美国文学13-faulkner

WilliamFaulknerFatherofSouthernAmericanliteratureWilliamFaulkner(1897-1962),thefirstandmostimportantsouthernwritertoemergeinthepostwaryears,ranksamongtheleadingAmericanauthorsofthetwentiethcentury.wrotealtogether18novelsandthreevolumesofshortstories.wonNobelPrizeforliteraturein1950.I.LifeexperienceHewasborninadistinguishedMississippifamilythathadonceplayedanimportantroleinstatepolitics.livedinOxfordfromearlychildhood,andwaseducatedattheuniversitytherejoinedtheCanadian,andlatertheBritish,RoyalAirForceduringtheFirstWorldWarworkedinabookstoreinNewYorkwrotedescriptivesketchesfornews-paperswhilelivingwithSherwoodAndersoninNewOrleansExceptforsometripstoEuropeandAsia,andafewbriefstaysinHollywoodasascriptwriter,heworkedonhisnovelsandshortstoriesonafarminOxford.WilliamClarkFalknerGreat-grandfatherHiswifeEstelle1925inParisAttheUniversityofVirginia1962lastpictureII.Specialfeatures2.1.SettingOxfordisthemodelforhisfictionalJefferson,thecentralplaceofhisfictionalYoknapatawphaCounty2.2.Subjectssoutherntradition,family,community,theland,historyandthepast,race,andthepassionsofambitionandlove2.3.CharactersTypicalofthehistoricalgrowthandsubsequentdecadenceoftheSouthTohimhischaracterswererealandconstantandmovedinhismindallthetime.2.4.ThethemeofhistoryMostofhisnovelsareaboutthedecayoftheoldSouth,asrepresentedbytheSartorisandCompsonfamilies,andtheemergenceofruthlessandbrash[confidentinarudeoraggressiveway]newcomers,suchastheSnopeses.ThehumandramainFaulkner'snovelsisthenbuiltonthemodeloftheactual,historicaldramaextendingoveralmostacenturyandahalf.Eachstoryandeachnovelcontributestotheconstructionofawhole,whichistheimaginaryYoknapatawphaCountyanditsinhabitants.ThethemeofracialprejudiceInLightinAugust(1932),prejudiceisshowntobemostdestructivewhenitisinternalized,asinJoeChristmas,whobelieves,thoughthereisnoproofofit,thatoneofhisparentswasaNegro.ThethemeofracialprejudiceisbroughtupagaininAbsalom,Absalom!(1936),inwhichayoungmanisrejectedbyhisfatherandbrotherbecauseofhismixedblood.Faulkner'smostoutspokenmoralevaluationoftherelationshipandtheproblemsbetweenNegroesandwhitesistobefoundinIntruderIntheDust(1948).2.5.Techniques2.5.1.MultiplePointsofViewHealwaysstructurehisstoriesinhisownoriginalfashionandisproficientinemployingadistinctivenarrativemethod(MultiplePointsofView)ofgraduallyfittinginandofwithholdingorevengivingconfusinginformation.Graduallyconfusionvanishascontextandperiphery[boundary,edge]aredefinedandthecenterisrevealed.2.5.2.Streamofconsciousnesswordsareoftenruntogetherwithnocapitalizationandnoproperpunctuation.Sentencesarenotalwaysclearlyindicated;manylongonesareputtogetherinpeculiarways.Onefragmentrunsintoanotherwithoutpropernotice.Theuseofnounsoftencausesirritatingperplexity.III.Reading“ARoseforEmily”3.1TheplotTheshortstoryrevolvesaroundthesecludedandeerielifeofEmily,aproud,lonelyandeccentricnoblewoman.Emilyremainssingleforalongtime,forherfatherisquiteparticularabouthermarriage.Thenafterherfather’sdeath,EmilygetstoknowayoungmanfromtheNorth.Theyarefounddating,sothepeopleinthetownbegintodoubtwhetherEmilywillmarrytotheman,butthemansuddenlydisappearfromthetown.Emilyhasbeentothedruggist’sforarsenic,andthepeopleassumeEmilywantstocommitsuicide.However,Emilysurvivesandbecomesmoreeccentric.Whenshedies40yearslater,peoplefindinabedroomherwhiteweddingdress,thedriedcorpseofamanandthegrayhairofawoman.3.1ThemesThedeclineoftheSouth,esp.theSouthernaristocraticclassTheconflictbetweenthetwodifferentvaluessystemsandtwosocialorders,i.e.thenewandtheold,theNorth(HomerBarron)andtheSouth(MissEmilyGrierson)Theclashbetweenthepresentandthepast,adilemmathemodernmanfeelswhenhelivesvirtuallyinmemoryTheBlackman’s(thenegrowhotakescareofMissEmily)virtue:faithful,loyal,closetothenature3.3.StructureThestoryisdividedinto5parts:1.MissEmily’sfuneral2.Emily’sstinkinganddecayinghouse3.Adaylaborer,HomerBarron,whohadagoodtimewithEmily4.Emily’svisittoadrugstoretobuyarsenic,withwhichshekillsHomerandkeepshiscorpseinanatticroom.(Nowsheseldomgoesoutandfinallydies).5.TheblackservantopensthedoortotheoutsiderssothattheygetachancetoseetheroomwhereHomer’sbodyiskept.3.4CharacteranalysisEmily:symbolofoldvalues,standingfortradition,dutyandpastglory,avictim3.5SymbolicmeaningoftheroseLoveDecayanddeathPity,sympathy/lamentThat’sall!Thanks!