the conflicts in a rose for emily英语专业毕业论文文档格式.docx
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Thispassageattemptsto,fromadelicatewaytoanalyzetheconflictsaboutthelifeofMissEmilyintheworld-famousshortstoryARoseforEmilybyWilliamFaulkner,anAmericanwriter.TheauthorfirststartsfromtheconflictsinMissEmily’slife,analyzingthereasonsoftheconflicts.Furthermore,fromliteraldevicesinthispassage,WilliamFaulknerexplainstothereadershowtheconflictsaredisplayed.Basedontheabove,theauthorpointsoutthatMissEmily’scharactertragedyliesintheobstinatetraditionalsenseofhierarchyintheOldSouthofAmerica.Theconflicts,betweenthenewsystemintheNewSouthduringitsfoundationandtheoldsystemintheOldSouth,aswellashergreatlytwistedcharacter,leadtohertragicfate.Throughtheseriesofthespecificanalysis,thereadersareabletomakefullcomprehensionofthearticle.
Keywords:
ConflictRefuseOldSouthNewSouthNorth
摘要
本篇文章力图用一种很细致的方法来透析威廉.佛克纳的著名短篇小说《献给艾米丽的玫瑰》中所出现的种种冲突。
作者首先从艾米丽生活中所出现的冲突切入,进而分析存在这些冲突的原因,然后本篇文章又从威廉.佛克纳所使用的多种文学手段来进一步说明他是如何把这些冲突展现给读者的,由此读者不难发现艾米丽的悲剧植根于美国南方特权阶级顽固的传统观念,这些冲突的发生实质上是南方旧体制,旧观念和北方新体制,新观念的冲突。
通过一系列紧密的分析读者可以更透彻的理解这篇文章。
关键词:
冲突拒绝旧南方新南方北方
Introduction
WilliamFaulkner,anoutstandingsouthernwriteroftheU.S.A.,wasaregionalist,spendingmostofhistimeinasmallregion—DeepSouth.HeinventedacountyYoknapatawpha,thecapitalisJefferson,inhisimagination.Mostofhisstoriestookplaceinthisimaginaryplace.“ARoseforEmily”isoneofthem.Faulknersuccessfullyadvancedtwomodernliterarytechniques:
streamofconsciousnessandmultiplepointofview.Hisfrequentthemeswerehistoryandrace---familyepic,melon-drama(withexaggeratedconflictsandemotion),tragedyandcomedy.Alloftheseinvolvewar,race,class,soil,andfamilyviolence.Hedefineshisidealsintermsoftheiropposites.Hehasfewcharactersthathavenormalsense,andMissEmily,themaincharacteroftheshortstory,isatypicalonewhoresemblesalmostalltheaspectsofWilliamFaulkner’swritingstylementionedabove.
MissEmilyGrierson,atypicalcharacterdescribedinhisworld-famousshortstory“ARoseforEmily”,istheemblemoftheOldSouthandthevictimoftheOldSouth’straditionalideas.Herunusualbehavior,proudandaloofcharacterandnearlyseclusivelivesarealwaysthetargetscriticizedbytraditionalcritics.MissEmilyrefusedtoacceptthepostbox,thesymbolofmodernization;
andrefusedtopaytaxes,whichmeansthatsherefusedtoaccepttheprogressofthesociety;
andrefusedtoacceptthepassageoftime…SoMissEmily’slifearefilledwithconflicts.AndtheconflictsliedinthenewideasintheNewSouthandtheoldideasintheOldSouth.
ChapterI
Thereareseveralconflictsinthestoryincludingpayingtaxes,thesmell,thedisposalofthedeadbodyofherfather,thepurchaseofpoison,hermarriage,andthemailbox.
Onpayingtaxes,thetownspeoplewantEmilytoconformtotheirstandardsofliving.Emilyrefusestosuccumbtotheirpressurebecauseofaso-calledarrangementmadebetweenColonelSartoris,whowasthemayoratthattime,andEmilyexemptsherselffromeverpayingtaxes.Inreality,thearrangementwasreallytosavefaceorEmily’sreputationbecauseshehasbecomepoor.Faulknerissocautiouseveninthewordsheusestoreflectthisarrangementofabygoneera:
“OnlyamanofColonelSartoris”generationandthoughtcouldhaveinventedit,andonlyawomancouldhavebelievedit.”
(1)However,thetowncouncilofJefferson’snextgenerationhaschangedtheirvalues,demandsEmilypayasalltherestofthem.FaulknernotesthatthetownspeoplesenttheBaptistminister–MissEmily’speoplewereEpiscopal–tocalluponher,andtheyalsosendthreateninglettersdemandingshepayhertaxes.ButMissEmilysaid,“perhapsheconsidershimselfthesheriff…IhavenotaxesinJefferson.”
(2)Andsherepeatedonesentenceinfuryagainandagain,justas“seeColonelSartoris.IhavenotaxesinJefferson.”Undersuchcircumstances,thecityauthoritieswereforcedtogiveupcollectinghertaxes.
Ontownspeople’scomplainsaboutthesmell,thetownspeoplehadnocouragetoaskhertogetridofit.Thathappened,shortlyafterhersweetheartdesertedher.Fourtownspeoplereducedthemselvestotherolesofnighttimeprowlers,“slunk”aroundMissEmily'
shouseand“sprinkled”(3)lime.Creepingaway,theyseeMissEmilysilhouettedinthewindow,“heruprighttorsomotionlessasthatofanidol,”(4)Fromthedescriptivewords,thereaderscanseethatMissEmilyhasbeendominatingthecommunity.
Onthedisposalofthedeadbodyofhisfather,whenherfatherdied,shebecame“crazy”.Faulknerwrote,“Shetoldthemhisfatherwasnotdead.Shedidthatforthreedays.”(5)Noonecouldpersuadehertodisposeofthebodyuntiltheyweregoingtoresorttolawandforce.Thenshebrokedownandtheyburiedherfatherquickly.Theyrememberedalloftheyoungmenherfatherhaddrivenaway,andtheyknewthatnothingleft;
shewouldhavetoclingtothatwhichhadrobbedher.
Onthepurchaseofpoison,FaulknerdepictsEmilyandherfamilyasahighsocialclass.Emilydidcarryherselfwithdignityandpeoplegaveherthatrespect.Emilywasastrongwilledpersonespeciallywhenshewentintothedrugstoreforthearsenic.Shesaid“Arsenic”,“Iwantarsenic.”(6)thedruggistwantedtoknowwhatshewanteditforandsheansweredback“Iwantthebestyouhave.Idon’tcarewhatkind.”(7)Needlesstosay,thedruggistnevergotananswer.ThedruggistgaveEmilypoisonoutoffearandrespect,possibly.
OnthemarriageofMissEmilywithHomerBarron,aftertheshockofherfather’sdeath,MissEmilygotanothershockfromBarronbecausehedidnotwanttomarryher.HomerwasjustasaliartoEmily.Shehadatragiclife,oneofthereasonswasherfather’sdeath,andwecannoticethisbecausewhenhediedshedeniesit.Shedidn’twanttobeleftaloneandwhenHomertriedtoleavehershepreferstokillhim.HomerwasaFormanforaroadconstructioncompany,Faulknerwrites“…aforemannamedHomerBarron,aYankee—abig,dark,readyman,withabigvoiceandeyeslighterthanhisface.”(8)Emily’sfatherprobablywouldnotbepleasedwiththisaffairwithHomer.Homerwasa“commoner,”a“northerner”anddidnotfitthesocialstandardsofherfather.Emily,likemostwomendreamedofgettingmarriedandhavingafamilyandmostofall,beingloved.Thegossiparoundtownwasspreading;
thetownspeoplesaid“whenshegottothirtyandwasstillsingle,wewerenotpleased,butvindicated;
...Shewouldn’thaveturneddownallofherchancesiftheyhadmaterialized.”(9)Emilywantedtobeloved,andshewasdeterminedthatHomerwouldbehertruelovetorescueherfromfear,ofbeingleftalone.EmilytookagreatlikingtoHomer,butHomer’sfeelingsabouttherelationshipweredifferent.Itwasrumoredthat“evenHomerhimselfhadremarked--helikedmen,anditwasknownthathedrunkwithyoungermenintheElk’sclub—thathewasnotamarryingman.”(10)HomerleftEmilyandthetownforthreedays,andthencameback.WhileHomerwasgone,Emilywasstillpreparingforherwedding.SheboughtinvitationsandclothesforHomer.EmilygrewfearfulofHomer’sdeparture,afraidofbeingleftaloneagain.Faulknerwrites“AneighborsawtheNegroman(Tobe)admithimatthekitchendooratduskoneevening.Andthat’sthelastwesawofHomerBarron.”(11)
MissEmilycouldnotacceptchangetoanydegree.Shewasunabletoameliorateastherestofsocietydid.Thenewgenerationbecamethebackboneandthespiritofthetown.TheoldsouthisbecomingtheNewSouth.MissEmilydidnotallowahousenumbertobeplacedonherhousewhenthetownreceivedfreepostalservice.MissEmily’sabilitytorefusechangewasverystrong.Sheconqueredthetown.Andshewasnotwillingtofacenewthings.
Mentioningsomanyconflictshere,WilliamFaulknerhashisownideas.Anditisonlythefirststepofcreatingthestorysuccessfully.WhenthereadersunderstandEmily,theycanaclearerviewofactionsthatgoonduringthestory.WilliamFaulkner’suseofconflictsprovestoapositivewaytoexemplifythereader’sfeelingsaboutcertaincharactersandtribulationstheyexperience.
ChapterⅡ
MostofusmaythinkMissEmilyisaqueerwoman.However,ifwecarefullygothroughthisshortstory,wewouldfindthatsheisnotqueeratall.WilliamFaulknershowsgreatsympathytoMissEmily,theladyofadecliningaristocraticfamily.ItisnotMissEmily’sownfaultthatcausedhertragedy.Onereasonisthatherfather’sinfluenceoverherisdeep-rootedallherlife.BeingthelastdescendantoftheGrierson’sfamily,itseemedthatitwasMissEmily’sresponsibilityanddutytobe“asortofhereditaryobligationuponthetown.”(12)Anotherreason,theinfluence,ortherestrictionofthetownfolksinJeffersonneverstopped.Shehadbeenregardedas“afallenmonument”whichwasrespectfullysoughtguidancefrombytheoldtownfolksandbecamethesymboloftheOldSouth.Whattheywantedtoseewasaneverdegenerativetruenoblesouthernlady.AftertheAmericanCivilWar,everythingoftheOldSouthhadbeenonthewayofdeclineanddeath.Mostofthesouthernerscouldnotadapttosuchkindofchange,theyrefusedtoacceptsuchkindofchange.Theyeagerlytriedtofindanimage,anunusualpersontostandthegloriouspastforthemtorespectandrecall.MissEmily,thelastdescendantoftheGrierson,justlivinginsuchperiodoftime.Thereforewecansafelyconcludethatitistheinfluenceofherfather,thetownfolks,theenvironmentandherowncharacterthatcausedt