twentieth century Southern literature
In the 20th century，with the great development of technologies and economic，especially the WWI and WWII， western countries’ old social problems and contradictions were aggravated continuously. New problems also appeared. The two World Wars made the spirit system of western countries’ hardly collapsed.
a sort of的用法The twentieth century is a flourishing period for the development of American literature, whose main characteristics is irrationalism presented in modernism and post-modernism accompanied with naturalism and post-realism. The flourishing of American literature owns a great deal to the social background both at home and abroad, and to the influence of European ideologies, which is the result of globalization.
(1)Special setting:
Yoknapatawpha county (a typical small southern town)
(2)Characterization:
vivid, “flesh and blood people that will stand up and cast a shadow”; enjoying the complicated state with little interference
(3)Plot:
most about history of American South (its rise and fall; glory and evil sides; family story)
(4)Theme:
in praise of eternal virtues in human history, love, pity, honor and self-sacrifice (Faulkner thought that the doom of the South was caused by ill-treatment of Indians and blacks and the way to change the meaningless modern life is recovering the traditional and eternal virtues.)
(5)Point of view: a new and experimental technique – multiple points of view and unreliable narrator
Style:
variety from colloquial and dialect to formal and refined; sometimes difficult to understand because of the using of modern techniques, such as stream-of-consciousness
the themes include  Tradition versus Change, The Power of Death, Isolation
and Other themes：tensions between North and South, complexities of a changing world order, disappearing realms of gentility and aristocracy, and rigid social constraints placed on women etc.
一Tradition versus Change：Through the mysterious figure of Emily Grierson, Faulkner conveys the struggle that comes from trying to maintain tradition in the face of widespread, radical change. Jefferson is at a crossroads, embracing a modern, more commercial future while still perched on the edge of the past, from the faded glory of the Grierson home to the town cemetery where anonymous Civil War soldiers have been laid to rest. Emily herself is a tradition, staying the same over the years despite many changes in her community. She is in many ways a mixed blessing. As a living monument to the past, she represents the traditions that people wish to respect and honor; however, she is also a burden and entirely
cut off from the outside world, nursing eccentricities that others cannot understand.
二 The Power of Death：Death hangs over “A Rose for Emily,” from the narrator’s mention of Emily’s death at the beginning of the story through the description of Emily’s death-haunted life to the foundering倒塌 of tradition in the face of modern changes. In every case, death prevails over every attempt to master it.
Emily attempts to exert power over death by denying the fact of death itself. Her refusal of giving up the body of her father and her odd “marriage” with Homer reveal her disturbing attempt to fuse life and death. However, death ultimately triumphs.
三Isolation："A Rose for Emily" is a story about the extremes of isolation – by physical and emotional. This Faulkner classic shows us the process by which human beings become isolated by their families, by their community, by tradition, by law, by the past, and by their own actions and choices. In effect, this story takes a stand against such isolation, and against all those who isolate others. When you get through with this story, you might feel the urge to take a nice stroll in the county, or at least take a spin around the park. Go! Breat
he the air; feel the sunshine; visit a friend.
一Writing Technique of A Rose for Emily
    Abstract: The language of this novel is very special. The author uses some figure of speech which is rather interesting and amazing. What we should pay more attention is the Writing Technique of this novel, which enables the article more vivid and attractive.
1 The Writing Techniques: Skillful Rhetoric, Unique Imagination        Thought-Provoking Implication.
2 Tone: Conversational, gossipy, Mysterious, Bizarre, strange Grotesque, Southern Gothic, Conversational, gossipy.
3 Language style: Long, complicated sentences, big, bookish words, Lots of description, not much dialogue.
Skillful Rhetoric: At the very beginning, the author describes Miss Emily’s house “only Miss
Emily’s house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps—an eyesore among eyesores”. Naturally, the house is just a common object and has no typical characteristics. However, it is the author that endow Emily’s house with human features by using “Stubborn” and “coquettish”.

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