摘 要

《献给艾米丽的玫瑰》是作家威廉·福克纳十分著名的短篇小说之一，主要讲述了美国内战爆发后，南方的传统文化与北方价值观经历了巨大地冲击与转变，在这种特殊环境下没落的格里尔生贵族艾米丽小姐追求爱情但是最终将爱人毒死与尸体同床共枕的故事。基于前人对于《献给爱米丽的玫瑰》做出的研究的基础上，本文对艾米丽悲剧命运进行解读，并分析其悲剧形成原因，借鉴国内外学者的观点，提出个人意见，进行更丰富的探索。

关键词：悲剧，威廉福克纳，美国南方文化，清教主义

Contents

1. Introduction................................................................................................................6

2. Demonstration............................................................................................................7

2.1 The shackles of the American Southern culture...................................................7

2.1.1 A victim of the times.......................................................................................8

2.1.2 Love tragedy between South and North..........................................................9

2.2 The bondage of Puritan thought...........................................................................10

2.2.1 A tragedy under patriarchy..............................................................................11

2.2.2 Low female status...........................................................................................12

2.3 Emily’s own reasons—the twisted character of Emily.........................................13

2.3.1 Emily’s romantic heart..................................................................................13

2.3.2 Twisted characters.........................................................................................13

1. Conclusion...............................................................................................................14

Works Cited..................................................................................................................15

Bibliography.................................................................................................................16

A Study on the Causes of Emily’s Tragedy

1. Introduction

William Faulkner is one of the leading figures in American literary field in 1920s. As a famous modern novelist, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949 by his own distinct language style, writing style and depth of thinking. Most of his works, set in Yoknapatawpha, a fictional country that presents the contradictions and conflicts of the American South. All his family members including his great-grandfather, grandfather, father and his parents become prototypes of his figures, and all the characters, customs and religious faith are the epitomes of the Old South which reveal the decline of traditional values. 

His work A Rose for Emily is exactly one part of the Yoknapatawpha system. The novel narrates the whole life of Emily who was born in a fallen noble family. Her outrageous father thought no one in the town could deserve his daughter and it leads to that Emily hasn't married at her thirties. Protagonist Emily received decent family education from an early age and that kind of behaviors to be a nobleman brand deeply in her heart. She could no longer get rid of her aristocratic habits to the bone even though the time goes by. She always gives herself such airs and graces, all the people around her are afraid of her a little and call her Miss Emily with reference, even the mayor and government staff give her face. Emily lives a secluded life over the years and becomes more eccentric after her father's death, she simply locks herself in the old dark house her father left, suffers from both poverty and sickness and eventually dies of grief. Throughout her entire life, she almost missed all the best things, she has no friends, her neighbors are afraid of her and keep their distance. When she was young, all her admirers were ruthlessly driven away by the father and then she met Homer. She thought that love was coming but she can not put shelves to have a resounding love and the relationship ended in tragedy eventually. It can be said that Emily did not really taste the sweetness of love until she died. In addition, family affection for Miss Emily is probably a more extravagant hope. Her father is the only person who can give her a little affection and warmth, but this old-fashioned man treats his daughter with a harsh reprimand only. He tightly shut Emily's door to happiness. It was he who personally killed his daughter's youth and deprived her of the little warmth remaining in her heart. Emily's tragedy is not just a case. She became the epitome of a new generation of people in the South during a time when society changed dramatically, old and new cultures collided fiercely. Emily's tragedy is not only caused solely by her personal and family causes, but also associated with the deeper social historical reason.

This thesis try to analyze the causes of Emily’s tragedy. Apart from the tragedy of her own character, the tragedy is largely because of the impact of social environment. Emily’s death marks the end of southern culture.