A Rose for Emily
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Transcript of A Rose for Emily
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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
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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