Abstract: Vanity Fair, written by William Makepeace Thackeray is generally recognized as his masterpiece, through which he established important position in the English literary history. Thackeray uses many rhetorical devices in Vanity Fair. The successful use of irony makes the novel famous. The intention of this paper is to survey the application of irony in Vanity Fair. Irony is applied to characterization, language, and the description of the two heroines’. Irony used in Vanity Fair reflects the relationships between money-oriented people.  The function of irony is to criticize such relationships. Thackeray’s real intention is to satirize the 19th century English society. 

Key words: Vanity Fair; Irony; characterization; language; attitudes toward love 

CONTENTS

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction1

2. Application of Irony in Vanity Fair2

2.1 Irony in Characterization

2.2 Irony in Language

2.3 Irony in the Heroines’ Attitude toward Love

3. Conclusion6

Bibliography.7

Acknowledgements...8