characteristics, details). An interesting typology of characters in Thackeray's work is offered by V.S. Vakhrushev, noting that “first of all, the writer develops the type of a pleasantly dubious hero (Barry Lyndon, Becky Sharp) the artist liked the type of a simpleton, a naive person and on his own mind (Titmarsh, Dobbin, Henry WarringtonIn his work, images of complete villains (Lord Crabs, Marquis Stein) are not so frequent.

An interesting variation of this type is the "great" people - Marlborough, Napoleon, Frederick II The type of tormenting despot. He was attracted and repulsed by that painful and terrible psychological phenomenon when a person who causes harm to others is sincerely convinced that he is their victim (Helen Pendennis, Thomas Newcome, Beatrice Castlewood, Rachel Warringtona group of "charmed wanderers" of life. These are the characters closest to the author (Pendennis, Esmond, J. Warrington they are all poets at heart "[2]. In general, accepting the typology of Tekkereev's characters proposed by V.S. Vakhrushev, we note that we are building our classification within the framework of the socio-ethical priorities of Victorianism, the important concepts of “gentlemanly” and “true femininity” for it. The Victorian era creates a certain code of idealized gentleman - a man of noble, honest, selfless. A similar type of hero, outlined in Dobbin, was developed in the work of Thackeray in the 50s - Arthur Pendennis, Thomas Newcome, Henry Esmond, George Warrington. The purpose of this article is to consider the typology of female images in the novels of W. Thackeray. Victorianism quite rigidly determined the place of women in society - the family sphere and charity. A woman should be a good mother and housewife, a virtuous wife, her intellectual and spiritual life was ignored. This stereotype of the female lifestyle is associated with the cult of nepotism, characteristic of many Victorian writers. In this vein, Charles Dickens creates his heroines, endowing them with kindness, compassion, patience, meekness: Rose Maylie ("Oliver Twist"), Florence Dombey ("Dombey and Son"), Agnes Wickfield ("David Copperfield"), Emmy Dorrit ("Little Dorrit"). The idea of ​​angelic meekness and femininity is also conveyed by means of external characteristics: blue eyes, blond hair, a gentle smile, etc. Note that such a concept of a female character - a fragile, pure, naive heroine who values ​​her virtue - is formed in an English novel of the 18th century: Pamela and Clarissa S. Richardson, Sophia and Amelia G. Fielding, Olivia O. Goldsmith.

This tendency is inherited by W. Scott, and in the English novel of the late 18th - early 19th centuries. dominated by a meek heroine - a blue-eyed blonde, who is paired with a passionate heroine - a black-eyed brunette. This relationship between virtue and passion is clearly expressed in the couples Rose and Flora, Rowenna and Rebecca. On the principle of the relationship between virtue and passion - a blonde and a brunette, it is possible to build a typology of female images in the work of U. Tekkerey. Following the established tradition, Thackeray fixes certain moral characteristics for stable external types, creating female images in the unity of external and internal. In Vanity Fair, the meek blue-eyed Emilia is contrasted with the hypocritical Becky Sharp, whose cunning is emphasized by portrait characteristics - the author gives her red hair and green eyes, like a cat and a fox. The red-haired heroine here is a variant of the insidious brunette. The “eternal” properties of this character are underlined by a complex of comparisons and metaphors that define its archetypal origins. VS Vakhrushev, for example, indicates three transformations of this type: fable-zoological (the heroine is compared with a fox, a snake), fairy-tale-mythological (Clytemnestra, Semele) and historical-literary (Cleopatra, "Napoleon in a skirt") [2, p.18]. Thackeray draws similar situations in intergenerational relations, repeats his characters.

Every virtuous heroine - Emilia, Helen Pendennis, Rachel Castlewood - has its own antipode - Becky, Blanche Amaury or Beatrice. “Many of Thackeray's heroes are an army of actors, you just have to look through theatrical binoculars and you can see the same faces, but in different helmets and under different banners” However, Thackeray not only uses the prevailing stereotype of depicting female characters, but also argues with it. Rachel Castlewood ("The Story of Henry Esmond") resembles in many ways the "blue" traditional heroine of novels. But you can't stand such an idea of ​​her tests by life. The angelic meek Rachel shows jealousy and selfishness. Her daughter, the vain beauty Beatrice, strives for greatness and wealth, displaying her beauty as a commodity in a marriage deal. She is perceived by many as a traditional villainous heroine, the opposite of an angelic mother. This is, as it were, given in the appearance of the heroines: a golden-haired lady with a sunny halo over her head and her daughter, an insidious brunette, whose eyes immediately captivated fans.

But Tekkereevskie images do not obey the established schemes. It is difficult to see Beatrice's spiritual nobility behind the outward manifestations of selfishness and vanity. She sincerely and deeply loves "mother" and in every way contributes to her happiness with Esmond. This character looks more lively and interesting. As A. Druzhinin rightly noted in his time, “Thackeray is bolder and more frank - his heart does not lie with sluggish dolls like the Rose of the Newcomers, even Amelia of Vanity Fair does not captivate him very much - the sympathies of a firm person on the other side”... Some critics rightly note the similarity of techniques and principles of approach to the creation of female images in many of the writer's novels. “Vanity Fair”, “Pendennis” and “Henry Esmond”, - R. Donovan writes, - are of the same berry field, similar situations with the same emotional coloring. All three in general are about two contrasting types of women On the one hand, images of smart, selfish, fickle and attractive women on the other hand, non-intellectual, selfless, peaceful, virgin beauty women are shown .

Thackeray's attitude to both types is contradictory. Although he clearly does not approve of the first of them, he himself is attracted to him, and despite the fact that he worships the second, the author is acutely aware of the suffocating effect of his selfless parasitism ”[8]. D. Sutherland also talks about Esmond's connection to Thackeray's previous novel The Pendennis: “Rachel, like Helen Pendennis, had to endure the pangs of jealousy, being forced out by her daughter (or adopted daughter like Laura Bell) from the heart of her son. Thus, the Rachel - Esmond - Beatrice triangle corresponds to the Helene - Pen - Laura triangle ”