William Faulkner(1897-1962)
- Born in New Albany Mississippi
and came from an old Southern
family
- His greatest novels and short
stories are set in mythical
Yoknapatawpha County
- Wrote about every aspect of life,
from the mundane to the
sensational – in the American
South
William Faulkner( cont)
- Used pieces of his own
life and family history in
his fiction
- Won two Pulitzer
Prizes, a National Book
Award, and the Nobel
Prize for Literature
- Died on July 6, 1962
TOPIC
A tragical Emily’s life because she lived
as the generation time between the old
and the new, between the obsolete
THEMES
One's excessive pride in
the past can prevent
someone from living
well in the present.
PLOTS
Introduction Emily’s status & character Homer find out as a corpse
Emily’s father died
Emily died at 74
Emily refuse to pay taxes
Emily buy arsenic to poison Homer
Emily meet Homer
The townspeople want to stop their
relationship by Emily’s relatives Homer disappear
CONFLICTS
Emily vs. father
3 main conflicts Emily vs. townspeople
Emily vs. Homer
EMILY VS FATHER
-A Southman didn’t let her have a
well-matched husband
-Don’t accept the death of her
father which is the catalyst for
much of Emily's trouble accepting
change "after her father's death she
went out very little”.
- When she died “with the crayon
face of her father musing
profoundly above the bier”
EMILY VS HOMER
-“a tradition, a duty, and -“a Yankee—a big, dark,
a care” of the town ready man, with a big voice
and eyes lighter than his
face”
- “He liked men, and it was
-"Of course a Grierson
known that he drank with the
would not think seriously of younger men in the Elks'
a Northerner, a day laborer.“ Club—that he was not a
marrying man “
Emily buy arsenic to kill Homer or to keep her
lover forever, it’s a bizarre love
EMILY VS THE TOWNSPEOPLE
- The complaints about the smell of the house
- The gossip and curiosity about who she is
- Refused to pay taxes for the property when the officials
contacted
- “She carried her head high enough—even when we believed
that she was fallen. It was as if she demanded more than
ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson; as if
it had wanted that touch of earthiness to reaffirm her
imperviousness”.
CLIMAX
I want some poison,” she said to the druggist.
“Yes, Miss Emily. What kind? For rats and such?
“I want the best you have. I don't care what kind.”
The druggist named several. “They'll kill anything up to an
elephant. But what you want is—”
“Arsenic,” Miss Emily said. “Is that a good one?”“Is . . .
arsenic? Yes, ma’am. But what you want—”
“I want arsenic.”……
………… When she opened the package at home there was
written on the box, under the skull and bones: “For rats.”
CHARACTER
Homer Baron
Miss Emily Grierson
- Mr. Grierson
- Tobe
- Colonel Sartoris
SETTING
- In the Southern town
of Jefferson during the
late 1800s to early
1900s.
- The town is more than
just the setting in the
story; it takes on its
own characterization
alongside Miss Emily
SOME ANALYSIS ABOUT “A ROSE FOR EMILY”
- Foreshadowing
- Simile
- Flashback
- The Emily’s house
- The Gorthic
- The imagination of “ a rose”
- “Poor emily”
- Tobe
Some figures of speech:
- Foreshadowing: "I want some poison," she
said to the druggist” and “ Two days later we
learned that she had bought a complete outfit
of men's clothing, including a nightshirt,…”.
- Simile: "bloated, like a body long submerged
in motionless water, and of that pallid hue."
Some figures of speech:
Flashback: list of order events, not arrangement
+Section 1 reminds the Emily’s death,
+Section 2 describes Emily’s father death ,
+Section 3 is the first appearance of Homer
Barron,
+Section 4 Emily’s action to kill her lover, Homer,
indirect description
+ Section 5 back to present time Emily’ death
Some good details in A Rose for Emily
- The Emily’s house:
“only Miss Emily's
house was left,
lifting its stubborn
and coquettish decay
above the cotton
wagons and the
gasoline pumps” ->
Miss Emily’s
characteristic
Some good details in A Rose for Emily
The Gorthic( yếu tố kinh dị): the image Homer
Baron was poisoned not described directly, the
reader more chained to come to the conclusion.
Some good details in A Rose for Emily
The imagination of
->the author’s commemoration to Emily in overall
the story
-> represented as Homer , the old Negro, the
mayor Colonel Sartoris, and the respect of the
townspeople to Emily
Some good details in A Rose for Emily
“Poor emily”: the attitude of the townspeople with
Emily
-> It is not only ironical voice from the town but also
the author’s regret for Emily character.
Tobe: a servant who take care of Emily until she died
-> “the Negro men went in and out with a market
basket” was repeated as regualrly, slowly and even
softly as his appearance throughout Emily’s life
-> “his voice had grown harsh and rusty, as if from
disuse” Tobe might want to spend all his lifetime to
take care of her as well as to love her in mute
POINT OF VIEW
The willingness of the town to now
admit responsibility is a hopeful
sign, and one that allows us to
envision a better future for
generations to come
CONCLUSION
In summary, the effect of "A Rose for
Emily" is one that is positive and enjoyable.
"A Rose for Emily" will continue to be a
definite success in the works of William
Faulkner.