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ARoseForEmilyTheshortstory“ARoseForEmily”drawsavividpictureofthesoutherntownJeffersonoftheUnitedStates.Thoughtheplotisnotcomplicated,yetitcanberegardedasapanoramaofFaulkner’sworks.Itattractsreaders’attentionsuccessfullyandmakesusimmersedinthewholestory.Andtheingenioususageofsymbolismisadistinctivefeature,whichmakesthestoryfilledwithprofoundimplications.Thereareseveraldifferentsymbolicsubjectsinit,suchasthehouse,MissEmily,BarronHomerandsoon.Inthisthesis,theauthortriestodiscussthemonebyonefromhispointofview.BackgroundsIntroductionThisstoryhappensaftertheAmericanCivilWar,inJeffersonTown.It’sastoryaboutaneccentricspinsternamedEmilyGriersonwhosemarriageistotallymanipulatedbyherfather.Twoyearsafterherfather’sdeath,poorEmilyisacquaintedwithanorthernercalledHomerBarron,adaylaborerandshefallsinlovewithhim.However,theirrelationisshort-livedasHomerbecomestiredofherandintendstogetridofher.InordertokeepHomerathand,Emilykillshimwitharsenicand“obtain”him,thus,shesleepswithhiscorpsefordecades.Thisisthetruththatvillagersfindafterherdeath.Frommyownperspective,thismasterpiecereflectsthedeclineofthesouthernsocietyandrevealstheconflictsbetweenthetwodifferentvaluesystemsandtwosocietiesaftertheAmericanCivilWar.character&SymbolismInthisnovel,EmilysymbolizestheSouth,oldandtradition,theYankeerepresentstheNorth,newandmodern.Bothyoungguysmightbeinterestedineachotherwhentheyfirstmeet.Buttheypossessaltogetherdifferentvaluesorconceptoflives.Sotheyinevitablyseparatedbeforelong.TheconflictbetweenthetwopartnerssymbolizestheconflictbetweentheSouthandtheNorth.Andtheabsurdmurderaggravatesthecontradictions.The“Rose”,thatisnevermentionedinthisnovel,isalwaysinterpretedconventionallyasasymboloflove.ItmightbeusedastheloveEmilygetsfromherlover.Butinmyopiniontherosemainlyrepresentsdecayanddeath.Atthetimethevillagerswenttoherroomandfoundthevalancecurtainsoffadedrosecolorandtherose-shadedlightsintheroom.Actually,theauthorplaysatrickonMissEmily.Infact,shedoesn’treallygetanylovefromanymanwhetheritisfromherloverorherfather.Emilycouldhaveafavorablemarriagebutforherfather’sinterference.ShecouldhavegotherdeservedlovefromHomer.Butonaccountofherobstinacyandpride,shereceivestirednessandindifference,insteadofaffection---rose,fromhim.Thus,asanoutsider,theauthororthevillagers,theygivearoseasatributetoEmily.Besides,therosealsostandsfortheauthor’sandvillagers’pity,sympathyandlamentforEmily,whosemindisimprisonedinthepastandfailstoadapttothechange.What’smore,theauthor,“WilliamFaulknerobjectifieshiscomplicatedandemotionalinvolvementintheSouthandinthepeoplewhogrowupandlivethereeversince”ThemeThethemeisdevelopedthroughanexceptionallywell-craftedstory.Toldfromathird-personpluralpointofview,itrevealsthereactionsofthetowntoMissEmily.Asthis“we”narratorshiftsallegiance--nowcriticizingMissEmily,nowsympathizingwithher--thereaderseesthetrapinwhichsheiscaught,andtheextensivebutunobtrusiveforeshadowingpreparesthereaderforthestory’sfinalrevelationwithoutdetractingfromitsforce.MyFeelingsWhenIfinishedreadingthestory,asinceresympathyemergesinmymind.Emilyistotallyatragedyoftheoldtraditions.Sheisaprisonerofthepast,ofthesocialandmoraltaboosoftheSouth.Notonlybecausesheispurelyawoman,butalsothestubbornconventionsmanacleherthatresultinherfrustratedlife.Evenso，shecouldhaveabetterlifeafterherfather’sdeath.However,shedoesn’tgetoutofthetowerherfatherbuiltforher.Onthecontrary,shebuildsanotherone,andlockshersoul.Inourdailylife,everythingischangingeveryday.Asanindividual,wecanonlyadaptourselvestotheproteanenvironmentandshouldlearntoacceptnewthings.Onlywhenwekeeplearningeverydaycanwesurviveinthisworldwhichisfullofcompetition.