...A Rose for Emily Author: William Faulkner Plot: The story is broken down in 5 sections. In section I, the narrator recalls the time of Emily Grierson’s death and how the entire town attended her funeral in her home, which no stranger had entered for more than ten years. Colonel Sartoris, the town’s previous mayor, had suspended Emily’s tax responsibilities to the town after her father’s death, justifying the action by claiming that Mr. Grierson had once lent the community a significant sum. As new town leaders take over, they make unsuccessful attempts to get Emily to resume payments. When members of the Board of Aldermen pay her a visit, in the dusty and antiquated parlor, Emily reasserts the fact that she is not required to pay taxes in Jefferson and that the officials should talk to Colonel Sartoris about the matter. However, at that point he has been dead for almost a decade. She asks her servant, Tobe, to show the men out. Section II: the narrator describes a time thirty years earlier when Emily resists another official inquiry on behalf of the town leaders, when the townspeople detect a powerful odor emanating from her property. Her father has just died, and Emily has been abandoned by the man whom the townsfolk believed Emily was to marry. As complaints mount, Judge Stevens, the mayor at the time, decides to have lime sprinkled along the foundation of the Grierson home in the middle of the night. Within a couple of weeks, the odor subsides, but the townspeople begin...
Words: 853 - Pages: 4
...My nomination for best short story will be “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. The reason I selected this is my interest in the Civil War era. This short story is intriguing by the use of changing the chronological order to hold the reader’s attention. The story is broken into five sections and each section has the reader wondering what Ms. Emily Grierson has done. The use of Homer Barron schemes the reader into believing that the two had fallen in love with each other, even though in the end, Homer was poisoned by Emily. The setting of the short story is the historical Mississippi southern town after the civil war. Emily is the protagonist of the story, while Homer is the antagonist. Homer is a northerner or outsider and is seen in the town as someone trying to take over the town. The third element is the point of view, which is the ghostly view of the narrator of the story (Klien, 2007). The use of the characters, historical setting and point of view provide the reader interest of what the plot will...
Words: 998 - Pages: 4
...300 December 10, 2014 A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner A Rose for Emily written by William Faulkner captures the life of a wealthy woman coping with life after the death of a loved one. Death is an indescribable feeling that can cause pain, anger, and sorrow for almost everyone. Early on in the story, Emily’s father passes away leaving her with all of these emotions concealed on the inside. After her father’s death Emily was left alone to grieve which caused her to react to his death in an unusual manner eventually leading to a state of depression. Emily barricades herself in her home away from the outside world for a long period of time trying to cope with her loss, but it seems as if life has moved on without her. Once she emerges from her home, it is like she is trapped in the past. Emily no longer has a sense of place and time. Emily finally finds happiness in a man by the name of Homer, but because of her family’s status in the community it causes a rift between Emily and herself on whether to keep him around or not. This caused Emily to go into a deeper depression, hiding from the world once again. Although death is a reoccurring theme in the story, it is not the only thing that has critics striving to understand the story even further. For starters, the title of the story has one scholar by the name of Laura Getty extremely interested because Faulkner does not come right out and say why he titled this story “A Rose for Emily.” It is almost as if one has...
Words: 2577 - Pages: 11
...For example, in the beginning of “A Rose for Emily,” Faulkner uses the pronoun “we” without clarification, then changes to “they,” again without clarification. Nebeker discusses that the subjects change from the old generation, which is a representation of the old Southern ideologies, to the new generation, which is a representation of the new Northern ideologies. In addition to Nebeker, Palmer agrees that “Faulkner uses partial and flawed subjects who demonstrate their own inadequacy in the face of the forces of history (Palmer 121)” Palmer is referring to the abstract subjects, like the old and new generations Falkner alludes to, that are flawed in ideologies and have existed in history. This excerpt, “So she vanquished them, horse and foot,...
Words: 1714 - Pages: 7
...James C Vincent II Mr. Purkiss English Comp II 27 February 12 Understanding What Symbolizes “A Rose for Emily” “A Rose for Emily” is a short story written by William Faulkner. Faulkner wrote this story back after the Civil War. Faulkner uses Emily Grierson as a timeless symbol that refuses to change with the world. Emily is a representation of a dying tradition. The Southern states were also going through a change because of all the reconstructing of communities. She lived after the Civil war. Emily’s family was always the ones who thought they were better. With her isolating herself from the outside world she was left behind in the constant change of the community. “A Rose for Emily” in a whole symbolized how the old South was in the early 1900s. Many objects in this story symbolize time, which has changed. Emily represented time and tradition. There are three things that symbolize time and tradition in Emily’s life, her house, social life and her environment. Emily’s house is a key part in understanding how she symbolizes tradition. Emily’s family was the closes thing to aristocracy in the whole town. Her house was a reflection of her. It was hideous to the New South. Even though communities changed around her, Emily’s house was a monument of a decaying South. Her house represents symbols of time also. Her house stayed the same for years until she died. The communities advanced and Emily’s house aged just like she did. Her house was even bad to look at. An example...
Words: 935 - Pages: 4
...A Close Reading of William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” portrays itself as sort of a gothic sort of story. The elements of a gothic novel are meant to fashion a sense of trepidation, obscurity and unknown, which are vital in creating compelling stories. It has its fill of suspense and madness throughout its entirety, resulting in fastidious conventions in its type of writing structure, characterization, point of view, theme, and setting. Gothic novels are also known to contain an element of romance, which are often exaggerated to the extremes. I would say that the main point of view of this selected passage comes from an unknown narrator, told in the first person, who clearly is a resident of the town of Jefferson and knows the little-known life of the protagonist, Miss Emily. The “they” that is in the second sentence refers to the group of townsfolk who arrived at her house. The emotions of the crowd are a mixture of respectful condolences and curiosity. The men are present merely out of respect, giving off an air they only attend because it is an expected behavior and not because she was popular in the community. The women go out of curiosity to see the inside of the house. There certainly seems to be a general consensus among the group that she was living almost a secret life which was clearly meant to stay that way. The phrase “would have to be forced” makes it clear the group is anxious about finding out what has been kept from the...
Words: 1790 - Pages: 8
...fantasy from reality, cannot conduct her/his affairs due to psychosis, and are subjectable to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. (Howes) When the world of Emily Grierson is taken away from her in the blink of an eye she copes the only way she can, through the past. Insanity can drive you to the point of no return. In the short story A Rose for Emily, Miss Emily Grierson is a subject to her father and continues to be even after his death. Lost in her mind of delusions Emily Grierson takes actions to keep her life the way it was and does the unthinkable and finds surrogate to take place of her father.! ! For every strong man there is a flaw in them that can ruin a person. Faulkner wrote of the father/daughter relationship for a specific reason, as if to give the readers a view of her past and to see what may have sparked the flame of insanity. Through the narrator’s point of view Faulkner portrayed their relationship through the eyes of the people by saying; “None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such. We had long thought of them as a tableau, Miss Emily a slender figure in white in the background, her father a sprawled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and clutching a horsewhip, the two of them framed by the back-flung front door” (Faulkner). As the viewers of the story read this they realize Emily didn’t get to embrace the normal life of a young woman, she didn’t get to interact with men, and she wasn’t married at the time although she was “thirty...
Words: 1399 - Pages: 6
...Writing about Literature COM1102 10 October 2015 "A ROSE FOR EMILY" Visual vs. Reading William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is a short gothic horror story that has also been adapted into a short film. Both story and film have been largely debated, with a plethora of opinions. Faulkner’s lack of normal chronology and situation-triggered memories generates a story that has many interpretations among its readers, but surprises everyone at the end. When asked about the title of his story, Faulkner said," [The title] was an allegorical title; the meaning was, here was a woman who had 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." (Faulkner, William 1966 ;) He gave a humble explanation, for such a complex story. The film portrays the story straight forward, and leaves nothing left to the imagination. Death and transformation are the main theme in Faulkner’s short story, being a sign of the crumbling of the Old South after their military defeat by the North, as Emily’s suggested necrophilia echoes the desire to hang on to the past and its traditions. Through flashbacks and foreshadowing, Faulkner addresses the struggle of traditional versus progress in the city of Jefferson. The south being a region bound by history and tradition, class and social influence, Emily represents, to generations before and after her, old...
Words: 1780 - Pages: 8
...A rose for Emily In his short story, “A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner intends to convey a message to his audience about the unwillingness in human nature to accept change and more specifically the secretive tendencies of aristocrats in the South during the early 20th century. In order to do this, Faulkner sets up a story in which he isolates and old aristocratic woman, Miss Emily, from her fellow townspeople and proceeds to juxtapose her lifestyle with theirs. In doing this he demonstrates her stubborn refusal to change along with the town, but also Among several literary devices the author employs to achieve this contrast, Faulkner sets up his narrator as a seemingly reliable, impartial and knowledgeable member of the community in which Miss Emily lives by using a first person plural, partially omniscient point of view. The narrator is present for all of the scenes that take place in the story, but does not play any role in the events, and speaks for the town as a whole. Faulkner immediately sets up his narrator as a member of the community in the first line of the story, saying that when Miss Emily died “our whole town went to her funeral.” Although it’s never directly explained, it appears as though the narrator is an older member of the town. This is demonstrated in statements like “the next generation, with its more modern ideas;” because the narrator does not say “with our more modern ideas” he makes it clear that he is not one of the younger members of the community...
Words: 855 - Pages: 4
...Analysis A Rose for Emily: William Faulkner William Faulkner first published “A Rose for Emily” in 1930; however, this short story resides in a small southern town during the post-Civil War period. During this age in time, the Unites States was going through major political changes. But Ms. Emily was not ready for change. Faulkner uses repugnant imagery and a unique narration style to explore a woman’s inability to cope with death and change throughout the community and within herself (Perry 40). Growing up in the Grierson family, Emily knew her family was powerful and popular, and she was fortunate enough to live surrounded by love and luxury. Emily’s father loved her dearly and only wanted the best for her, but most of the time he was a little over protective and perceived to control his daughter’s life. He felt as if no man could ever be good enough for his one and only. The Griersons were definitely different from every other household in the small southern town of Jefferson, and Emily’s father made sure everyone knew of this. Since Emily’s father was a tyrant throughout her life, she rarely got the chance to enjoy anything outside of the Grierson residence (Watkins 509). The early agony that Emily had to tolerate created a permanent emotional cripple to her life. Emily most likely did not have a concrete idea of how a real family should function and cooperate, especially with the absence of a mother figure. Other than the Grierson family servants, Emily lived isolated...
Words: 1897 - Pages: 8
...A Rose for Emily The short story, “A Rose for Emily”, written by William Faulkner, tells the life of Emily Grierson. Emily is a woman unable to grip the tragedies of life. The story flips back and forth in time, which makes the story unclear to readers. The author starts the story at the funeral of Emily Grierson. The story takes place in the South, during the Civil War and a period of racial discrimination. The author shows how Emily and her family were well established in the town. But due to the changes during this time period, they were forced into a lifestyle they were not accustom to. Emily struggled with this because the Grierson family thought of themselves as being higher than the other people in town. The author also expressed the loneliness and selfishness of Emily through her actions after her father’s death. Rather than telling the towns people her father had died she protested that her father was indeed alive. After accepting her father’s death, Emily became a loner, distracting herself from reality. The author also shows how the racial discrimination of that time period. Tobe is referred to as a manservant in this story. Tobe is only seen going and coming the Grierson’s home to the market. Tobe does not speak and even disappears at the end of the story, after Emily’s death. This shows the degree of racial discrimination during these times. Tobe along with other blacks during this time were servants and were taught to serve and not be heard. The author portrayed...
Words: 328 - Pages: 2
...Comparing Short Stories: A Rose for Emily and The Yellow Wallpaper Both Emily from Faulkner's A Rose for Emily and the female narrator from Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper experience extreme internal dramas. The women's internal conflicts cause both characters to lose sight of sanity and react in odd and different ways. These gothic tales both present ideas of women subornation, tradition, and the power of death. Nevertheless, they do so in different ways, and with very different stories. Both stories contain timely examples of women subornation with men overpowering and belittling their counterparts. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator is a prisoner, and simply remains a second class citizen. Treated as a child, locked away in a room, her...
Words: 555 - Pages: 3
...Virac, Catanduanes Reaction Paper A Rose for Emily Submitted by: Sheila Mae T. Tapar BSN 3A Submitted to: Mrs. Victoria Gianan Professor I. Summary/Synopsis A Rose for Emily" is a short story by American author William Faulkner first published in the April 30, 1930 issue of Forum. This story takes place in Faulkner's fictional city, Jefferson, Mississippi, in the fictional county of Yoknapatawpha County. It was Faulkner's first short story published in a national magazine. Faulkner explained the reason for his choice of the title as: [The title] was 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 story is told in nonlinear narrative and begins at the huge funeral for Miss Emily Grierson. Nobody has been to her house in ten years, except for her black servant. Her house is old, but was once the best house around. The town had a special relationship with Miss Emily ever since it decided to stop billing her for taxes in 1894. But, the "newer generation" wasn't happy with this arrangement, and so they paid a visit to Miss Emily and tried to get her to pay the debt. She refused to acknowledge that the old arrangement might not work anymore, and flatly refused to pay. Thirty years before, the tax collecting townspeople had a strange encounter with Miss Emily about a bad smell at her place. This was...
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
...William Faulkner was a great short story writer whose literature has withstood the test of time. “A Rose for Emily” is one of his better know pieces that can be interpreted in many different ways. The theme one connects with after reading the story depends on the reader’s view of the writer and the writing itself. Many people look at the story as a love story in which a woman is unable to let go of her lover and only wants to preserve him like a rose. Letting go was difficult for the women and holding on was easier. She did what she had to do to preserve her love for her lover even if it was against the town’s laws. The time period in which this short story was written is also important when critically analyzing the writing and the writer’s purpose and theme. During the time that Faulkner wrote this story, he was greatly in debt and seeking ways to become financially stable. He wrote this story not knowing that it would be his first published work and bring him wealth and recognition. It was first published in 1930 but covers the time periods of 1861-1933. This was a very critical time in American history. During this time period, the South was fighting for their livelihood, slavery against the North. They were trying so desperate to hold on to what had held their southern cotton economy together. They felt that the federal government had no power over the states especially their slavery supported economy. They did everything to hold on to their culture but eventually war was...
Words: 1776 - Pages: 8
...entails. This is no less true in southern gothic writing and in the writings of William Faulkner. Published on April 30, 1930 in a major magazine at the time, Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” showcases the life of Ms. Emily Grierson, a local townswoman, and is captured in a mysterious and eventually horrific context that allows the reader to understand the sadness and morbid side of death. The story is a set in a southern context that Faulkner knew all too well and contains implications of contrasts between northern and southern society. Faulkner uses many different elements in this work to portray death in its entire grotesque and horrifying splendor. Particularly, Faulkner uses two certain elements to accomplish this task. Faulkner successfully conveys the theme of the power of death in “A Rose for Emily” by incorporating the use of the literary elements of foreshadowing and narrative voice. Faulkner’s use of foreshadowing works to reveal the theme of death in this work rather well. The story is divided into five different passages, each detailing a progression towards death – the end of Emily Grierson’s life. Just by listening to Faulkner’s tone in the first sentence and throughout the rest of the work, the reader can easily determine there is a definite presence of foreshadowing: “When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral: the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see...
Words: 1677 - Pages: 7
