A Rose for Emily

This story was written by William Faulkner and happened after the American Civil War in Jefferson. The main character is Emily, a woman whose marriage was controlled by her father. After her father’s death, she met a northern man called Homer Barron and fell in love with him. Homer Barron was a day laborer, a man of obscurity. However, Emily was a noble, people in Jefferson thought she had been depraved. A noble should not fall in love with a poor man. Then her two cousins came, tried to prevent her from ridiculous behavior. Also, Homer Barron was tired of her and wanted to get rid of her. In order to keep Homer, Emily killed him and got him forever. In my opinion, the story reflects conflicts between the northern society and southern society after American Civil War, two different value systems.

In the story, Emily was a cold and traditional woman and she was the representative of the south. She was ridiculous. For she refused to pay the tax, and mentioned a colonel who has been dead for ten years. When she argued with mayors and aldemen and when she bought the arsenic, she was cold, people could not talk with her. She represented the old men, so she must be stubborn. She preferred killing Homer to giving up him. She was selfish.

A rose for Emily, it is ironical. Rose is love but Emily did not understand love.

 

第二篇：A rose for Emily读后感

A rose for Emily读后感

Although very short, A Rose for Emily, one of works of Faulkner, is a complex story which consists of several elements, such as love, detection, fantasy and psychology. However, it seems that the heroin in the story called Emily Grierson is more complex than the story itself.

It is said the character decides the fate. To Emily, she had a tragic fate which was largely dependent on her multiple characters. According to Faulkner, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty and care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town. In fact, she was a sacrifice dedicated to the Old South. Under the background of the special age, she was a lamentable prisoner who lived in the past. Because of her inadaptability to and isolation from the society, Emily's character developed abnormally and morbidly, which resulted in her tragic end.

Firstly, she was traditional. As we know, Emily lived in the old mansion all through her life, which was the sole estate her father left her and she wouldn't like to change the house at all. What she did and what she said completely followed the tradition. Suppressing her human wishes and desires and covering up her true self, she was strictly restricted by the norms of the Old South. She could not take part in the social life, and even had a family. This was the great price she had to pay as a spiritual pillar supporting the disintegrating Old South. Also, this is the root of her distorted personality and morbid character.

Secondly, Emily was quite imperturbable. Every time people argued with Emily, she was able to keep calm and clear-headed. With only a few words, she always vanquished them. In this regard, we have to acknowledge Emily's courage and intelligence.

Nevertheless, Emily's bravery is far more than debating for her before so many people. Unbelievably but truly, she cruelly killed his boyfriend and preserved his corpse for so many years. What's more, she often slept beside the body. Although the author doesn't express this point directly in the story, we can easily see through from the clue — a long strand of iron-gray hair.

Of course, she was strong-willed as well. Nobody could control her and nothing could disturb her. As long as she wanted to, she simply would make it (Actually she had been separated from her true self and had no idea about what was she really wanted). She was living in an isolated world from the others', so she was lonely. Nobody understood her and nobody loved her —her father had been dead, while her sweetheart deserted her. Maybe in her opinion, killing Homer Barron and preserving his body is the sole way to hold him. That is to say, she went to extremes entirely to defend her love. And she thought she succeeded.

In addition, Emily was opinionated, haughty, cautious, and spoony.

In one word, she was a poor sacrifice of Old South. In order to perform the functions of a symbol of the special system and culture, instead of living in a life of her own, she lost herself in the ceaseless restrictions. She truly should have been freedom-desired, vivacious, pure and kind-hearted rather than offish, cruel and standpat.