A Rose For Emily By William Faulkner

In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner uses imagery and symbolism to both illustrate and strengthen the most prevalent theme; Emily’s resistance to change. William Faulkner seems to reveal this theme through multiple descriptions of Miss Grierson’s actions, appearance, and her home. Throughout the short story it is obvious that Emily has a hard time letting go of her past, she seems to be holding onto every bit of her past. Readers see this shown in several ways, some more obvious than others.

For three days she did this, “We did not say she was crazy then. We believed she had to do that.” (Faulkner.311). Their negligence of all the warning signs; even after her lover vanished, the deterioration of her home, and Miss Emily’s inability to accept reality serves as the most prevailing form of repression in this story. Contrariwise, “Hills

Miss. Emily has a history of instability in her family “old lady Wyatt, her great-aunt, had gone completely crazy at last, believed that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were.”(Faulkner 311) A delegation is sent to Miss. Emily’s house to tell her that she has to pay taxes now, regardless of what Colonel Sartoris said. Emily simply tells them, “See Colonel Sartoris. I have no taxes in Jefferson.”(Faulkner 309) Miss. Emily, unfortunately, begins to exhibit signs of crazy. She does not seem to comprehend death or the past because later we find that, “”See Colonel Sartoris.” (Colonel Sartoris had been dead almost ten years).”(Faulkner 310) Colonel Sartoris is no longer alive. Miss. Emily does not know this information.

In the short story, “A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner creates a character that is both complex and mysterious. This character, named Emily, is unique because of her hidden motivations that are slowly revealed to the reader as the story unfolds. Faulkner forces both the reader and the characters in the story to wrestle with how to respond and act towards her. Because her character is shrouded in mystery, no one is quite sure how to feel about the quiet Miss Emily. Faulkner uses Emily to create a compelling short story that is intriguing and makes the reader curious as to what inner or outer forces could be making her act so strangely.

Reading “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner is truly an interesting story. This is the first time I read about a character having a mental illness that made impressed me and engage to read more. Emily is a simple girl who was left alone with nothing by her dead strict father. In the story, she was very reclusive and secretive with her life. She then, murdered her lover, Homer. She slept with his corpse until she died. Emily’s mental behavior are caused by few people in her life. This includes her father and the townspeople.

Emily Grierson is the embodiment of mental illness. If anything were to be taken away from Faulkner’s story, it is that Emily Grierson is mentally unstable. After Grierson’s father dies, she shows “no trace of grief on her face” insisting that “her father [is] not dead”. This is the first

“In any given year, one person in 100 has schizophrenia, a disorder characterized by disturbances in thought, perceptions, emotions, and behavior” (Coon et al.). Throughout William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”, Emily Grierson experiences these disturbances often enough to suspect that she is suffering from this illness. The story begins at the end of her life, as the townspeople are about to investigate her home to find answers concerning the incidents that plagued their town for many years took place. In her living years, many troubling events often surrounded her existence. Emily Grierson’s unstable mental state has been caused by many factors such as her father’s controlling nature, her relationship with Homer Barron, and her inability

While Miss Emily is still distressed by her father¡¦s death, homer¡¦s affection brings Miss Emily out of her grief. Homer Barron therefore frees Miss Emily from her reserved nature. However, the news that homer Barron is leaving town for another women pushes Miss Emily to the edge of insanity, While Miss Emily¡¦s father and Homer Barron influences Miss Emily to have the confused personality she does, Faulkner also suggests her insane behavior may be inherited. The insanity of Miss Emily¡¦s great aunt, old lady Wyatt, suggests that Miss Emily¡¦s craziness may be passed on from her family line. By informing the reader about old lady Wyatt¡¦s insanity, Faulkner foreshadows Miss Emily¡¦s own madness.

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to spend ten year isolated from everyone away in your home? Most likely not but this was Emily’s reality. In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner tells a tale of the life story of Miss Emily Grierson, a member of one of the most revered families in the made-up Mississippi town of Jefferson. Faulkner illustrates to us that Emily has had a difficult time with her father, who gave her minimal freedom growing up, and looked down upon just about everyone. Once her father dies, she eventually meets a laborer, Homer Barron, bringing just about every ones’ opinion and assumption that they will marry, but He disappears and a rancid smell invades the grounds of her house, then little is seen of Emily

William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is well known for it beautifully intricate story line. Within this story I will be showing his vision of fate, symbolism, and status all contribute into this short story. “A Rose for Emily” is the telling of the life of our main character Miss Emily from the gossip of the small town of Jefferson.

The narrator in the short story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner conveys the gossip-worthy life of Emily Grierson through the eyes of the towns people. The story, which begins and ends at the funeral of Miss Emily, is presented in flashbacks that are given in no seemingly particular time sequence, thus adding suspense to the story. This also creates a mysterious attitude surrounding Miss Emily, a once upper-class member of society who lost herself throughout the trials of life. In this narrative, the reader can see Miss Emily transform from a young woman who often was an overindulged and desirable young woman into an overweight, unstable, and seemingly lonely woman of age who pulls herself away from society because of her mental instability, which could stem from how she was brought up as an important member of the socialite class.

Throughout history, women have had to frequently live within the standards of an oppressive society. However, what happens when the oppression becomes so unbearable that drives a woman mad? This is the case for Miss Emily. Therefore, this subjection to burdensome and unjust impositions or restrains have caused her to be responsible for incomprehensible behavior. In the story A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner vividly illustrates the short story of a woman who has been isolated from the community after her father’s death. In order to portray Miss Emily’s melancholy through the story, Faulkner used stylistic devices that characterize gothic fiction such as constant decay, eternal seclusion, and strong emotions.

In short story, “A Rose for Emily”, writer William Faulkner writes about an old deranged lady who the townspeople depict in a negative way. Emily Grierson, the main character, comes from a dark background even though her family is considered an elite family. She was brought up in a small town in Mississippi where she lived in her whole life. In her early life her father was a very controlling figure, not only being very strict, but also cut out any ties that could have helped Emily develop social skills. This led her not to rely on anyone after her father passed away. Following the death of her father, Homer Barron was the only person she loved in her life. With no social skill Emily is not a confident person, and is scared of people leaving her in her life. When Homer decided to leave the town Emily poisoned him as she could not bear the loss of anyone else in her life.

In William Faulkner’s short story, A Rose for Emily, Emily Grierson, a prominent member of her small town, dies alone in her home. Upon her death, curious townsfolk entered her home trying to learn her secrets. It was thought she was crazy. Emily Grierson was not crazy; she was isolated by her father, which led to her odd social tendencies and unique interactions with others.

William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” first published in 1931 is a tragic story of a southern woman, Miss Emily Grierson, who is the subject of the town’s obsession. The narrator, a member of the town, tells the story of what occurs in a decaying old southern house that is always being seen by the townspeople. They witness Miss Emily’s life, her father’s life, her turn to insanity and the death of both her and her lover’s life. There are many themes within “A Rose for Emily,” the color of Emily’s hair, isolation among others and death. The themes are communicated through the plot if the story such as the description of Emily’s hair, he insanity and tradition.