复旦大学：《英美短篇小说 British and American Short Stories》教学课件（PPT）William Faulkner, “A Rose for Emily”

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner The author born in New Albany, Mississippi in 1897 one of the most important writers of the Souther literature of the United States, along with Mark Twain, Robert Penn Warren, Flannery OConnor, Truman Capote etc Persistent lyrical embroidery and coloring, in extended passages, of the narrative theme; realistic colloquialism, expressing lively dialogues, dream like use of stream of consciousness phantasmagoric and deranged, or incoherent style

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  The author  born in New Albany, Mississippi in 1897  one of the most important writers of the Southern literature of the United States, along with Mark Twain, Robert Penn Warren, Flannery O'Connor, Truman Capote etc.  Persistent lyrical embroidery and coloring, in extended passages, of the narrative theme; realistic colloquialism, expressing lively dialogues; dream￾like use of stream of consciousness; phantasmagoric and deranged, or incoherent style

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner The title The title character is a tragic figure. Manipulated by her father and unable to function in the modern world. she lives as a recluse most of the time and eventually goes insane. In an attempt to hold on to a man who becomes her companion but later decides to abandon her she murders him and keeps his corpse in an upper room of her house In a lecture at Nagano, Japan, author William Faulkner said of Emily: Here was a woman who has had a tragedy, an irrevocable tragedy and nothing could be done about it, and I pitied her and this was a salute.. to a woman you would hand a rose

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  The title  The title character is a tragic figure. Manipulated by her father and unable to function in the modern world, she lives as a recluse most of the time and eventually goes insane. In an attempt to hold on to a man who becomes her companion but later decides to abandon her, she murders him and keeps his corpse in an upper room of her house.  In a lecture at Nagano, Japan, author William Faulkner said of Emily: “Here was a woman who has had a tragedy, an irrevocable tragedy and nothing could be done about it, and I pitied her and this was a salute ... to a woman you would hand a rose

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner Type of work A Rose for Emily is a short story of Gothic horror and tragedy. Gothic horror is a genre of fiction presenting dark, mysterious, terrifying events that take place in a gloomy or ghostly setting. The genre derives its name from the Gothic architectural style in europe between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. When a Gothic horror story takes place in the American South and centers in part on Southern cultural traditions and character types, as well as on a realistic rather than romantic account of events, scholars often characterize the story as Southern Gothic

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  Type of work  “A Rose for Emily” is a short story of Gothic horror and tragedy. Gothic horror is a genre of fiction presenting dark, mysterious, terrifying events that take place in a gloomy or ghostly setting. The genre derives its name from the Gothic architectural style in Europe between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries. When a Gothic horror story takes place in the American South and centers in part on Southern cultural traditions and character types, as well as on a realistic rather than romantic account of events, scholars often characterize the story as Southern Gothic

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner Setting William Faulkner set a "A Rose for Emilyin the fictional Mississippi town of Jefferson, modeled after the real Mississippi town of Oxford, where the author spent most of his life. Events in the story take place in the late-nineteenth and early- twentieth centuries

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  Setting  William Faulkner set a “A Rose for Emily” in the fictional Mississippi town of Jefferson, modeled after the real Mississippi town of Oxford, where the author spent most of his life. Events in the story take place in the late-nineteenth and early￾twentieth centuries

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner Major Characters Emily Grierson: Emily is the classic outsider, controlling and limiting the town's access to her true identity by remaining hidden. The house that shields Emily from the world suggests the mind of the woman who inhabits it shuttered dusty, and dark. The object of the towns intense scrutiny, Emily is a muted and mysterious figure. The narrator portrays Emily as a monument. but at the same time she is pitied and often irritating, demanding to live life on her own terms

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  Major Characters  Emily Grierson: Emily is the classic outsider, controlling and limiting the town’s access to her true identity by remaining hidden. The house that shields Emily from the world suggests the mind of the woman who inhabits it: shuttered, dusty, and dark. The object of the town’s intense scrutiny, Emily is a muted and mysterious figure. The narrator portrays Emily as a monument, but at the same time she is pitied and often irritating, demanding to live life on her own terms

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner Major Characters o Homer Barron: Homer, much like Emily, is an outsider, a stranger in town who becomes the subject of gossip. Unlike Emily, however, Homer swoops into town brimming with charm, and he initially becomes the center of attention and the object of affection. As the foreman of a company that has arrived in town to pave the sidewalks. Homer is an emblem of the north and the changes that grip the once insular and genteel world of the South

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  Major Characters  Homer Barron: Homer, much like Emily, is an outsider, a stranger in town who becomes the subject of gossip. Unlike Emily, however, Homer swoops into town brimming with charm, and he initially becomes the center of attention and the object of affection. As the foreman of a company that has arrived in town to pave the sidewalks, Homer is an emblem of the North and the changes that grip the once insular and genteel world of the South

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner Themes ° Psychological Bondage ° Living in the past Death of the old south Tradition versus change The power of death

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  Themes  Psychological Bondage  Living in the past  Death of the Old South  Tradition versus change  The power of death

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner a Motifs -Watching Emily is the subject of the intense, controlling gaze of the narrator and residents of Jefferson The act of watching is powerful because it replaces an actual human presence with a made-up narrative that changes depending on who is doing the watching. No one knows the Emily that exists beyond what they can see, and her true self is visible to them only after she dies and her secrets are revealed

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  Motifs - Watching  Emily is the subject of the intense, controlling gaze of the narrator and residents of Jefferson.  The act of watching is powerful because it replaces an actual human presence with a made-up narrative that changes depending on who is doing the watching. No one knows the Emily that exists beyond what they can see, and her true self is visible to them only after she dies and her secrets are revealed

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner Motifs- Dust The dust throughout Emilys house is a fitting accompaniment to the faded lives within The layers of dust also suggest the cloud of obscurity that hides Emily's true nature and the secrets her house contains In the final scene, the dust is an oppressive presence that seems to emanate from Homers dead body

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  Motifs - Dust  The dust throughout Emily’s house is a fitting accompaniment to the faded lives within.  The layers of dust also suggest the cloud of obscurity that hides Emily’s true nature and the secrets her house contains.  In the final scene, the dust is an oppressive presence that seems to emanate from Homer’s dead body

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner a Symbols The strand of hair The strand of hair is a reminder of love lost and the often perverse things people do in their pursuit of happiness Emily's House: Emily's house, like Emily herself, is a monument, the only remaining emblem of a dying world of Southern aristocracy. Emily's house also represents alienation, mental illness, and death. It is a shrine to the living past

A Rose for Emily William Faulkner  Symbols  The strand of hair: The strand of hair is a reminder of love lost and the often perverse things people do in their pursuit of happiness.  Emily’s House: Emily’s house, like Emily herself, is a monument, the only remaining emblem of a dying world of Southern aristocracy. Emily’s house also represents alienation, mental illness, and death. It is a shrine to the living past