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William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily was

an epitome of tragedy. It was originally published

in the April 30, 1930, issue of Forum. It was his

first short story published in a major magazine.

A Rose for Emily is the non linear story of a

strange spinster, Emily Grierson. An unnamed

narrator details the strange circumstances of

Emilys life and her odd relationships with her

father, her lover, and the town of Jefferson, and

the horrible secret she hides. The storys subtle

complexities continue to inspire critics while

casual readers find it one of Faulkners most

accessible works. The popularity of the story is due in no small part to its

shocking ending. A Rose for Emily takes place in Jefferson, the county seat of

Yoknapatawpha. Jefferson is a critical setting in much of Faulkners fiction.

This town plays a crucial role in Emilys psychological bondage because the

people of Jefferson had their idea of what they wanted Emily to be. Emily was

pressured to be this stereotypical figure of a Southern lady. She was trapped

within this expectation. This town was such a strong influence on the mindset

of Emily that it was much more than just a setting: this town is a character

with voice and values. Emilys voice is not heard and it is obvious that she is

oppressed by the expectations of this southern town. This is evident at Emilys

funeral. The town of Jefferson forces Emily to stay stuck in the traditions of the

past. Women in the past had been expected to let the men handle business

matters. Emilys father had taken this role up until his death. Emily was left

alone and had never had any responsibility with any types of business

dealings. Most women were learning to take on responsibilities that men had

only had. This was not the case with Emily.

It is a story that stands by itself. Faulkner himself modestly referred to it

as a ghost story, but many critics recognize it as an extraordinarily versatile

http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/426025.A_Rose_for_Emily

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work. Faulkner described the title as "an allegorical title; the meaning was,

here was a woman who has had a tragedy, an irrevocable tragedy and nothing

could be done about it, and I pitied her and this was a salute ... to a woman

you would hand a rose." The impact of death on some can be a life altering

experience which William Faulkner vividly explains when he wrote A Rose for

Emily. Miss Emily Grierson is a conflicted character in her life that over the

years refuses to change because of the multiple deaths in her life. The story is

told from a third person plural point of view from the townspeople as they

explain their discoveries after Emilys death and the mysteries she holds.

Through the use of perspective and symbolism, William Faulkner establishes

the life of Emily as a static character in a dynamic town. At the terminal end of

the story, it was revealed that Homer Barron was murdered by Emily but she

could not accept his death that she still sleep with her husbands dead body for

around thirty years. Emily had been holding on to and sleeping with her dead

husband as a way to avoid her changing life.

William Faulkner depicts her reaction to the deaths from the view of the

town as a whole and what they discover from her secret life. Through

symbolism, the reader can draw the evidences of how Emily lived her life as astatic character that refused to see the people she loved go. The rose in the

title, A Rose for Emily also symbolizes the eternal youth and beauty that Emily

wished she possessed. Death in this story has a great impact on the character

itself and the town who witnessed it all, it shows how death can drive people to

extremes and insanity. Faulkners most famous, most popular, and most

anthologized short story evokes the terms Southern gothic and grotesque, two

types of literature in which the general tone is one of gloom, terror, and

understated violence. The story is Faulkners best example of these forms

because it contains unimaginably dark images: a decaying mansion, a corpse,

a murder, a mysterious servant who disappears, and, most horrible of all,

necrophiliaan erotic or sexual attraction to corpses. The fictional story is so

well written through the point of view of the towns people but the author never

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confirmed whether what they are saying is true. It is some sort of gossip-like

narration and the author never give a voice to the main protagonist which is a

little bit of one-sided. The setting of the piece is appropriate since the South

was once known for its extreme prejudice and racism. William Faulkners

attempts to convey this racism is made clear in A Rose for Emily. In terms of

gender equality, Faulkner seems to describe men as the stronger being in the

story and women are inadequate to handle immense responsibilities.

While using symbolism to represent tragedy, loneliness and some form of

pride, the story also shows how far one will go to have the approval of others

and the pursuit of happiness. In todays times, a persons image could mean

everything in life and almost everyone tries to fit into the main stream in some

form at some point in their life. Though, people often claim to try to be unique

and trend setters at some point they all buckle down and try to just fit in and

impress. This idea to me goes into the same as for A Rose for Emily. In this

paper I believe that Faulkner was trying to create a story about a woman in

love that wanted a family and a normal life. I found myself reading and hoping

that she would find this life and love that she longed for. I always think it is

strange when a writer chooses to start a story with the end of the story, butwith this particular story it worked quite well. When you begin reading you

find that the people of this town held a great interest about the life of Emily

Grierson and then as you read on in the story you learn of Miss Emilys life and

how she grew up with a father who wanted her to stay at home. The resistance

to change and loneliness are prominent themes within A Rose for Emily.

Through his creative ability to use such techniques he is able to weave an

intriguing story full of symbolism, contrasts, and moral worth. The story is

brief, yet it covers almost seventy five years in the life of a spinster named

Emily Grierson. His works however are not so much historical in nature but

more like folk lore. This way Faulkner is not constrained to keep details

accurate, instead he manipulates the story to share.

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Catanduanes State UniversityCollege of Health Sciences

Department of NursingVirac, Catanduanes

(Reaction Paper for A Rose for Emily)

Submitted by:

MARIA TERESA Q. DELA ROSA

BSN-3B

Submitted to:

VERONICA GIANAN

Professor