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The Unexpected Turns In Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

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An interesting story leaves readers wondering what will happen next. If the plot of a story is too predictable, it is easily forgotten. The stories that are best remembered are those with unexpected turns. “A Rose for Emily” is a story that balances the unexpected with mystery. At times, not much information is given, but what is given can be completely unforeseen. The unexpected turns in "A Rose for Emily" make the story better for the reader by making the plot more enticing. The beginning of the story is mostly as expected. Faulkner introduces Emily and her background, as well as the town’s feelings towards her. The first unexpected occurrence in the story would be the strange smell. “So she vanquished them, horse and foot, just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell” (Faulkner 2). The nonlinear storytelling within “A Rose for Emily” gives the reader no insight into what could possibly be the cause of the smell. The questions arisen by this first unexpected turn lead a reader to continue reading to find answers. …show more content…
The narrator's feelings at this point in the story are mixed, but despite the story’s beginning, they are mostly hopeful, which can, again, be attributed to the nonlinear styling. This hope is why the next turn within the story, Emily purchasing Arsenic, is so unexpected.
The druggist looked down at her. She looked back at him, erect, her face like a strained flag. "Why, of course," the druggist said. "If that's what you want. But the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for." (Faulkner

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