The Conflicts in A Rose for EmilyWord格式.docx

The Conflicts in A Rose for EmilyWord格式.docx

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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,theenvironmentandherowncharacterthatcausedthetwistedhumanityofMissEmilythatr