Method of the Study

30 Among the most respected of the names beginning in C, which the Court Guide contained in the year 18--, was that of Crawley, Sir Pitt, Baronet, Great Gaunt Street, and Queen’s Crawley, Hants. This honourable name had figured constantly also in the parliamentary list for many years, in conjunction with that of a number of other worthy gentlemen who sat in turns for the borough 64. Becky becomes Mrs. Crawley. This marriage of course elevates Becky’s social status because people recognize her as one of the members of the Crawleys. However, she is not immediately rich. Rawdon’s aunt, Miss Crawley, who always supports his financial, does not give her blessing on the marriage. She stops her financial supports and she even crosses Rawdon’s name out of her heir list. Becky meets Lord Steyne who helps her not only to present her to the court but also to support her financially. With the help of Lord Steyne, Becky manages herself to be accepted by the London high-class society. This is considered as the best achievement in her life. Her ambition is accomplished. She is rich and accepted by the society. She is invited to many parties and she never misses to attend each of them. She lives glamorously. She literary becomes a member of high class society. Her turning point comes when Rawdon catches Becky’s affair with Lord Steyne. Though Becky says “I’m innocent, Rawdon” 538, he is already disappointed with his liar wife. Rawdon divorces her. Becky becomes a widow and the custody of her son is given to Lady Jane, Rawdon’s sister in law. Though she still gets little sum of money from Rawdon, Becky’s social status is dramatically decreasing. She remained for hours after he was gone, the sunshine pouring into the room, and Rebecca sitting alone on the bed’s edge. The drawers were all opened and their contents scattered about, - dresses and feathers, scarfs PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 31 and trinkets, a heap of tumble vanities lying in a wreck. Her hair was falling over her shoulders; her gown was torn where Rawdon had wretched the brilliants out of it. She had heard him go downstairs a few minutes after he left her, and the door slamming and closing on him. She knew he would never come back. He was gone forever 539. Thackeray uses Becky‘s thought and reaction to emphasize her defeat. It is actually her life which is scattered. She sees her own life that she has buildt ever since she left the school ruins in front of her. She knows that Rawdon will never forgive her and her life as a lady is over. She lives shabbier than ever now, without money or friends. She used to have many people besides her. Everybody adores her especially men. Now, nobody wants to be with Mrs. Crawley. Even though she has divorced with Rawdon, she still uses her husband’s name to keep her status and dignity. She feels lonely and lives in exiled. From other characters’ reactions, we can see that “Mr. Wenham’s business, Lord Steyne’s business, Rawdon’s, everybody’s – to get her out of the country, and hush up a most disagreeable affair” 647. After her leaving from England, she lives in Boulogne, on the northern coast of French just across from the Channel, where “bankrupts and scapegraces from Britain retired” 747. She lives as a vagrant, refused from one place to another. She really tries to get her life back, but there is always somebody who ruins her effort that even Thackeray himself feels pity on her. He says “Whenever Becky made a little circle for herself with incredible toils and labor, somebody came and swept it down rudely, and she had all her work to begin over again. It was very hard; very hard; lonely and disheartening” 650. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI 32

4.1.2. Physical Traits

Becky is described as a beautiful woman. Her face is as fresh as a rose and her complexion is as pale as snow. She often lets her hair curl round her neck that makes her neck more dramatically beautiful 379. Whereas physically she is pictured to have small and slight body, her attractive eyes become her appeal that attracted men. She was small and slight in person; pale, sandy-haired, and with eyes habitually cast down: when they looked up they were very large, odd, and attractive; so attractive that the Reverend Mr. Crisp, fresh from Oxford, curate to the Vicar of Chiswick, the Reverend Mr. Flowerdew, fell in love with Miss Sharp; being shot dead by a glance of her eyes which was fired all the way across Chiswick Church from the school-pew to the reading- desk 16. From the above quotation, it can be concluded that little Becky has beautiful eyes. Little Becky is a little bit shy, “eyes habitually cast down”, as she comes of her age; she turns to be a charming and confident woman. ...Mrs. Rawdon Crawley’s debut was, on the contrary, very brilliant. She arrived very late. Her face was radiant; her dress perfection. In the midst of the great persons assembled, and the eye-glasses directed to her, Rebecca seemed to be as cool and collected as when she used to marshal Miss Pinkerton’s little dandies thronged round her 285. She cleverly attracts people in the party by arriving late. Therefore, when she appears, the crowd will pay attention to her. Though under everyone’s stare, she does not feel awkward or nervous Another description of Becky’s figure is taken when she attends a party. All of the guesses are amazed. Her taste in fashion is described as if she is a trendsetter. She always wears her best dress when she goes out to a party.