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A Rose for Emily Essay

Decent Essays

"A Rose for Emily" is a wonderful short story written by William Faulkner. It begins with at the end of Miss Emily’s life and told from an unknown person who most probably would be the voice of the town. Emily Grierson is a protagonist in this story and the life of her used as an allegory about the changes of a South town in Jefferson after the civil war, early 1900's. Beginning from the title, William Faulkner uses symbolism such as house, Miss Emily as a “monument “, her hair, Homer Barron, and even Emily’s “rose” to expresses the passing of time and the changes. The central theme of the story is decay in the town, the house, and in Miss Emily herself. It shows the way in which we all grow old and decay and there is nothing permanent …show more content…

Furthermore, Miss Emily’s hair is one of the symbols, shortly after her father’s death Emily cuts her hair that could possibly symbolize the freedom for her as breaking away from her father's control "When we saw her again, her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl..." (212). Also, as Emily grows older her hair changes into “iron-gray, like the hair of an active man” (214). That hair colour changing symbolizes the time, we realize time first by Emily's hair, and then her hair has turned "a vigorous iron-gray” (214) when she disappears into her house. In Faulkner’s story Homer Barron obviously represents the present, the formation, and the new ways. When he arrives to the town for the construction Emily was already around 30-34 years old, well past her time according to that time and he was the next generation. Also, probably he might be her future life. Homer Barron was Northerner “...a Yankee...” (212) and north is known as its easy adaptation for changes but South is known for traditional. He does not seem to a man who like to settle in one place as Emily was. Besides the story’s other symbols, the “rose” itself is the most important symbol and the title of the story is not coincidence. It is not suggest just a rose flower, but rather a symbol of the Homer and the father's love for her, town's love and admiration for her, and also foreshadows her eventual destruction. The rose in the title symbolizes the absent of love which is a

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