EL - Prose Assignment Vanity Fair

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Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Department für Anglistik und Amerikanistik WS 2005 / 2006 Einführungsseminar Literaturwissenschaft Dr. Sebastian Domsch

The role and position of the narrator in prose has a special function unknown to poetry and drama; whereas poems have a similar instance, the lyrical I that is in some ways comparable to a narrator, dramatic texts know no such entity. In the analysis of narrative fiction, it is therefore crucial to not overlook how the author presents the narrators – for usually more than one type of narrator is present in the work – and how this influences the reader's perception of the story.

An especially interesting way of narrating is devised by Willam Makepeace Thackeray in his novel Vanity Fair which appeared in serialised form in the Punch magazine between 1847 and 1848 (Introduction to Vanity Fair, l.39ff) . Even before the reader delves into the actual tale beginning with the leave of the two protagonists Amelia Sedley and Rebecca Sharp from their school at Chiswick Mall, the work opens with something frequently found in drama; the chapter heading is Before the Curtain and is in its function similar to an epilogue.

A narrator presents the events of Vanity Fair as a play, the characters as puppets; he talks about the emotions of the Manager of Performance, who appears to be conducting the 'play' of Vanity Fair: "As the Manager of the Performance sits before the curtain on the boards, and looks into the Fair, a feeling of profound melancholy comes over him in his survey of the bustling place." (Before the Curtain, l.1ff)

In this first sentence, the narrator fully establishes himself as extradiegetic persona who stands outside the story and is at the same time to a certain extent omniscient – he has the power to tell feelings and thoughts of characters in the story although these are not uttered aloud. Next to this, the narrator is overt and reveals himself openly to the reader in his role of observer. Following the Chatman list , every sign of presence of the narrator is to be found in the text from small hints as in the description of surroundings – a hint towards a narrating instance for there has to be somebody recording these environment – up to identification and definition of character, e.g. "He [[the Manager of Performance] is proud to think that his Puppets have given satisfaction to the very best company in this empire." (Before the Curtain, l.45f)

Furthermore, there are reports of hidden thoughts or speech of characters as the insight into the feelings of the Manager of Performance quoted above; and also commentary from the narrator, the highest sign of presence as it signifies direct involvement and sentiment: "there are bullies pushing about, [[…] quacks (other quacks, plague take them!) bawling in front of their booths [[…]" (Before the Curtain, l.6ff)

On a more curious note as it strongly resembles one of self-praise, the narrator does not fail to pay tribute to the author, stating that “[[t]here are scenes of all sorts; some dreadful combats, some grand and lofty horse-riding [[…] the whole accompanied by appropriate scenery, and brilliantly illuminated with the Author's own candles." (Before the Curtain, l.34ff) This gives the narrator more body; he is no longer a figure in the shadows simply retelling a story and all throughout the novel, he will address the reader and draw attention to himself.

So when the first chapter Chiswick Mall begins, the readership seems to be guided by the same extradiegetic narrator, though he steps back from involvement in form of commentary for a while. Starting by noting the surroundings yet, he establishes his presence and then continues with the identification of character ("Miss Pinkerton's", p.1, l.2), soon to come to an actual definition of character: "Nay, the acute observer might have recognised the little red nose of good-natured Miss Jemima Pinkerton herself, rising over some geranium-pots in the window of that lady's own drawing-room." (p.1, l.10ff)

Soon the narrator is revealing Miss Jemima's attitude towards her sister; something she not only does not say but might not even be aware of – yet, the observing, judging narrator notes it promptly:

In Miss Jemima's eyes an autograph letter of her sister, Miss Pinkerton, was an object of as deep veneration as would have been a letter from a sovereign. (p.2, l.3ff)

Now follows a passage where the narrator is obliged to step back as a letter from Miss Pinkerton is quoted (l.14ff). It might appear that the narrator has vanished for a short period of time; however, there can be no doubt that he is still there, for he must fulfil the task of recording the letter for the reader – as he also does in every dialogue, every diary entry, every newspaper cutting . This, however, means that there is a shift in the narration: it is now Miss Pinkerton's view that is in the foreground. As a character involved in the narrative, her letter, representing events as a narrator would do, become a 'story in the story'; the level is of a hypodiegetic one, the extradiegetic being the level of the first narrator, the intradiegtic the level of the actual story, i.e. Miss Pinkerton writing a letter which is told by the first narrator. The level being of a lower hierarchy to the intradiegtic level, Miss Pinkerton is now an intradiegetic narrator, telling a hypodiegetic story, namely the evolvement of Amelia Sedley.

The extradiegetic narrator steps back into action and once more displays his omniscience by noting a repetitive action of Miss Pinkerton's, namely presenting her students with a dictionary upon their leave (p.2, l.40ff), which as such has not occurred yet in the narrative and could not be deciphered by the reader as a habitual act unless Miss Pinkerton was to state it. Also by giving the reader background information about Amelia's father without actually changing the setting and telling an events that would reveal this, the narrator shows his extradiegetic level (p.3, l.23f). However, it must be taken into account that an intradiegetic narrator, say Miss Pinkerton, might also be able to give this information; but as she is mentioned straight after in third person (p.3, l.24f), it is unlikely.

Again, the extradiegetic narrator shows involvement in the recount; first off by questioning Miss Pinkerton's authority concerning her description of Amelia in her letter: "Although schoolmistresses' letters are to be trusted no more nor less than churchyard epitaphs[[…]" (p.3, l.27f); secondly by then stating in line 33 that what Miss Pinkerton had said was quite right and thus making himself a voice of higher authority. The narrator overtly steps into the foreground and pauses the events for a while. Eventually, he interrupts himself as he drifts off into talking about Miss Jemima and pronounces a most direct approach to the readership by including it in a group with himself, a 'we':

"Honest Jemima had all the bills, and the washing, and the mending, and the puddings, and the plate and crockery, and the servants to superintend. But why speak about her? It is probably that we shall not hear of her again [[…]" (p.4, l.15ff)

With this, he turns back to Amelia, giving more background information upon her character, defining it and proving himself capable to name her feelings, e.g. "[[…] Miss Sedley was greatly puzzled how to act." (p.4, l.43)

A remarkable passage follows, where the narrator turns even further away from the story as ever before, leaves the whole setting for a completely different one, regardless of the readership, and in his omniscience, takes the liberty of looking at what a certain Mr Jones is doing at his Club whilst reading the book.

"All which details, I have no doubt, JONES [[sic!], who reads this book at his Club, will pronounce excessively foolish, trivial, twaddling, and ultra-sentimental. Yes; I can see Jones at this minute (rather flushed and scoring with his joint of mutton and half-pint of wine), taking out his pencil and scoring under the words 'foolish, twaddling,' &c., and adding to them his own remark of 'quite true'." (p.5, l.11ff)

The narrator turns back to the story once more, never revealing who Jones actually is and what role he plays; if he is just some unknown gentleman and character the narrator is imagining, if he is on the extradiegetic level of the narrator – this is where he appears to be, although the narrator has a higher power, that of omniscience – or if Jones might be a character of the story.

With an account of Rebecca Sharp's good-bye to Miss Pinkerton (this being the only passage in the chapter where the reader can conclude her character traits except for where Miss Pinkerton's dislike for her – though not her reasons – are noted on page 3, lines 10ff) and her leave with Amelia Sedley the narrator lets the first chapter come to a close, permitting himself one last comment: "The world is before the two young ladies; and so, farewell to Chiswick Mall." (p.6, l.42f)