摘 要

威廉•福克纳是美国文学史上最具影响力的作家之一，也是诺贝尔文学奖得主。他一生共写了19部长篇小说和120多篇短篇小说，其中《献给艾米丽的玫瑰花》是他的短篇小说代表作,也是一篇经典的哥特式小说。福克纳借这部作品表达自己对当时南方女性的同情，也谴责了腐朽落后的南方传统婚姻观、父权制和清教主义对女性的束缚。自出版以来，《献给艾米丽的玫瑰花》便因其独特的文学魅力吸引了无数读者，同时也成为文学爱好者的研究对象。在阴森、恐怖、神秘氛围的烘托下，死亡、凶杀、心理变态等情节在这篇短篇小说中环环相扣，使人物的性格特点和隐藏在人性深处的扭曲和黑暗得到了充分的体现，从而产生了强烈的艺术效果。

本文主要从背景、人物、情节三个方面深入分析福克纳是如何在这部短篇小说中营造出哥特艺术效果的，同时挖掘出隐藏在恐怖和怪诞背后的深层含义，以期让读者进一步感受该部作品的艺术魅力，并对作家威廉•福克纳的写作手法和创作才华有更深入的认识。

关键词：威廉·福克纳；《献给艾米丽的玫瑰花》；哥特效果

Contents

1. Introduction -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------1

2. Demonstration --------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

2.1 The gothic effect rendered by gloomy settings -----------------------------------------4

2.1.1 The descriptions of dilapidated buildings ---------------------------------------------4

2.1.2 The descriptions of tarnished silverware and faded furniture -----------------------5

2.1.3 The descriptions of gruesome corpse --------------------------------------------------5

2.1.4 The descriptions of acrid smell and dust ----------------------------------------------6

2.2 The gothic effect achieved by eccentric and glum characters -------------------------7

2.2.1 The grotesque character of Emily ------------------------------------------------------7

2.2.1.1The eccentric changes of Emily from elegance to psychopathy ------------------7

2.2.1.2 The necrophilia reflected by Emily --------------------------------------------------9

2.2.2 The ghostly character of the Negro ---------------------------------------------------10

2.2.3 The autocratic character of Emily’s father -------------------------------------------10

2.3 The gothic effect achieved by gripping plots ------------------------------------------11

2.3.1The deaths of three characters: Emily, Emily’s father and Homer Barron--------11

2.3.2 The covert plot of the term “rose” ----------------------------------------------------12

3. Conclusion -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------13

Works Cited -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15

Bibliography ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16

On the Creation of the Gothic Effect in A Rose for Emily

1. Introduction

William Faulkner (1897-1962), who enjoys great reputation in the history of American literature, is primarily renowned for his series of novels and short stories that are rooted in the fictional setting, Yoknapatawpha County. Faulkner created many remarkable works including 19 full-length novels and more than 120 short stories. When he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1949 by the Swedish Academy, the citation was “based on his powerful and artistically unparalleled contribution to contemporary American fiction.” (Mao Xinde 363) Furthermore, many winners of the Nobel Prize for literature have said frankly that Faulkner is their mentor, and his works have been imitated by numerous writers, which have a far-reaching influence on later generations.

William Faulkner was born on September 25, 1897. Born in New Albany, Mississippi, Faulkner grew up in the vibrant American south. His family moved to nearby Oxford when he was four years old. Oxford is a place where gives him wonderful memories and is the Jefferson town in his novel. Lafayette county in Mississippi, part of the town of Oxford, is also the prototype of his fictional Yoknapatawpha County. His great-grandfather, William Clark Faulkner, was a prominent figure in northern Mississippi. At that time, his great-grandfather was a colonel in the confederate army, built a railroad, and named a town after him. Faulkner’s “colonel John Sartoris” is based on his great-grandfather. Faulkner was deeply influenced by family traditions and southern customs. His works have a southerners’ unique sense of humor and in-depth portrayal of the status of blacks and whites. Along with contradictions and other sensitive issues, his works vividly depict the image of southerners.