Abstract: This paper is to approach William Faulkner’s short story A Rose for Emily from the perspective of feminism. To the author of this paper, Emily Grierson’s tragedy is the result of two aspects: family aspect and social aspect, which also can be expressed in three points :oppression under patriarchy, gender inequality on the concept of love and the decaying values of the traditional south society. By a close study of Emily’s life story, the paper deeply reveals how men dominate women’s life in the traditional south society, further inquires the disastrous influence patriarchic society exerts on women, thus reveals the profound meaning of the tragic image—Emily.
Key words: Emily Grierson; “A Rose for Emily”; Southern Values; Patriarchic Society
摘要：本文旨在对威廉·福克纳的小说《献给艾米丽的玫瑰》进行女性主义解读，深刻分析了艾米丽悲剧的双重原因：社会和家庭，也可解释为三点：父权制下的压迫，爱情观上的男女不平等以及南方腐朽传统价值观的牺牲品。本文揭示出男性凭自己的意志控制女性的生活，深刻探究男权制社会对女性造成的巨大影响，揭示出艾米丽这一悲剧形象的深刻内涵。
关键词：南方传统价值观；男权制; 悲剧；艾米丽
In A Rose for Emily , Emily turned to an eccentric old spinster “she looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue”（A Rose for Emily ,6）( from a south belle with elegant manner. The traditional culture and social morals built and shaped of the women under the male-dominated system, which created the miserable life of Emily. Emily's tragic result for many reasons. First of all, Emily is regard as a symbol of the South at that time with a unique social, history and cultural background. She bears the honor and dream of the old Southern society. When she was alive, she represented "a tradition , a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town", （A Rose for Emily, 2）her death is just like" a fall monument ". So this community does not allow her to do any "losing noblesse oblige and dignity" things ,，what' more, this idea has deeply rooted in the mind of Emily; Second, given by her noble family and the strict implementer of the old traditions, old orders, her father, all of these have killed her happy life and lay the foundation for her tragic life.
