Style and Sense in William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily

Abstract

A Rose for Emily is a typical Gothic-style novel, intimately associated with the characteristics of Gothic literature: 1. Ghostly and horrible environment; 2. The tone of death; 3. Uncanny character images. Generally speaking, Gothic literature reveals the gloomy, dark, sad and mysterious literary styles, but what fascinates us most is the creation of atmosphere—being horrific, thrilling and intensive, which give people different kinds of sensory touches—Visually, physically and even spiritually. This Gothic style places emphasis on both emotion and a pleasurable kind of terror, thus embodying the senses of a quest for a horrible atmosphere, and an appreciation of the joys of extreme emotion as well as the thrills of fearfulness to readers.