Gothic Characteristics in A Rose for Emily (英语论文).doc

Gothic Characteristics in A Rose for Emily Abstract: A Rose for Emily is a five-part short story written by William Faulkner. This essay makes an analysis of the Gothic elements in “A Rose for Emily” with some background supports. A Gothic romance is “a story of terror and suspense, usually set in a gloomy old castle or monastery” with “a comparably sinister, grotesque, or claustrophobic atmosphere” Key words: Gothic; rose; love; death This semester we are recommended a short fiction “A Rose for Emily” written by William Faulkner who was a Nobel Prize-winning American author and one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His reputation is based on his novels, novellas and short stories. A Rose for Emily is a five-part short story narrated by the townspeople of Jefferson, Mississippi. It is a story of an eccentric spinster, Emily Grierson. An unnamed narrator details the strange circumstances of Emily’s life and her odd relationships with her father, her lover, and the town of Jefferson, and the horrible secret she hides. 1. A brief introduction to Gothic romance in this fiction A Gothic romance is “a story of terror and suspense, usually set in a gloomy old castle or monastery” with “a comparably sinister, grotesque, or claustrophobic atmosphere”. The American Gothic movement sprang from the Romantic movement.? The Romantic writers focused on individuals, trusting yourself, and believed that mankind was noble and ideal.?Southern Gothic genre, which combines some Gothic sensibilities (such as the Grotesque) with the setting and style of the Southern United States . Examples include William Faulkner, Eudora Welty. A Rose for Emily written by William Faulkner illustrates several Southern Gothic traditions.?The setting of Emilys old Southern home reminiscent of the South post civil war is a key element of Southern Gothic literature. Everything was changing, new technology and mechanization came to people’s life. It’s a remarkable for gothic stories hap