Understanding Discourse Coherence Through SDRT: A Case Study of A Rose for Emily
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Understanding Discourse Coherence Through SDRT: A Case Study of A Rose for Emily

Yuchen Zhao 1*
1 Beijing Foreign Studies University
*Corresponding author: zhaoyuchen204@126.com
Published on 30 July 2025
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CHR Vol.74
ISSN (Print): 2753-7072
ISSN (Online): 2753-7064
ISBN (Print): 978-1-80590-301-7
ISBN (Online): 978-1-80590-302-4
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Abstract

William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily is widely discussed for its non-linear narrative, yet few studies have approached it from a linguistic perspective. This paper investigates the narrative structure in the novel through Segmented Discourse Representation Theory (SDRT), a prominent framework in discourse coherence analysis. The study aims to examine the application of SDRT to reveal underlying discourse relations in literary texts and offer new insights into the author’s intentions. By dividing the text into discrete segments and identifying the coherence relations between them, the analysis discovers the logical connections that drive the narrative, even among temporal disruptions. The findings of the study indicate that Faulkner’s fragmented narrative structure is intentional, serving specific literary purposes that enhance reader engagement and contribute to the development of the plot, the character, and themes. The paper demonstrates that SDRT offers a novel perspective for analyzing coherence in literary texts and expands the application of discourse coherence theories.

Keywords:

Discourse coherence, SDRT, Narrative structure

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Zhao,Y. (2025). Understanding Discourse Coherence Through SDRT: A Case Study of A Rose for Emily. Communications in Humanities Research,74,52-60.

References

[1]. Ahmadian, M., & Jorfi, L. (2015). A narratological study and analysis of: The concept of time in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 6(3), 215-224.

[2]. Allen, D. W. (1984). HORROR AND PERVERSE DELIGHT: FAULKNER’S “A ROSE FOR EMILY.” Modern Fiction Studies, 30(4), 685–696.

[3]. Dilworth, T. (1999). A romance to kill for: homicidal complicity in Faulkner's" A Rose for Emily". Studies in Short Fiction, 36(3), 251.

[4]. Scherting, J. (1980). Emily Grierson’s Oedipus Complex: Motif, Motive, and Meaning in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”. Studies in Short Fiction, 17(4), 397.

[5]. Asher, N., & Lascarides, A. (2003). Logics of Conversation. Cambridge University Press.

[6]. Perry, M. (1979). Literary Dynamics: How the order of a text creates its meanings [With an analysis of Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”]. Poetics Today, 1(1/2), 35-64+311-361.

[7]. Skinner, J. L. (1985). “A Rose for Emily”: Against Interpretation. The Journal of Narrative Technique, 15(1), 42–51.

[8]. Melczarek, N. (2009). Narrative Motivation in Faulkner’s A ROSE FOR EMILY. The Explicator, 67(4), 237–243.

[9]. Harris. (2007). In search of Dead Time: Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” KronoScope, 7(2), 169–183.

[10]. Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (2014). Cohesion in english. Routledge.

[11]. van Dijk, T. A., & Kintsch, W. (1983). Strategies of discourse comprehension.

[12]. Sanders, T. J., Spooren, W. P., & Noordman, L. G. (1992). Toward a taxonomy of coherence relations. Discourse processes, 15(1), 1-35.

[13]. Hobbs, J. (1985). On the coherence and structure of discourse. CSLI Report, No. 85-37.

[14]. Kehler, A., & Kehler, A. (2002). Coherence, reference, and the theory of grammar (Vol. 380). Stanford, CA: CSLI publications.

[15]. Mann, W. C., & Thompson, S. A. (1988). Rhetorical structure theory: Toward a functional theory of text organization. Text-interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of Discourse, 8(3), 243-281.

[16]. Kintsch, W. (1998). Comprehension: A Paradigm for Cognition. Cambridge University Press.

[17]. Zwaan, R. A., & Radvansky, G. A. (1998). Situation models in language comprehension and memory. Psychological Bulletin, 123(2), 162–185.

[18]. Webber, B., Egg, M., & Kordoni, V. (2012). Discourse structure and language technology. Natural Language Engineering, 18(4), 437-490.

[19]. Wolf, F., & Gibson, E. (2005). Representing discourse coherence: A corpus-based study. Computational linguistics, 31(2), 249-287.

[20]. Meng, A. (2024). The Coherence Relations of “Mollie” in Animal Farm under segmented Discourse Representation Theory (SDRT). Communications in Humanities Research, 63, 188-196.

[21]. Hao, Y. (2024). Testing Right Frontier Constraint on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 36, 62-70.

[22]. Zhou, Y. (2024). A Coherent Analysis of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Using segmented Discourse Representation Theory. Communications in Humanities Research, 39, 156-165.

[23]. Faulkner, W. (1930). CommonLit | A Rose for Emily. CommonLit. https: //www.commonlit.org/en/texts/a-rose-for-emily

References

[1]. Ahmadian, M., & Jorfi, L. (2015). A narratological study and analysis of: The concept of time in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 6(3), 215-224.

[2]. Allen, D. W. (1984). HORROR AND PERVERSE DELIGHT: FAULKNER’S “A ROSE FOR EMILY.” Modern Fiction Studies, 30(4), 685–696.

[3]. Dilworth, T. (1999). A romance to kill for: homicidal complicity in Faulkner's" A Rose for Emily". Studies in Short Fiction, 36(3), 251.

[4]. Scherting, J. (1980). Emily Grierson’s Oedipus Complex: Motif, Motive, and Meaning in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”. Studies in Short Fiction, 17(4), 397.

[5]. Asher, N., & Lascarides, A. (2003). Logics of Conversation. Cambridge University Press.

[6]. Perry, M. (1979). Literary Dynamics: How the order of a text creates its meanings [With an analysis of Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”]. Poetics Today, 1(1/2), 35-64+311-361.

[7]. Skinner, J. L. (1985). “A Rose for Emily”: Against Interpretation. The Journal of Narrative Technique, 15(1), 42–51.

[8]. Melczarek, N. (2009). Narrative Motivation in Faulkner’s A ROSE FOR EMILY. The Explicator, 67(4), 237–243.

[9]. Harris. (2007). In search of Dead Time: Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” KronoScope, 7(2), 169–183.

[10]. Halliday, M. A. K., & Hasan, R. (2014). Cohesion in english. Routledge.

[11]. van Dijk, T. A., & Kintsch, W. (1983). Strategies of discourse comprehension.

[12]. Sanders, T. J., Spooren, W. P., & Noordman, L. G. (1992). Toward a taxonomy of coherence relations. Discourse processes, 15(1), 1-35.

[13]. Hobbs, J. (1985). On the coherence and structure of discourse. CSLI Report, No. 85-37.

[14]. Kehler, A., & Kehler, A. (2002). Coherence, reference, and the theory of grammar (Vol. 380). Stanford, CA: CSLI publications.

[15]. Mann, W. C., & Thompson, S. A. (1988). Rhetorical structure theory: Toward a functional theory of text organization. Text-interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of Discourse, 8(3), 243-281.

[16]. Kintsch, W. (1998). Comprehension: A Paradigm for Cognition. Cambridge University Press.

[17]. Zwaan, R. A., & Radvansky, G. A. (1998). Situation models in language comprehension and memory. Psychological Bulletin, 123(2), 162–185.

[18]. Webber, B., Egg, M., & Kordoni, V. (2012). Discourse structure and language technology. Natural Language Engineering, 18(4), 437-490.

[19]. Wolf, F., & Gibson, E. (2005). Representing discourse coherence: A corpus-based study. Computational linguistics, 31(2), 249-287.

[20]. Meng, A. (2024). The Coherence Relations of “Mollie” in Animal Farm under segmented Discourse Representation Theory (SDRT). Communications in Humanities Research, 63, 188-196.

[21]. Hao, Y. (2024). Testing Right Frontier Constraint on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 36, 62-70.

[22]. Zhou, Y. (2024). A Coherent Analysis of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Using segmented Discourse Representation Theory. Communications in Humanities Research, 39, 156-165.

[23]. Faulkner, W. (1930). CommonLit | A Rose for Emily. CommonLit. https: //www.commonlit.org/en/texts/a-rose-for-emily

Cite this article

Zhao,Y. (2025). Understanding Discourse Coherence Through SDRT: A Case Study of A Rose for Emily. Communications in Humanities Research,74,52-60.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of ICADSS 2025 Symposium: Art, Identity, and Society: Interdisciplinary Dialogues

ISBN: 978-1-80590-301-7(Print) / 978-1-80590-302-4(Online)
Editor: Ioannis Panagiotou, Yanhua Qin
Conference website: https://www.icadss.org/Lincoln.html
Conference date: 22 August 2025
Series: Communications in Humanities Research
Volume number: Vol.74
ISSN: 2753-7064(Print) / 2753-7072(Online)

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