Conclusion
In XIXth century Englisl Literature William Thackeray is known as one of the major figures of critical realism, in which an important role is played by the satire and grotesque. Being a highly organized artist with a well structured aesthetical scale, and one of the best educated men of his time, Thackeray understood the importance of literary traditions, the succession of epochs and, possessed extensive and deep knowledge of the history, so it is quite logical that precisely this writer has widened and enriched the boundaries of Victorian novel. In his writtings Thackerray not only deals with his contemporaries and compatriots, but also turns to both XVII and XVIII century society, and to other countries like: France, Germany and America. In real life as well as in fiction, he was very interested in human personality, especially in the role that an individualal plays in a social hierarchy, and overall in the aspects of morality and ethics (very typical of Victorian writers). He was a satirist, an exposer of vice, but not a misanthrope, so the skepticism, which was the base of his satire, did not prevent him from believing in human virtue.
The backbone of most novels and sketches written by Thackeray, is the pessimism and the realistic image of English life. He wanted to oppose “the truths of life” to the conventional “idealization” found in most English literature of that time, when, in general novels were assumed to represent an ideal hero or heroine. Thackeray called his best work – “The Vanity Fair” – a novel without a hero, where the main characters are depicted as vicious and selfish people. He is convinced that evil is much more interesting and more diverse than kindness, and that it is necessary to study people, who act by the bad motives. While depicting evil, defects and meanness of people, the author by these negative examples praises the ideals of human virtue, and gets so fascinated by his vicious heroes, that manages to awaken the interest of the reader to them. Deep pessimism in connection with a humor (laughter), which to a,certain degree, concords with the discords of life, gives to the works of Thackeray a unique tone and makes them highly artistic and vital. In his realistic methods Thackeray is similar to Dickens, but the main difference between them is the fact that William makes no concessions to sentimental idea about the “English virtue”, but mercilessly depicts people in their entire unattractiveness. Therefore most of his novels turn out to be satires, which always have, however, a moral background. Defects are depicted very vividly there, but they are far from having a plesant form.