Emily’s Downward Spiral: An Analysis of “A Rose for Emily” In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily,” the main character of the story is Miss Emily Grierson. To analyze and examine her character, it is almost impossible not to look at the psychological aspect of it. Through the narrative of Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” Miss Emily’s behavior and character is revealed as outright strange from any average standard of characters. A few days after they lay Miss Emily’s body to rest, the townspeople of Jefferson come to Grierson’s home to open one particular room upstairs, which has not been seen or entered into for the past several years. Miss Emily has kept this room closed from others for at least 40 years. When the door finally breaks open, the townspeople are completely shocked in disbelief at the sight right in front of their eyes saying, “For a while we just stood there looking at the profound and fleshless grin” (36). In an advanced state of decay, there lies Homer Baron’s body in bed, and on the chair are his neatly folded suit and two mute shoes – garments and items ready for an upcoming wedding. The onlookers comment that the room is “frozen in time” (37). Next to his corpse is a pillow with an indentation of a head where a strand of Miss Emily’s gray hair is found. Conclusion: Miss Emily had been living and sleeping with a dead body for many years. What caused Miss Emily’s bizarre behavior? Alive, the community regards the Grierson’s as a “hereditary obligation” upon the town (32). Miss Emily lived in a once upscale neighborhood set in a once most select street in town. She comes from a family of great wealth in their small southern community. The townspeople have always believed that Emily’s family th... ... middle of paper ... ...coping mechanism. The real theme of Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is about the pressures of society and the ways in which they can bring people down. Miss Emily is short of adaptive coping skills to help her deal with huge stressors and for this reason, she is susceptible to the onset of mental illness. Works Cited American Psychiatric Association. Quick Reference to the Diagnostic Criteria from DSM IV. Washington: American Psychiatric Association, 1994. McLeod, Saul. "Defense Mechanisms." - Simply Psychology. N.p., 2008. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. Smith, Melinda, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. "Coping with Grief and Loss." : Support for Grieving and Bereavement. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. Smith, Nicole. "Psychological Character Analysis of Miss Emily in “A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner." Article Myriad. N.p., 06 Dec. 2011. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is a story that uses flashbacks to foreshadow a surprise ending. The story begins with the death of a prominent old woman, Emily, and finishes with the startling discovery that Emily as been sleeping with the corpse of her lover, whom she murdered, for the past forty years. The middle of the story is told in flashbacks by a narrator who seems to represent the collective memory of an entire town. Within these flashbacks, which jump in time from ten years past to forty years past, are hidden clues which prepare the reader for the unexpected ending, such as hints of Emily's insanity, her odd behavior concerning the deaths of loved ones, and the evidence that the murder took place.
William Faulkner’s "A Rose for Emily" is perhaps his most famous and most anthologized short story. From the moment it was first published in 1930, this story has been analyzed and criticized by both published critics and the causal reader. The well known Literary critic and author Harold Bloom suggest that the story is so captivating because of Faulkner’s use of literary techniques such as "sophisticated structure, with compelling characterization, and plot" (14). 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. Faulkner develops the character Miss Emily and the events in her life to not only tell a rich and shocking story, but to also portray his view on the South’s plight after the Civil War. Miss Emily becomes the canvas in which he paints the customs and traditions of the Old South or antebellum era. The story “A Rose For Emily” becomes symbolic of the plight of the South as it struggles to face change with Miss Emily becoming the tragic heroin of the Old South.
Nebeker, Helen E. "" Emily's Rose of Love: Thematic Implication of Point of View in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"." Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association. 1. Vol. 24. March 1970. Bulletin. 19 April 2014. .
"A Rose for Emily" is a fictional short story written by 1949 Nobel Prize winner William Faulkner. Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is about an aristocratic woman who lived a very secretive and unusual life. Miss Emily had always been very sheltered by her father. He was the only man in her life and after his death, her behavior became even more unnatural. However her father's death cannot be seen as the only cause of Miss Emily's insanity. Miss Emily's behavior was also influenced by her own expectations of herself, the townspeople's lack of authority over her, and her neighbor's infatuation with her.
In his short story, “A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner gives us a picture of female identity from a male point of view, showing compassion and forgiveness for his central character. Intriguingly, the writer uses the word “rose” in the title even though a rose does not exist in any part of his story; it has highly symbolic implications. Usually, the rose symbolizes love but in this case, it expresses a sympathetic attitude of society towards Emily. In reference to this story, Faulkner, in his interviews never admitted that the roses symbolized love. The story also focuses on the psychological exploration of the interior female world. Faulkner depicts the alienation of one repressed and isolated female in the South of the United States after the Civil War. Many themes might be explored in this short story, but a special interest is the focus on struggling to find love and the social interaction of a repressed female. The repression and isolation in the old Southern society causes degradation and dehumanization of Emily’s personality.
Emily came from a well to do family that had alot of history in the town. The Grierson's were so powerful, Emily did not have to pay taxes. The whole townspeople seemed to think taht they were snobby because in Emily's father's eyes, none of the men were quite good enough for Emily. Unfortunately, Emily turned out to be a lonely old woman because of her father's influence.
Kurtz, Elizabeth Carney. "Faulkner's 'A Rose for Emily'". Explicator. Heldref Publications. 44.2 (1986): 40. Academic Search Complete. Blinn College, Bryan, Lib. 18 Oct. 2007
A Rose for Emily Characterization refers to the techniques a writer uses to develop characters. In the story A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner uses characterization to reveal the character of Miss Emily. He expresses the content of her character through physical description, through her actions, words, and feelings, through a narrator's direct comments about the character's nature, and through the actions, words, and feelings, of other characters. Faulkner best uses characterization to examine the theme of the story, too much pride can end in homicidal madness. Miss Emily, the main character of this story, lives for many years as a recluse, someone who has withdrawn from a community to live in seclusion.
In the story of “A Rose for Emily” a lady who is suspected to be mentally unstable raises suspicion through her actions which foreshadow her mental instability. Throughout the story “ A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner scatters the past, present, and future by talking about her family background, inability to determine the past from the present, and her interactions with the community to foreshadow her mental instability. Emily’s family background helps to foreshadow her mental state. Emily keeping her father's body in her house shows her unusual attachment to her father and foreshadows her mental state.
William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” displays themes of alienation and isolation. Emily Grierson’s own father is found to be the root of many of her problems. Faulkner writes Emily’s character as one who is isolated from the people of her town. Her isolation from society and alienation from love is what ultimately drives her to madness.
In “A Rose For Emily”, by William Faulkner, plot plays an important role in how
William Faulkner, one of the most famed writers of our times, explores in his writing the themes of alienation and isolation. He interweaves these themes with his female characters. In A Rose for Emily, Miss Emily Grierson is a woman who is alienated and lives in isolation from the people in her town. The theme of isolation is the focal point of the story, since it is what drove her to her madness.
In “A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner, Emily Geierson is a woman that faces many difficulties throughout her lifetime. Emily Geierson was once a cheerful and bright lady who turned mysterious and dark through a serious of tragic events. The lost of the two men, whom she loved, left Emily devastated and in denial. Faulkner used these difficulties to define Emily’s fascinating character that is revealed throughout the short story. William Faulkner uses characterization in “A Rose for Emily”, to illustrate Miss Emily as a stubborn, overly attached, and introverted woman.
Faulkner, William. "A Rose For Emily." The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. Ed. Michael Meyer. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2008. 91-99. Print.
In the short story “A Rose for Emily” written by William Faulkner, Emily, the protagonist, is shown as someone who’s life is falling apart and brought down by society. Emily in this story could be described as a victim to society and her father. Emily Grierson’s confinement, loss of her father and Homer, and constant criticism caused her, her insanity.