A-Rose-for-Emily.ppt

ARoseforEmily,WilliamFaulkner,Abouttheauthor,WilliamFaulknerlife,WilliamFaulkner(1897-1962)wasborninNewAlbany,Mississippi.HeattendedtheUniversityofMississippiinOxfordbeforeandafterhisserviceintheRoyalCanadianAirForceinWorldI.HisliterarycareerbeganinNewOrleanswherehemetSherwoodAnderson,whohelpedhimgethisfirstnovelSoldiersPaypublishedin1926.TheworkwhichwonFaulkneraNobelPrizein1950isoftenadepictionoflifeinhisfictionalYoknapatawphaCounty,animaginativereconstructionoftheareaadjacenttoOxford.,APictureofYoknapatawphaCounty(alittlepostagestampofnativesoil),HisMainWritings,Hismajornovels:TheSoundandtheFury(1929)AsILayDying(1930)Sanctuary(1931)LightinAugust(1932)Absalom,Absalom!(1936)TheHamlet(1940)Hisbooksofshortstories:TheseThirteen(1931)Godown,Moses(1942)TheCollectedStoriesofWilliamFanlkner(1950),Faulkner:Acountryfolkwriter,福克纳的作品中交织着一种对家乡的怨恨与不由自主的热爱的情感，这是他写小说的主要动力马克斯韦尔说，他“在其他美国小说家也许完全不会自称是南方人的时候，不仅代表了南方，而且本人就是深沉的南方”福克纳记述了密西西比州的生活史，把Oxford变成了虚构的“杰弗逊”，创造了一个“约克纳帕塔法县”这一切在本质上类似于托马斯哈代对英国西部郡生活的记录“我发觉”，福克纳评论说，“不但每本书必须有构思，就是一个艺术家的全部作品，或者说整个创作也得有一个通盘的考虑”福克纳的作品特点是;人物和地方的反复出现在不同的故事里，开始象是一部南方生活的连续的家世故事：一个生活痛苦，死气沉沉的穷乡僻壤的记录，一个居住着穷苦白人农民，暴发户政客，受尽剥削的黑人佃农和念念不忘光荣过去的没落贵族的地方的记录,WilliamFaulknerAmericanWriter1897-1962,TheNobelPrizeinLiterature1949forhispowerfulandartisticallyuniquecontributiontothemodernAmericannovel,Aboutthetext,“ARoseforEmily”isoneofFaulknersmostwidelyreadintheAmericanclassroom.Chinesestudentsmayfinditdifficulttounderstandandappreciate.SomeofthemmaythinkitisabizarrestoryaboutanoldeccentricladyinanAmericanSoutherntown.ItistruethatthesettingofthestoryistheAmericanSouth.Yet,thethemeofthestoryisuniversal,transcendingtheboundariesoftimeandspace.Likemanyotherworksofgreatliterature,thisshortstorytellsaboutlove,death,honor,pride,change,andloss.,ThestoryissetinthesoutherntownofJeffersoninYoknapatawphaCountrywhichisalsothesettingforadozenofhisnovels.EmilyGrierson,theprotagonist,hasbeentwistedinpersonalitybyforcesbeyondhercontrol.Dominatedbyheraristocraticfather,shehasbeenpreventedfrommarryingandafterhisdeathsheisleftaloneandpenniless.ShekillsherloverHomerBarroninordertokeephimwithher.Shedoesnotacceptchangeofthetimeandalienatesherselffromthecommunity.Sheisinsaneandheractionsgrotesque,butsheisavictim,atragicwomanwhoinvitessympathy.Oneofthethemesofthisstoryistherelationoftheindividualandhisactionstothepast,presentandfuture.Apartfromtheexplorationofpsychologicalreality,thedisplacedchronologyinnarrationisalsocharacteristicofFaulknersstyle.,TheMeaningoftheTitle,Themeaningofthetitleisambiguous,capableofvariousinterpretations.Aroseisaclich,symbolizingloveandapledgeoffaithfulness.FromthestorywecanseeMissEmilywasdeniedlove.So,inthissense,thetitlehasanironicmeaning.Aroseforsomebodycanalsomeanakindofmemorial,anoffering,inmemoryofsomebody.Then,whoofferedaroseforEmily?,Writingstyle,Flashbackandforeshadowingaretwooftenusedliterarydevicesthatutilizetimeinordertoproduceadesiredeffect.Flashbacksareusedtopresentactionthatoccursbeforethebeginningofastory;foreshadowingcreatesexpectationforactionthathasnotyethappened.FaulknerusesbothdevicesinARoseforEmily.,DetailedStudyoftheText,PartIThestreetusedtohouseonlythebestfamilies.Thengreatchangestookplace:garagesandcottonginswereestablishedonthestreetandtheirexistencewipedoutthearistocratictracesinthatneighborhood.Whilethewholestreetwasbecomingmodernandcommercial,onlyMissEmilyshouseremainedthesame.Althoughherhousewasdecaying,itstillassumedanairofastubbornandfrivolousgirl.Thecottonwagonsandgasolinepumpswereuglyenough,butthishouse,whichwasold,indecay,pretentious,andcompletelyoutofplace,wasmoreunpleasanttolookat.Thisdetailshowsthatthehouseanditsownersharethesamecharacter.MissEmilyhadlivedlongandhadbecomeatraditionbecausesherepresentedthearistocracyoftheOldSouththathadlostoutintheCivilWar.Shewasacarebecauseshewasold,unmarried,andwithoutfamily,andthepeopleinthetownfelttheymusttakecareofher.Theyfeltthattakingcareofherwastheirdutyandobligation.Thisobligationpassedfromgenerationtogenerationaslongasshelived.,3.MissEmilywouldnothaveacceptedcharity.“Notthat”isusedtosaywhatfollowsisnottrue.CharitywouldbehumiliatingtoMissEmily.Whenherfatherdied,MissEmilywasquitepoor,butbeingaproudwomanfromanaugustfamily,shewouldnotacceptcharity.ColonelSartoris,bornintoanotheraristocraticfamilyinJefferson,hadelaborateideasabouthowwhiteupperclasswomenshouldbetreated.WiththedeclineoftheSouthafterthewar,theserichwhitefamiliesalsodeclined.Heknewthatthewivesanddaughtersofthedecliningplantationownersenjoyedveryhighbutalsooutdatedstatus.Theyshouldbelookedupto,respectedandtakencareof.HeknewexactlywhatMissEmilyneededandhowshefeltnow,andthusinventedataletojustifytheedictsothathecouldgivehersomefinancialaidwithoutappearingcharitable.4.fat,obese,plump,overweight,large,heavy,chubby,stout,tubbyIfyouwanttobepolite,dontsaythatpeoplearefat.Overweightorjustlarge,inAmericanEnglishheavy,wouldbemorepolite.Plumpismostoftenusedofwomenandchildrenandmeansslightlyorpleasantlyfat.Chubbyismostoftenusedofbabiesandchildrenandalsomeanspleasantlyfatandhealthylooking.Stoutmeansslightlyfatandtubbymeansshortandfat.Ifsomeoneisextremelyfatandunhealthy,he/sheisobese.Obeseisalsothewordusedbydoctors.,PartII,1.Theladiesdidntbelievethataman,anyman,couldkeepakitchenproperly.Whentheterriblesmelldeveloped,theythoughtitwasbecausethemanservantdidntkeepthekitchenclean.2.TheGriersonsregardedthemselvesasveryimportantandtheoutsideworldasvulgarfullofpeopleinferiortothem.Theybelongedtotowentirelydifferentworlds.Afterherfatherdied,MissEmilyshutherselfupinthehouse,retreatingtoherworldofthepast.However,thecomplaintsaboutthesmellservedasalinkbetweenthetwodifferentworldsandcompelledhertodealwiththeotherworld.3.Thenextdaythemayorreceivedtwomorecomplaints.Oneofthemwasfromamanwhocameandpleadedtothemayorinashyandtimidway.,4.MissEmilysatinthewindowwiththelightbehindher.WhatpeopleCouldseewashersilhouette,adarkfigureseenagainstalightBackground.InthisimageShedidntlooklikealivingpersonbutanidol,oraGoddess.Suchaimagesuitedherrigidandstubbornpersonality,herarrogantcharacter.,4.PeopleinthetownfeltthattheGriersonfamilyregardedthemselvesmoreimportantthantheyreallydeservedtobe.ThefactthatMissEmilysgreat-aunt.OldladyWyatt,hadgonecrazyhadtodowiththisblind,excessiveself-importance.5.长久以来，我们把这家人一直看做一幅画中的人物：身段苗条、穿着白衣的爱米丽小姐立在背后，她父亲叉开双脚的侧影在前面，背对爱米丽，手执一根马鞭，一扇向后开的前门恰好嵌住了他们俩的身影。ThissentencedepictsacentralimagethattellsseveralthingsabouttherelationshipbetweenfatheranddaughterinGriersonfamily.First,thepositionsofthefatheranddaughteraremeaningful.ThefatherwasstandingintheforegroundwhileMissEmilywasstandinginthebackground.Thisshowsthefathersdominantpositionandthedaughterssubordinaterole.Thefathersspraddlingaddstohisimageasasternpatriarchalfigure.Second,thefatherturnedhisbacktoher,showingthatherefusedtolistentoher,denyingherwishes.ThenMr.Griersonwasclutchingahorsewhip,whichwasclearlyasymbolofpower,authority,andstrictcontrol.MissEmilysslenderfiguresuggestsvulnerability,andherwhitedresssymbolizespurity,themostvaluedqualityoftheSouthernwhitewomen.Thefactthatthetwoofthemwereframedbytheback-flungfrontdoormaybeinterpretedindifferentways.Oneinterpretationisthatthefatherwasblockingthedoor,suggestingMissEmilywasunabletowalkoutofthehouseandchoosinghersuitorfreely.Anotherinterpretationisthatthedoorwasopenforsuitorsbutthesuitorsweredrivenawaybythefatherholdingahorsewhip.,6.Whenshegottobethirtyandwasstillsingle,peopleinthetownwerenothappyaboutsuchaoutcome,butitdidconfirmtheirpredictionsMissEmilywasstillsinglebecausetheGriersonsheldthemselvestoohighforwhattheyreallywere,andalltheyoungmenwhohadcometocourtMissEmilyhadbeendrivenawaybythefather.Theyknewthateventhoughtherewasinsanityinthefamily,MissEmilywouldnthaveturneddownallofherchancesiftheyhadreallyexisted.因此当她年近三十，尚未婚配时，我们实在高兴不起来，只是觉得先前的看法得到了证实。即使她家有着疯癫病史，如果真有机会摆在她面前，她也不至于全然放过。7.Withoutherfathersover-protectionandwithoutmuchmoney,shehadbecomeacommonpersonliketheothertownspeople.Ordinarypeopleoftenbecomeexcitedorworriedwhentheygetapennymoreorapennyless.Beingpoor,nowMissEmilywouldlearntoappreciatethevalueofmoneylikeotherpeopleinthetown.单身独处，贫苦无告，她变得通人性了。如今她也懂人之常情，也会多一便士就激动喜悦、少一便士就痛苦失望。,PartIII,Itisobviousthatthereissomethingelsebeneaththechangeofappearances.Whatisit?Itisquiteambiguous.Theimagesinthispassagemaybeinterpretedasawomanstrippedofhersexuality.Inthisportrait,Emilyassumesthesemblanceofagirlinsteadofasexuallymaturewomanofthirty.Hercuthairisespeciallyimportant.Sinceancienttimes,awomanshairhassymbolizedhersexuality.Emilyshair,alongwithhersexuality,hasbeencutshortthroughherfatherspride.Thecuthairalsointroducesreligiousimagery,foraninitiateintonunneryshearsherhairasasymbolofherchastity.Inaddition,theadjectives“tragicandserene”envisageaMadonna,aholyvirgin,asanaddendumtotheprimaryimageofangelswho,althoughoftendepictedaswomen,areasexual.Theimagescanalsoindicatethatwithherhaircutshort,Emilywasnowaliberatedwoman.Shewasdeterminedtochangeherroleasanupper-classgenteelwoman.Ashorthairusuallymakesawomanlookstrongerandmoreindependentincharacter.ThisqualityofherscanbeseeninhercourtingwithHomerBarron,aYankeeforeman,despitetraditionalsocialprejudice.Yankee:HomerBarronwasoneofthosefromthevictoriousNorthwho,aftertheCivilWar,cametoSouthinthehopeofmakingmoney.Theywereoftencalled“carpetbaggers”,andwereobjectsofscornorsuspicionformostSoutherners.,3.Buttherewerestillothers,olderpeople,whosaidthatnomatterhowsadMissEmilywasoverherfathersdeath,sheshouldnotforgetshehadcertainobligationsasamemberofthenobility,thougharealladywouldnotdescribeherself-restraintbytheexpressionnoblesseoblige.TheimpliedmeaningisthatitshouldbeunthinkableforEmilyaspartofthelocal“nobility”toconsidermarryingamansofarbeneathher.,PartIV,1.HewouldneverdisclosewhathappenedduringhistalkwithMissEmily.WecaninferthatMissEmilymusthavetreatedhimwithdistainwhenhecametoexpressthecommunitysdisapprovalofherpubliccourtingactivitieswithHomerBarron.ThisiswhyherefusedtohaveanothertalkwithMissEmily.2.ThetownspeopleweregladbecausetheyhadbeenannoyedbythearrogantattitudeofMissEmilyandnowthetwocousinswereevenmorestubbornandself-importantthanMissEmily.TheybelievedthatthetwocousinswouldsucceedinpersuadingMissEmilyandHomerBarrontogetmarriedquicklysothatherpubliccourtingwithHomerBarronwouldcometoanend.3.ThepeopleinthetownguessedthattheirrelationshiphadturnedsourandsoHomerBarronhadleft.Andtheyexpectedtoseeaquarrelbetweenthem.Whennothingofthekindhappened,theywerealittledisappointed.Thentheybegantothinkthatheperhapshadgonetoprepareforthewedding.blowing-off:aloudquarrelthatsignalstheendofsomething,4.Bythattime,thecousinshadcompletedtheirmissionandshouldleaveJefferson.NowthetownspeopleweretakingthesideofMissEmilyandmadesecretplanstohelpherdealwithhercousinsinaclearway.5.Herfatherhaddrivenawayhersuitorssomanytimes,thuspreventingherpromgettingwhatshewantedasawoman.thwart:topreventsomeonefromdoingwhattheyaretryingtodo6.Whatisthesymbolicmeaningofhervigorousiron-greyhair?Itsymbolizesherstrongandstubbornpersonality.Sherefusedtomakeanychangetoadaptherherselftothechangingsociety.Evenherhairceasedturningitscolor.,7.NowMissEmilynolongerwentout.Fromtimetotimethetownspeoplewouldseeherinoneofthedownstairswindows.Shehadevidentlyshutthetopfloorofthehouse.Sittinginthewindow,MissEmilylookedlikethecarvedtorsoofanidolforworshipplacedinaniche.Whethershewaslookingatusornotwecouldnottellanditwasnotimportantbecauseshehadceasedtobearealhumanbeing,buthadcompletelybecomeasortofmonument,symbolofatraditionandhereditaryobligation.不时地，我们在楼底下的一个窗口能见到她的身影，她显然是把楼上封闭起来了。她的身影就像神龛中的雕刻的一尊偶像的躯体，我们说不上她是不是在看着我们。,niche,8.TheauthorusesfiveadjectivestodescribehowthetownspeoplefeltaboutMissEmily.ThesewordsreflectthetownspeoplesambivalentattitudetowardMissEmily.ShewasdearbecausesherepresentedtheSouthernheritagetoacertainextent.Shewasinescapablebecauseshewas“asortofhereditaryobligationuponthetown”.Shewasimperviousandnotaffectedbyanychangestakingplaceinthetown,andherimperviousnesswaswellreflectedbyherignoringthetaxnoticeandherrefusaltopaytaxes.Shewastranquil.Thoughshewastragic,sheremainedcalmandfreefromdisturbance.Hertranquilityaswellasherrigiditywasportrayedbyhermotionlesssilhouetteinthewindow.Shewascertainlyperverse,alwaysbehavinginanunreasonablewayandregularlydoingtheoppositeofwhatpeopleexpectedhertodo.她就这样度过了一代又一代高贵，宁静，无法逃避，无法接近，怪僻乖张。,PartV,1.Theveryoldmen,whowereevenolderthanMissEmily,cametothefuneral.SomeofthemwereveteransoftheCivilWar,andtheyhadputontheiroldConfederateuniformstopaytheirlastrespectthisSouthernladyfromanaristocraticfamily.Standingontheporchandthelawn,theytalkedofMissEmily,mistakenlythinkingofherassomeoneoftheirage,bornaround1840orsowhereasshe(bornaround1855)wasmuchyoungerthantheywere.Theyimaginedtheyhaddancedwithherandcourtedherperhaps.Astheoldpeopleoftendo,theyconfusedthedatesandyearsofpasthappenings.Totheoldpeople,allthepastshouldbelikearoadthatbecomessmallerasitreachesfurtherback.Buttothoseoldsoutherners,therecentpastoftenyearsorsowaslikeabottleneck,anarrowpassage,oratunnel.Beyondthatnarrowpassage,theremotepastbecameahugelevelmeadowwherethingswerepleasantlyandfondlymixeduptogether.Likethegreengrassonthemeadownevertouchedbythewinter,theirmemoriesoftheremotepastremainedblurred,sweet,romanticized,andunchanged.a.mathematicalprogression:sequenceorsuccessionofhappeningsintimemarkedbynumbersb.bottleneck:anyplace,asanarrowroad,wheretrafficissloweduporhalted;anypointatwhichmovementorprogressisslowedup.,停尸架上方悬挂着她父亲的炭笔画像，一脸深刻沉思的表情，女人们唧唧喳喳地谈论着死亡，而老头们呢有些人还穿上了刷得很干净的南方同盟军制服则在走廊上，草坪上纷纷谈论着爱米丽小姐的一生，仿佛她是他们的同龄人，而且还相信和她跳过舞，甚至向她求过爱，他们把按数学级数向前推进的时间给搅乱了。这是老年人常有的情形。在他们看来，过去的岁月不是一条越来越窄的路，而是一片从来没有冬天光顾的广袤的大草地，只是最近十年却像窄小的瓶颈，把他们同过去隔断了。,2.Justbeforehisdeath,themanwaslyinginapositionofanembrace.Butdeaththatalwayslastslongerthanloveandconquerseventhepainandsufferingoflovehadturnedhimintoamanwhosewifeprovedunfaithful.那尸体躺在那里，很显然曾经呈拥抱的姿势。但是，比爱情更持久的长眠、甚至连爱情的熬煎都征服了的长眠，使他屈服了。他所遗留下来的肉体已在破烂的睡衣下腐烂，跟他躺着的木床粘在一起，难分难解了。在他身上和他身旁的枕上，均匀地覆盖着一层长年累月堆积下来的灰尘。,WhydidMissEmilykillHomerBarron?,Barronhaddesertedher.Barronrefusedtomarryher.ShefearedthatBarronwouldnotremainfaithfultoheraftertheirmarriage.Shewasinsane.Hewantedtoblackmailher.HewantedtotakehertotheNorth.,WhatkindofawomanisMissEmily?Howissheportrayedinthestory?,BornintoanaristocraticfamilyoftheSouth,MissEmilywasproud,self-importantandobstinatelikeotherGriersons.Asaladyfromsuchafamily,sheenjoyedahighbutobsoletesocialstatus.Ontheonehandshewasplacedonapedestalforpeopletoadmireasifshewereperfect.Shewascloselywatchedbythecommunityandwasalwaysexpectedtobringhonortothetownandsetagoodexamplefortheyoung.ShewasviewedasarepresentativeoftheSoutherntradition,“anidolintheniche”.Nominatedbyherfather,shewasdeprivedofallopportunitiesforahappymarriageandthusforanormalwomanslife.AftershebegantocourtwithHomerBarron,aNorthernlaborer,shewasaccusedofbeingadisgracetothetownandabadexampletotheyoungpeople.Thepatriarchalandsocialpressurewarpedhercharacter.Shetriedhardtoclingtothepast,whichmeantprivilegeandglorytoher.Shecutherselfofffromthecha