AroseforEmily赏析.docx

AroseforEmily赏析.docx

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AroseforEmily赏析

Ⅰ.Introduction

“ARoseforEmily”isaclassicstoryrepresentingFaulkner’sfavoritesubject,themeandstyle.ThestoryissetinthetownofJeffersoninhisimaginaryYoknapatawphaCounty,the“mythicalkingdom”.ThestorybeginswithafuneraloftheeponymousMissEmily.Itdoesnotfollowaparticularorderofchronologicaltime.Thenarrationflowsbackwardsorforwardsinalineofreality,revealingsignificantdetailsofEmily’slifeandthemurderoftheHomerBarronbyEmily,whicharesuspendedtilltheendofthestory.Thenarrativeisalsodividedintofiveparts,allowingforflexibleshiftsintimeanddisplaysofEmily’simageatvariousstagesofherlife.ThroughthestoryaboutEmily,theauthortriestopinpointanunavoidablefateofthearistocracyandvariouschangesintheSouthAmericaaftertheCivilWar.

Inthisstory,EmilyGrierson,themaincharacter,isavictim.Dominatedbyherfatherandhisrigidideasofsocialstatus,shehasbeenpreventedfrommarryingduringherlifetime.Oneyearafterherfather’sdeath,shefallsinlovewithanortherner.Whenshefindsthatherloverisnotgoingtogetmarriedwithher,shepoisonshimsothatshecankeephimwithherforever.Thoughtheplotofthestoryisnotcomplicated,yetitcanbeconsideredasaminorprogramofhisworks.InitareexamplesofFaulkner’sartisticpreoccupationsandtechniques:

theexplorationofpsychologicalreality,thesocialstructureandmoresofasoutherncommunity,thenatureoftime,andtherelationofthepasttothepresent.Thispaperwillapproachthestoryfromthefollowingaspects:

analysisofEmily’scharacter,therootcausesofhercharactersandherdestiny.

Ⅱ.AnalysisofEmily’scharacters

Emilyisthemaincharacter,theprotagonistofthestory.Inthisstory,theauthormainlyfocusesandrevealsthemaincharacter—Emily.InordertoanalyzeEmily’scharacter,somequestionshaveatfirsttobeanswered:

Whattypeisthisstoryorwhatkindofthemethisstoryplanstoreveal?

Whenansweringthesequestions,itbecomesmucheasiertoanalyzehercharacter.MissEmilyiskindofquietandperverse,proudandaloof,haughty,braveandtough,arepresentativeoftraditionalconventionandsoforth.Thefollowingsaregoingtoexpatiateonthem.

2.1MissEmily’shaughtycharacter

Attheveryfirst,Emilyiseasytoberegardedasahaughtywoman.Inthestory,thewriternotonlyrevealstheabnormalphenomenonofEmily’sgrotesquecharacterandherill-sexedpsychology,butalsolivelyportraysherasastrongfigureofhaughtiness.MissEmilyGriersonisthesocialiteofhertown.Naturallywiththisstatusthereisacertainreputationshehastowithhold.Shenotonlyrepresentedherfamilynamebut,inasensethepeopleofhertown.Becauseshewassuchadominantfigurethetownspeoplehadputheronapedestalandwereveryattentivetoheractions.DuringthetimeinwhichherfatherwasaliveEmilywasseenasafiguretobeadmiredbutnevertouched.Manywooersshehadbutaccordingtoherfather’sstandard,noneweresuitableenough.

2.2MissEmily’sisolatedandeccentriccharacter

Besides,MissEmilyisisolatedandeccentric.Fromthewholestory,thereisnodoubtthatshewasanisolatedonefromthebeginningofthestorytothesurprisingend.Allherlifeisthetownpeople’stopicaftermeals.Theyregardherasamonster.Andbecauseofherfamily,inparticular,herfather,shenearlygetseparatedfromherneighbors,whichaddsmorepressuretoherpersonalaffairstofallinlovewiththeYankee,HomerBarron,which,atlast,createsthetragedy.Ontheotherhand,sheiseccentricatthesametime.Whenthemenfromthegovernmentwanttotaxherafterherfather’sdeath,buttheyarerefusedbyEmily.Thereasonisquitesimple,thatis,whenherfatherisalive,inJefferson,theyneednottopaytaxes.ShejusttellsthegovernmentthatshehasnotaxesinJefferson.Whatshesaidwasthematterseveralyearsago.AndtherewasonceamancalledColonelSartorisexplainedittoherabouthertax-freeprivilege.Shedoesnotrespectthetruth,thatis,herso-calledColoneldiedtenyearsagoandnewpolicycomesintopractice.ThenarratorarrangesthespecificdetailonherbehaviorofbuyingArsenic.Thedruggistcannotimagineherpurposeinbuyingthepoisonandjustthinksthatshemightuseitforratandsuchthings.MissEmilyjuststaresathim,herheadtiltsbackinordertolookhimeyeforeye,untilhelooksawayandgoesandgetsthearsenicandwrapsitupforher.Howstrangeandeccentricsheis.Shedoesnotallowanyonetoaskabouthermatter,eventhoughitisadangerousaffairwhichisforbiddenbylaw.

2.3MissEmily’snecrophilia

MissEmilyisanecrophilia,too.GreatlysurprisedatthesightofthelastparagraphofFaulkner’sshort-story“ARoseforEmily”,thetownpeoplefindthatMissEmilyisnotonlyamurderer,butalsosleepswithHomerBarronaftershekillshim.Thenitisnoticedthatinthesecondpillowistheindentationofahead.Oneofthetownspeopleliftssomethingfromit,andleansforward,findingthefaintandinvisibledustdryandacridinthenostrils,andalongstrandofiron-grayhair.Horribly,shekillsherloverandsleepsnexttohimforalongtimeuntilbeingfoundout.Asforthewholepassage,thenarratorrefusestodismissEmilyassimplymadortotreatherlifeasmerelyagrotesque,sensationalhorrorstory.

Instead,hisnarrativemethodbroughtusintoherlifebeforewehastilyrejectedher,anddoingsoofferedusacompleximaginativetreatmentoffiercedeterminationandstrengthcoupledwithillusionsandshockingeccentricities.4

2.4MissEmily’sbravenessandtoughness

Sheisbraveandtoughaswell.Asawoman,Emilyisnormal.Shejusttriesherbesttopursueherhappiness.Inthisstory,themostattractivepartforagreatnumberofpeopleisEmily’sbravepursuitoflove.Onlyafterherfather’sdeath,shebeginstohavetherighttolove.“Inthesummerafterherfather’sdeath,shehasherhaircutshortandlookslikealittlegirl.SoonshefallsinlovewithHomer,whoisaYankee,anorthernerandadaylaboraswell.”SheholdsherheadhighinherdignityassheisthelastGriersonofherfamilythoughthetownspeoplethinkshehasfallenbecausesheiswithamanwhoisdifferentfromher.However,Emily’sloveaffairisnotaffectedbythetownspeopleandhertwofemalecousins’interference.What’smore,

Ⅲ.IntrinsicandextrinsicReasons

3.1Intrinsicreasons

3.1.1Family

Itisherfamily,especiallyherfatherthatinfluenceshersomuch.Emily,theheroineinthestory,isavictim.Dominatedbyherfatherandhisrigidideasofsocialstatus,shehasbeenpreventedfrommarryingduringhislifetimeandthereforeafterhisdeath,sheisleftaloneandpenniless.Herdependenceonherfathercontinuesevenafterhedies;sherefusestoburyhimandkeephisportraitinaprominentplaceinherlivingroom.Emilynotonlyclingstoherfather’smemory,shealsobeginstoassumehisdomineeringtraits.Shedoesnotacceptthepassageoftimeandchangesortheinevitablelossthataccompaniesit.Itisnotjustpatheticattemptstoclingtothepast,itdevelopsintoobsessionandfinally,homicidalmania.RatherthanloseHomerasshelostherfather,shekillshiminordertokeephim.Shelivesmanyyearsasarecluse.Abnormalcharactersareeasytoformwhenundersuchstrongpressure.ItisEmily’sfamilythatruinsherlifeandthenHomer’s.

3.1.2Physiology

Emily’stypicalcharactersarecausebyanotherimportantreason,namely,thephysiologicalone.FromFreudSigmund’snarration,therearethreeconceptionswhichareconnectedtotheanalysisneededtounderstand,thatis,Id,Ego,andSuper-ego.

Theyarethethreepartsofthefictive“psychicapparatus”definedinFreud’sso-calledstructuralmodelofthepsyche;theyarethethreetheoreticalconstructsintermsofwhoseactivityandinteractionmentallifeisdescribed.Accordingtothismodel,theuncoordinatedinstinctualtrendsarethe“id”;theorganizedrealisticpartofthepsycheisthe“ego”,andthecriticalandmoralizingfunctionthe“super-ego”.TheIdcomprisestheunorganizedpartofthepersonalitystructurethatcontainsthebasicdrives.TheIdisunconsciousbydefinition.6

Idishuman’sfirstreactionwhenhumanphysiologicalneedshappen,whichisalsoanunorganizedphenomenon.MissEmilyjusttriesherbesttochaseherhappinessasothernormalwomendo.Fromthisangle,MissEmilyhastherighttofallinlovewithHomerandtohavetheirownfamily.Whatshehasdoneiswithinthecommonpractice.However,alotofelementsresultinthetragicsequel.Itisshethatcannotgraspthephysiologicalelementandcausesherunhappyorevenmiserabledestiny.

3.1.3Pathologyandpsychology

Thereisanotherimportantintrinsicreason,thatispathologicalandpsychologicalone.FromherbehaviortoherfatherMr.Drieson,sheiscompleteElctraComlex（恋父情结）.ShelivedwithherfatherwhenMr.Griesonwasalive,withoutcommunicatingwithothers.Mr.Griesoncontrolledherwholelifecompletely,whichistherootthatcausesMissEmily’stragedyandHomer’s.Whatismore,Emily’sfatherdroveawayalltheyoungmenwhoweregoingtochasehisdaughterforthereasonthathejustwantedtoholdEmilyforhimself.InEmily’ssub-consciousness,herfatherisherlover.ItisthiskindofabnormalpsychologythatinfluencestheformationofEmily’sabnormalcharacters.InEmily’seyesight,losingherfatheramountstolosingherlover.Andthatmeansshewillbealonefromthattimeon.Therefore,sherefusestoburyherfathereventhoughhehasbeendeadforseveraldays.Andatlastshekillsherownloverjustin