《献给艾米丽的玫瑰》中的社会转型焦虑

菜单

The Emily in the Fracture---On the Social Transition Anxiety in A Rose for Emily Abstract William Faulkner is regarded as the typical southern writer. In short story A Rose for Emily, he portrays a feminine character, Emily Grierson. From a noble young lady to a eccentric sleeping with a corpse, all Emily’s life is a tragedy. The thesis will analyze the three conflicts between Emily and others which cause her tragedy. By delineating all the conflicts, and analyzing the roots of these conflicts, the thesis will illustrate the social transition anxiety. 46973

Keywords: A Rose for Emily; conflicts; roots; social transition anxiety

崩溃的艾米丽---论《献给艾米丽的玫瑰》中的社会转型焦虑

摘要在短篇小说《献给艾米丽的玫瑰》中，对南方怀有复杂感情的威廉·福克纳塑造了一个生活在矛盾与冲突中的艾米丽小姐。从一个高贵典雅的南方淑女到与腐尸相伴的怪人，艾米丽小姐的一生无疑是一个悲剧，而这个悲剧的产生，本文将归因于艾米丽小姐与他人的三队矛盾：她的父亲、爱人以及镇上的居民。通过分析这三对矛盾，本文试图挖掘出矛盾背后隐藏的社会根源，进而解读小说中所体现的社会转型焦虑。

毕业论文关键词：《献给艾米丽的玫瑰》；矛盾；根源；社会转型焦虑

Contents

1. Introduction 1

1.1 Researches both at Home and Abroad 1

2. The Cause of Emily’s Tragedy 2

2.1 Before Homer Barron’s appearance 2

2.2 After Homer Barron’s Appearance 2

3. The Three Conflicts and the Respective Roots 3

3.1 Father’s bondage and the old patriarchy 3

3.2 Lover’s desertion and the new industrial civilization…… 4

3.3 The townspeople’s intervention and the transition society…… 5

4. The Social Transition Anxiety in A Rose for Emily 5

4.1 The embodiment of social transition 5

4.2 The social transition anxiety 6

5. Conclusion 7

References 9

1. Introduction

In the nineteenth century, the defeat of South America in Civil War destroys the Confederate army and the slavery; the tremendous impact of industrial revolution wobbles the foundation of southern society---plantation economy and the traditional values. People try to maintain the traditional values, but it is steadily subverted by the enormous power of the rapidly developing industrious society. The society comes into a transition period. Under this circumstance, William Faulkner creates a series of famous works and A Rose for Emily is one of these works. Set in the town of Jefferson in Yoknapatawpha, the story focuses on Emily Grierson, a wacky spinster who refuses to accept the passing of time or the ineluctable change and loss that accompanies it. In his Yoknapatwapha stories, Emily is a typical character who stands for the Old South. Meanwhile, she is a captive of the past as she is the descendant of the Southern aristocracy.

1.1 Researches both at Home and Abroad

Since its publication, the short story A Rose for Emily has attracted many scholars to discuss from different perspectives. Among all the topics, the cause of Emily’s tragedy is one of the focuses. There are mainly three different kinds of points. Firstly, represented by Professor Xiao Minghan, they state that the narrator of A Rose for Emily is the spokesman of the old tradition, shifting out the responsibility of the townspeople to cause Emily’s tragedy. It is the old tradition of which the core is Puritanism that leads to Emily’s love tragedy but not the collision between the old and the new. (肖明翰, 1996: 106-111) Secondly, represented by Professor Liu Xinmin, they refute that the story reflects the conflicts between the orders of the North and the South as well as the conservative ideas of the declining aristocracy. Emily represents the past glory of the South. Being the incarnation of the old tradition and concept, what she has done is a portrayal of the declining aristocracy’s attitude of unwilling to be in a state of inertia. (刘新民, 1997: 101-105) Thirdly, the tragedy of Emily is a consequence of her own character. For instance, Wei Yujie sets forth his views: It is not the collision between the North and the South but that between soul and body, God and Satan. Emily’s character leads to her tragedy. (魏玉杰, 1998: 64-69) In this thesis, the tragedy will be expounded from the perspective of three conflicts: the conflicts between Emily and her father, her lover and the townspeople. Grounded on these conflicts, the thesis will delve further into their social and historical root that is the differences between the North and the South, the collision of the past and the present, the old and the new orders in the transition period of southern society.