William Faulkner 威廉·福克纳概述

WilliamFaulkner(1897-1962)Oneofthegreatestnovelistsandshortstorywriters.WinnerofNobelprizein1950.Borninanold,proud,anddistinguishedfamilyinNewAlbany,Mississippi.EnteredtheUniversityofMississippi,butdidnotfinishedthefreshmanyear.JoinedtheCanadian,andlatertheBritish,RoyalAirForceduringtheFirstWorldWar.WenttoHollywoodasascreenwriter,butnotsuccessful.EncouragedbySherwoodAnderson,beganhisliterarycareer.MajorworksFocusontheSouthernsubjectsandconsciousnessCenteronanimaginaryYoknapatawphaCountyanditsinhabitantsbeforeoraftertheCivilWar----aregionalist.RevealthebitternessofsouthernhistoryandtheunderlyingcauseforthefailureanddecayoftheSouth.TheSoundandtheFuryAsILayDyingAbsalom,Absalom!LightinAugustGoDown,Moses.CollectedStoriesWritingstyleComplexity:repetition,inconsistentpunctuation,longandpuzzlingsentences,vaguereferencepronouns,compoundedadjectives,complexmodifyingelements,flashbacks,multiplepointsofview,.Stream-of-consciousnessmode.Symbolicandallusivetechniques.“ARoseforEmily”ByWilliamFaulkner1.HowdoesFaulknerhandlethetimeinhisnarrationofthestory?

Faulknerusesacircuitousandobliqueapproachtodealwiththetime.E.g.,thefuneral,thevisitationofthedeputation,theproblemofthesmell,thedeathofthefather,Emily’saffairwithHomer,thevisitationofthetwocousins,thepurchaseofthepoison,theBaptist’svisit,thereasonforthetwocousins’visit,thepurchaseofman’sthings,thedisappearanceofHomerBarron,teachingofchina-painting,thereasonfortheremissionofEmily’staxes,Emily’srefusaltoletamailboxfastenedonherdoor,taxing,thedeathofEmily,thefuneral(discoveryofthecorpse),2.WhatisthesignificanceofFaulkner’swayofhandlingtimeinthestory?Thenon-chronologicalrenderingofcertaindetailsandsequencesenhancesthetension.Attheconclusionofthestory,thetensionisresolved,butthereaderiscompelledtoreconsidertheeventsandcharacterofEmily.This-nonlinearrenderingofeventshaspromptedaflurry(suddenrush)ofeffortstoestablishtheirchronology.Thiskindof“narrativemanipulationoftimecallsattentiontotime,totheencroachment(侵占)ofthepastonthepresent,tothecomplexityofcausativefactors,becausewecanmakenosenseoutofthestoryunlessweconfronttheseissues.”Wearemoreinvolvedactivelyandintenselyinthenarrativeprocessbecauseitisuptoustorecreatethefibula.3.Whatistheeffectoftheuseofthepronoun“we”and“they”bythenarrator?Theuseofthefirstpersonnarrationprovidesbelievability,intimacyandelicitsanempatheticresponse;Keepsthenarratorholdaobjective,reportorialstance;Providesthealternatepointsofview;allowsthediversityofvoicesrevealed,showinga“collectionofattitudes”:curiosity,pity,outrage,envy,admirationandetc.Thenarrator“we”functionsasanomniscientnarratorincompanywiththepresentationofamorelimitedview.Thenarrator“standsatthefurthestpossiblepositionfromtheheartofthestoryandstilliswithinit.”Theuseof“they”makesthenarrativevoicesomewhatconfusing.Distinctionsbetween“we”and“they”sometimesseparatethenarratorfromothermembersofthecommunity(“we”areteller-characterwhile“they”arereflector-character)andsometimesminglethemtogether,bothreferringtothetownspeoplejustlikeinPartII,III,IV.

Themixingandalternateuseoftheteller-characterandreflector-character;theinternalandtheexternalfocalizationandtheomniscientandlimitedpointofviewmakethenarrationcomplicatedandelusiveurgethereadertoparticipateactivelyinnarrativeprocessandatthesametimetrytofollowthenarrator’sshiftingpointofview,otherwise,thereadercannotmakeclearwhom“we”or“they”referto.

4.Whataretheorganizationalpatternsofthestory?

Thestructuralcomplexityincludestheextensiveuseofanalepses(回顾)andanachronies(错置).Thewebofanachronism（时间错位）eachwithitstemporal/spatialvariants,seemslikeaseriesofsubtlemusicalvariations,whilst（同时）thereturntothefirstnarrativesuggeststherecapitulation（扼要重述）ofalongawaitedtheme.Ontheotherhand,thestoryofferstwoorganizational,spatialpatterns,a“linear,sequentialorganization”anda“configurational(结构的),spatialpatterning,e.g.,Emilyisasymbol,amonumentoutsideoftime,butshealsoagesanddies,andthedifferentgenerationsholddifferentattitudestoher.Homer’smurderbyEmilydeniessequenceandtemporalitybyrepresentingforherthejoiningofherElectraattachmenttoherfatherwiththelaterpassionforherlover;it“preservesHomerfromdeathandchange”;it“negateshersexualfall,”anditreinstates（恢复）herstatusasicon.Afterthemurder,sheacceptsthetown’sperceptionofherasbeyondtime,asseeninherdesexing

（失去性特征）herself.Nevertheless,Emilyalsotriestoliveintime.ShecourtsHomer,shewearsagoldwatch,andshedecoratesthebedroominshades（窗帘）ofrose“suggestiveofher‘woman’slife’whichexistsintimeandcandecay.”WhenEmilyisviewedinthesequentialmovementofherlife,sheisbetterunderstoodaschangingherstatusfromvictimtovictimizer.Thismovementreflects“herconversionfromacceptanceofaroleassymboltoperformanceofaroleassignmakerandmanipulator.”HeraffairwithHomerisherattempttoliberateherphysicallifefromtheconfigurational

（构造性）readingassignedtoitbyherneighborsandacceptedbyherself;whenthisattemptfails,shedecidesthatshewillatleastdesignandcontroltheconfigurationbywhichthesequentialnatureofherexistenceisdenied,i.e.buryingherselfintothepast,thewithdrawingintounrealityandillusionandresistingchange.theorganizationofthework(thenarrator’sassociativememoriesgeneratingnewbitsofthestory)keepsthe“interpenetrationofpastandpresent”beforethereader.Inlineartime,Emilychanges,asdoesthetown’sattitudetowardher.Innon-lineartime,thetowngivestributetoawomanwhoattempts,thoughsheinevitablyfailstoachievethethingthatothersdesire:“todominatetime.”5.Whatistherelationbetweenthecomicelementsandthemelancholyorshockingingredientsofthestory?Thereisatensionbetweenthemacabre(恐怖的)andthecomicelementsthatresideinthenumerousodditiesofthestory.E.g.,thesmellpurchaseofthedrugthecorpseofHomerThesprinklingoflimeHerrestrictiveviewoflifeherwayofdriving

thealdermenawaytownspeople’senvyEmily’smiserablelifetownspeople’sdesirehorroratthediscovery6.WhatmotivescanyouattributetoEmilyforherkillingofHomerBarron?Howarethesemotivesrelatedtotheme?Emily’sElectracomplexHerallegianceandattachmenttoherfatherdriveshertomurderHomer“sothathewillresemblethedeadfathershecanneverforget.”(Malin)Barronserves,afterMr.Grierson’sdeath,assurrogate.Botharepicturedholdingahorsewhip,andbotharestrongwilled;boththecorpseofHomerandthecrayonportraitofMr.Griersonaredescribedas“profound.”PoisoningHomerisamurder/marriagethatallowshertoretainthepresentobjectof“herunresolvedOedipaldesires”(Scherting).Ontheotherhand,bymurderingHomer,Emilyactsasherfatherdidtoprotecther,butshealsohastheforbiddenlovershedesires.Inthisway,shecanresistchange.SchertingplacestheblamesquarelyonMr.Grierson“forEmily’sdistortedsexuality.”HeextendstheinterpretationtothehistoricalcontextbyarguingthattheSouth,liketheGrersons,“attemptedtoprotectitselfthroughisolationandtoperpetuateitsvaluesthroughrelationshipswhichwerefundamentallyincestuousandinevitablydebilitating(衰弱).”Thestorybecomes,inthisreading,anotherofFaulkner’sstoryofsexualdeviationthatreflectsthe“decayofanOldSouthtradition”.RevengetoavengeHomer’s“pseudo-courtship”thathehasbeenusingtocoverhishomosexuality.ToavengeHomer’sbetrayTorevengeforhergrotesqueidentityandrebelagainsttheSoutherncodeofconductJudithFetterleythinksthatgrotesqueness“resultswhenstereotypesareimposeduponreality”andthatthe“realgrotesqueisthestereotypeitself.”FetterleyunderscorestheimportanceofthetableauofEmilyandherfather.Emily’s“identityisdeterminedbytheconstructsofherfather’smind”fromwhichshecannotescape,thisidentityextendstoacommunitythatinsists,unlikeFaulkner,indefiningheras“MissEmily.

Givenhertreatmentbyherfatherandthecommunity,Emilyis“forcedtobecomeengagedinadefianceoftimeandreality.”Deprivedofthenormalfulfillmentofhersexuality,Emilylivesadeath-in-lifeexistence,andtheseverityofherrepressionmanifestsitselfincriminalacts.Fetterleyconcludesthatthestoryisa“supremeanalysisofwhatmendotowomenbymakingthemladies;Itisalsoanexposureofhowthisactinturndefinesandrecoils(反作用于)uponmen.”BrooksbelievesEmily’smentalstatereflectsthe“malaiseoftheage.”SheexhibitsherdefiantnaturewhensheentertainsHomerdespitethecommunity’sdisapproval.WhenshereactstoHomer’sleaving,shecrossesthelinefrom“harmlessobsession”to“homicidalmania(杀人狂).”7.Whatarethecentralthemes?thedeclineoftheSouth,especiallytheSouthernaristocraticclass.theconflictbetweenthetwodifferentvaluesystemsandtwosocialorders,i.e.thenewandtheold,theNorthandtheSouth,representedrespectivelybyHomerBarronandMissEmily.theclashbetweenthepresentandthepast,adilemmathemodernmanfeelswhenhelivesvirtuallyinmemory.Sothemainthemeofthestoryisthewithdrawalintounrealityandillusionorresistancetochange.8.Whatisthesignificanceofthestory?

Thestoryisasymbolicclashofpost-CivilWarNorthandSouthorantebellumSouthandmodernSou