摘　要

本文分析了威廉•福克纳的《献给艾米丽的一朵玫瑰》中的各种意象的象征意义。《献给艾米丽的一朵玫瑰》中有丰富的象征意义,几乎所有在这个故事中提到的人和物含有其潜在的含义；因此,本故事中的象征意义是非常值得研究。主人公爱米丽小姐,她的房子、玫瑰、头发等都含有潜在的意思。作者试图通过这些具体的人和物说明许多主题——死亡、时间和爱。爱米丽小姐是体现传统和顽固的南部的化身;爱米丽小姐的家是一个重要的象征。它代表了美国就南部的残留和艾米丽小姐对过去的留恋;玫瑰象征着荷马和艾米丽的父亲对她的爱,小镇中的人对其的尊敬,同时也预示着她的最终灭亡;爱米丽小姐的头发在她父亲死亡之后象征着自由。头发颜色的变化代表着时间的改变;与艾米丽小姐有短暂关系的荷马显然代表具有活力，现代化的新美国南部人;小说的叙述方式则代表了故事中的人的态度，想法以及代表了社区中闲言碎语的传播者。所有这些象征意义都为了阐释一个重要的历史事件--美国内战之后要求旧南部过渡到一个新的现代南部，并且通过这些意象来展现当时美国南部正面临的和将要面临的改变。读者可以以此来了解美国的社会变迁。

关键词：《献给艾米丽的一朵玫瑰》；意象；象征意义；

Abstract

This paper analyses William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily, focusing on its symbolism in the story. There are affluent images in the story, and almost everything mentioned in the story has its underlying meanings; therefore, it is very worthwhile to study these symbols. Through these symbols like the protagonist Miss Emily, her house, roses, hair etc., the author tries to illustrate many themes in the story- death, time and love. Miss Emily is an embodiment of the traditional and stubborn southerner; Miss Emily’s house is one of the important symbols representing the past because it rejects updating like Miss Emily, and it deteriorates with the aging of Miss Emily’s appearance; Roses are a symbol of Homer and Miss Emily’s father’s love for her, town’s love and admiration for her, and also foreshadows her eventual destruction; Miss Emily’s hair symbolizes the freedom she occurs after her strict father’s death and also represents the changing of the time as the color of the hair changes; Homer Barron who has a short relationship with Miss Emily obviously represents the present, the formation, and the new ways; the narrator represents the attitudes, ideas, and the gossip of the community. While all these symbols function to demonstrate the important historical event in which the transition happens requiring an old south to change to a new and modern south. Through these images，the writer shows readers the changes the South is facing and about to face at that time in America. Readers are enabled to get a general picture of social changes in American at that time through reading my thesis.

Key words:  A Rose for Emily；Images；Symbolism;

1 Introduction
    This paper explores all kinds of symbols in the story. Only when readers understand the symbolic meanings hidden in the story, they can understand the story better and know William Faulkner’s purpose that after Civil War, southern America in the United States inevitably need to change from an old, traditional south to a modern south and what will happen to those who prefer staying in the past to create the story. To learn the historical background is very important for readers to figure out the symbolism in A Rose for Emily.