Those who want to know the life of nineteenth century English society should definitely read the novels of William Thackeray. Accurate images of types, sparkling humor and good style will bring true pleasure to the reader.
Childhood and adolescence of the writer
William Thackeray was born on July 18, 1811, the son of a high-ranking British official in Calcutta, India. William's father dies early, so a colleague and friend of his untimely departed father, Major Carmichael Smith, who becomes his stepfather, began to take care of the boy.
At the age of six, William is sent to London to acquire a proper education. The boy received his primary education at the Charterhouse school for aristocrats. In 1829 William Thackeray entered the University of Cambridge. But with the training, not everything went smoothly.
After a year of study at the University of Cambridge, William is expelled. It turned out that William was bored at law school. But studying in Germany at the Faculty of Philology did not dispel the boredom of young William. Traveling around Europe, young Thackeray is fond of studying painting. In Paris, he studies fine arts with the artist Bonington. At twenty-one, Thackeray receives an inheritance. The money he got from his father was not enough for the young man to continue his art education. The fact is that the banks that kept the inherited money went bankrupt, the funds could not be saved. The young Englishman's passion for card games and a riotous lifestyle also influenced the imminent bankruptcy.
Career William Thackeray
William Thackeray, although he studied painting, graphics, but did not earn it. He applied these skills in illustrations to his literary works. Since 1836, his gaze is completely turned to literature.
The beginning of his literary activity was the work of a foreign correspondent in the newspaper "Banner of the Nation", which was opened by William's stepfather. He then appears in Fraser Magazine. At that time, writers published their works under pseudonyms. Thackeray was no exception, taking the pseudonym of Mikhail Titmarsh. The young talented publicist was published in the New Monthly Magazine, in which he wrote critical articles. In 1843 "The Book of Irish Sketches" was published. The first novel written by William Thackeray in 1844 is called The Notes of Barry Lyndon. From 1846 to 1847 Thackeray wrote The Book of Snobs, where the reader is shown the entire gallery of social types in English society. With the help of the heroes portrayed, the author exposed the vices inherent in the English society of that time. The writer had a disdain for snobbery and fought it to the best of his ability.
The novel "Vanity Fair", which will bring great fame to the author, William writes in 1844. This was the first work that the writer signed for the first time with his true name. This essay was truly innovative in prose. New chapters of the novel were published monthly in the magazine, so the task of the writer was to stretch it out for a long time and finish it arbitrarily. As a result, the author creates several main characters around whom all sorts of events take place. Soon, thanks to such a popular work as Vanity Fair, Thackeray became an honorary member of London society. William gains recognition from famous writers of the time.
From 1850 to 1854 such novels were published as: "The Pendennis", "The Story of Henry Esmond", "Newcomes". Having created historical and literary essays, which will then be included in his book "English humorists of the seventeenth century." and The Reign of the Four Georgians, Thackeray lectures first in Europe and then in America. In 1857 Thackeray published the novel The Virginians, and in 1859 he became editor-in-chief of the Cornhill magazine.
In 1863, on December 24, the writer died suddenly, not having time to finish the novel "Denis Duval".
Personal life
Family life was not going well. Traveling to Europe, William meets Isabella Shaw, daughter of Colonel Matthew Shaw, at a party, soon marries her for love in 1836. Three girls were born in the marriage: Anne Isabella, Jane and Harriet Marian. But his wife gradually began to develop mental illness, which intensified with the birth of daughters. I even had to hire a nurse to look after my wife. Once, when the writer and his family were heading on a steamer to Ireland, his wife wanted to commit suicide. This led to her being admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.
William had to raise three daughters single-handedly, but his youngest daughter died at the age of eight months. William's mother and his stepfather took on all the burdens of supporting the two remaining daughters. In 1846 Thackeray bought a house and moved his family there. Subsequently, the eldest daughter Anna will become, like the famous father, a famous writer. She will write great memories of her father. The youngest daughter Harriet will marry critic Leslie Stephen. William was forced to live as a "bachelor", since divorce was not given at that time.
The meaning of the writer's creativity
William Thackeray portrayed the life of England realistically in his novels, unlike other authors of the time who idealized heroes. Thackeray's novels do not have a hero, the emphasis is on the low deeds of people. The writer wanted to convey the correct ideals to his readers by portraying the vices, pettiness and evil of his characters.
