A Rose for Emily

Historically, the Grierson name was one of the most respected names in Jefferson. Throughout his lifetime, Mr. Grierson played various roles in the community to further the reputation of his name and to earn his family a great deal of honor. He also, however, had and air of superiority about him. His attitude toward women, as evident in the treatment of his daughter, reflects his old-fashioned ways and his inability, or his lack of desire, to move on into the future. Throughout Miss Emily’s childhood, her father believed that “none of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily.” Mr. Grierson did not allow his grown daughter, even at the age of thirty, to make her own decisions.

Miss Emily Up Close In the short story of A Rose for Emily, the main character illustrates a disturbed individual that doesn't want to separate herself from a deceased loved one. Everyone knows what its like to loose a loved one, but the town of Jefferson had no idea how hard Emily had taken death until they unraveled her deep, dark secret. People knew what it must have been like to be Emily. They knew the type of life she had lived and felt bad for the way her father had kept her all cooped up and sheltered away from any man. They also knew her father had felt that no man was good enough for her.

In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” he uses many literary elements to portray the life of Emily and the town of Jefferson. The theme of the past versus the present is in a sense the story of Miss Emily’s life. Miss Emily is the representation of the Old South versus the New South, mainly because of her inability to interact with the present or come to terms with reality. Holding onto the past and rejecting change into the present led Miss Emily into a life of isolation and mental issues. Miss Emily’s refusal to change all started when her father had passed away and when asked about it she was in denial and “she told them her father was not dead.” She didn’t want to come to the realization that the only person in her life that loved her and protected her was gone.

In her fathers eyes Emily was the last to continue their “noblesse oblige” duty as a Grierson. I believe that Emily couldn’t escape her family’s fate because of her father and her townspeople. Even if Emily wanted to shed the family reputation, she couldn’t. The town would never have accepted her as anything, but a “Grierson.” Even as the generations change, Emily’s family reputation is still known. Years of solitude couldn’t change her reputation.

Logan falls short of fulfilling that dream as he isolates her from the community, leaving her with no voice whatsoever. Realizing her marriage lacks love and compassion which she longs for, Janie comes to understand that her relationship with Logan will not last long .Not only does Janie’s marriage to Logan stifle any hopes of exp... ... middle of paper ... ...disrespect from Tea Cake. She threatens him, saying if he leaves her again without her permission she will “kill yuh” (124). Within Janie’s past marriages her husbands treat her comparable to a slave and isolate her from the community. Even though her voice is still developing, she will not allow her husband to show her contempt.

Ismene, Antigone's sister, refuses to help Antigone because (as she states) "I have no strength to break laws that wer... ... middle of paper ... ...rmine the right of a character. In Antigone, Antigone uses the power of her family name to go against the wish of the King in order to simply give her brother a proper burial. In A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner shows the vast influence a father can have on his daughter. Even though he is dead, his strong dominating presence is still very much alive in Emily. The topic of birthright in both stories is apparent in that Antigone goes against the common way only because of who she is, and Emily hides herself from society because she does not know any other way to live.

Cordelia proving her l... ... middle of paper ... ...ways kept suffering with a daily reminder that he was not worthy of being a son and only so by law. Cordelia’s death was caused because she never stopped loving her father and still felt the need to protect even after all that had happened. So her love for him in the end was the reason she went back to help him but that was when Edmund himself had her captured and hung. As for Edmund, the cause for his death was the lack of love in his life that leads him to become the bitter, vindictive person he was. Who in the end created his own death?

After years of abandonment, an absent man presumed to be Martin Guerre appeared in front of a woman who longed for a strong love and different husband. An “obstinate and honorable” woman could no... ... middle of paper ... ... Martin’s identity was questioned. Bertrande did not intend to stray from the truths and beliefs she was raised with. After dealing with devastating events and conforming to society’s approach of being a widower and single mother the vulnerability of being alone broke her. Whether it was Bertrande’s selfishness or naivety to be accepted by the community, her good name and reputation was soiled.

Janie’s relationship with Logan was exactly the opposite of her ideal type of relationship; not only did he treat her as if she was worthless because she refused to work for him, but the overall marriage was totally devoid... ... middle of paper ... ...t a bloom clearly is an underdeveloped blossom, hinting that Janie’s concept of love might have evolved. However, it is important to note that from the start, Janie knew Joe was not her ideal spouse (29), she was just looking for a change from Logan. After Tea Cake dies, Janie tells an old friend that “love is lak de sea” and that it is a moving, ever changing entity that is “different with every shore [that it meets]” (191). One can only hope that love can be as beautiful as the relationship Janie and Tea Cake shared. Works Cited "Feminism."

An Explication of “forgiving my father” When I first read “Forgiving My Father,” by Lucille Clifton, I was confused about the meaning of the poem. I thought that it was going to be about her forgiving her father, but I never noticed her actually forgiving her father. By analyzing the overall message, the diction, and the structure of “forgiving my father,” I realized that she never did forgive her father. Although she tried to forgive him, there was too much hate, and eventually she walks away from his grave. The diction that Clifton uses in the poem is very interesting.