ARoseforEmilyByWilliamFaulkner1TheauthorTheBackgroundThePlotsTheThemes2AuthorWilliamCuthbertFaulkner(bornFalkner,September25,1897–July6,1962),alsoknownasWillFaulkner,wasanAmericanwriterandNobelPrizelaureatefromOxford,Mississippi.Faulknerworkedinavarietyofwrittenmedia,includingnovels,shortstories,aplay,poetry,essaysandscreenplays.Heisprimarilyknownandacclaimedforhisnovelsandshortstories,manyofwhicharesetinthefictionalYoknapatawphaCounty,asettingFaulknercreatedbasedon3LafayetteCounty,wherehespentmostofhislife,andHollySprings/MarshallCounty.[1]FaulknerisoneofthemostimportantwritersinbothAmericanliteraturegenerallyandSouthernLiteraturespecifically.Thoughhisworkwaspublishedasearlyas1919,andlargelyduringthe1920sand1930s,Faulknerwasrelativelyunknownuntilreceivingthe1949NobelPrizeinLiterature.Twoofhisworks,AFable(1954)andhislastnovelTheReivers(1962),wonthePulitzerPrizeforFiction.[2]4In1998,theModernLibraryrankedhis1929novelTheSoundandtheFurysixthonitslistofthe100bestEnglish-languagenovelsofthe20thcentury;alsoonthelistwereAsILayDying(1930)andLightinAugust(1932).Absalom,Absalom!(1936)isoftenincludedonSimilarlists.5BornWilliamCuthbertFalknerSeptember25,1897NewAlbany,Mississippi,U.S.DiedJuly6,1962(aged64)Byhalia,Mississippi,U.S.LanguageEnglishNationalityAmericanPeriod1919–1962Notablework(s)TheSoundandtheFuryAsILayDyingLightinAugustAbsalom,Absalom!ARoseforEmilyNotableaward(s)NobelPrizeinLiterature1949PulitzerPrizeforFiction1955,1963Spouse(s)EstelleOldham(1929–1962)67Thedetails8AtmosphereSuffocating,orDepressionThemeLoveTragedyCharacterMissEmilyisamysteriousandarrogantwoman.Emilyistotallyatragedyoftheoldtraditions.Sheisaprisonerofthepast,ofthesocialandmoraltaboosoftheSouth.Notonlybecauseshepurelyawoman,butalsothestubbornconventionsmanacleherthatresultinherfrustratedlife9TimeAfterAmericancivilwarPlaceInJeffersonTownMainFigureEmilyGrierson,Hisfather,HomerBarron,thevillagers,theNegro10SettingWhendoesithappen?Ithappenedin19century,aftertheAmericanCivilWar.Wheredoesthestoryhappen?ThestoryissetinthesoutherntownofJefferson.11A.Thetownfrownedonheraffair,theministergoingtoseeher;thefemalecousinsvisiting;Emilyorderedjewelry,preparingformarriage.HomerBarrongoingawayandcoming;Emilyboughttheratpoison.B.Emilywassickforlong,latershewasinlove.C.ThesmellfromEmily’shouse(fromtherottenbody);Emily’shairturninggray,herdoorclosed;from40to50,givingchina-painting.D.Emilylivedtotheageof30,andherfatherdied.E.Emilydiedat74.F.Sincewhenshewasabout60,thetaxproblemhadremainedunresolved.Answer:DBACFE12I.Themeaningofthetitle:whatdosearosesymbolize?Themeaningofthetitleisambiguous,capableofvariousinterpretations.Aroseisatraditionalsymbolofloveandapledgeoffaithfulness.FromthestorywecanseeMissEmilywasdeniedlove.So,inthissense,thetitlehasanironicmeaning.Aroseforsomebodycanalsomeanakindofmemorial,anoffering,inmemoryofsomebody.Itshowstheauthor‘ssympathyanddeeprespect.13II.Emily,suchagrotesque,oldrecluse,seemstobeprivilegedinthetown.Why?III.Whydoesshebuytheratpoison,thearsenic?BecauseEmilystandsforakindofoldtraditionofsoutherncountry.Peopleinthistowncannotfacethefailureofthewarfromtheirinnerhearts,sotheytrytoprotecttheironlysymbol.TokillHomerBarronandneverdepartwithhim.14IV.HomerBarronwasneverseenlater.Doyouknowhiswhereabouts?HewaskilledbyEmily,andhewaslyinginEmily'shomeforever.15Theplotofthestoryevolvesaroundmanyconflicts:theconflictsbetweenMissEmilyandherfathertheconflictbetweenMissEmilyandthetown,theestablishedcodesofconducttheconflictbetweenMissEmilyandHomerBarron,theconflictbetweentheSouthandtheNorththeconflictbetweenthepastandthepresent.Theplotofthestoryevolvesaroundmanyconflicts:theconflictsbetweenMissEmilyandherfathertheconflictbetweenMissEmilyandthetown,theestablishedcodesofconducttheconflictbetweenMissEmilyandHomerBarron,theconflictbetweentheSouthandtheNorththeconflictbetweenthepastandthepresent.16ThisstoryhappensaftertheAmericanCivilWar,inJeffersonTown.It’sastoryaboutaneccentricspinsternamedEmilywhosemarriageistotallymanipulatedbyherfather.Twoyearsafterherfather’sdeath,poorEmilyisacquaintedwithanorthernercalledHomerBarron,adaylaborerandshefallsinlovewithhim.However,theirrelationisshort-livedasHomerbecomestiredofherandintendstogetridofher.InordertokeepHomerathand,Emilykillshimwitharsenicand“obtain”him,thus,shesleepswithhiscorpsefordecades.17ConclusionThismasterpiecereflectsthedeclineofthesouthernsocietyandrevealstheconflictsBetweenthetwodifferentvaluesystemsandtwoSocietiesaftertheAmericanCivilwar.Emilyisanembodimentofthesouth,theoldandtradition.Inourdailylife,everythingischangingeveryday.Asanindividual,wecanonlyadaptourselvestotheproteanenvironmentandshouldlearntoAcceptnewthings.Onlywhenwekeeplearningeverydaycanwesurviveinthisworldwhichisfullofcompetition.18TheCausesoftheHeroine’sTragicLifeinARoseforEmily19ThestoryARoseforEmilytakesplaceinFaulkner’sfictionalcityJefferson,Mississippi.ThehistoricalsettingofthisstoryispostAmericanCivilWar.Thestoryreflectsthesoutherners’loveanddetestationoftheoldtraditionandtheirdistrustoftheideologyofnorthernindustrialca