Insanity in A Rose for Emily

1248 Words3 Pages

The author, William Faulkner, has a collection of books, short stories, and poems under his name. Through his vast collection of works, Faulkner attempts to discuss and bring awareness to numerous aspects of life. More often than not, his works were created to reflect aspects of life found within the south. Family dynamics, race, gender, social class, war, incest, racism, suicide, necrophilia, and mental illness are just some of the aspects that Faulkner explored. In “A Rose for Emily” the aspects of necrophilia and mental illness along with the societal biases that were observed in a small-town setting are seen to be a part of this captivating story. These aspects ultimately intertwine with the idea of insanity that characterizes “A Rose for Emily.
Insanity is a medically diagnosed disease that shows that a person is incapable of acknowledging what is right from what is wrong. There are many contributing factors that may lead a person to become insane. Some of these factors include inherited traits, environmental exposures before birth, negative life experiences, and brain chemistry.Inherited traits can lead to insanity because genes that cause such disorders can be passed down amongst relatives and family members. Environmental exposures before birth refers to an unborn child being exposed to viruses, bacteria or even toxins inside the womb, that can be linked to one’s mental illness. Negative life experiences such as the loss of a loved one, experiencing financial problems and being involved in highly stressful situations can play a big role in triggering the mental illnesses or mental breakdowns. Changes in the efficiency of one’s neurotransmitters, whether sensory receptors obtain signals correctly and fluctuations in hormo...

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...y of Homer Barron was found in the locked room. Well that was what she used to kill the man she thought to have loved. Her fear of abandonment mix with her already messed up head, is what led her to commit those heinous acts. Evidence showed that she also slept next to Homer’s corpse based on the facts that there was an indentation on the second pillow with grey hair found on top of it. It is obvious that the stuff done by Emily, someone who is sane would not have done that.

Works Cited

Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. Print.
"The History of Mental Illness: From "Skull Drills" to "Happy Pills"" RSS. Web. 09 Apr. 2014. .
"Mental Illness." Causes. Web. 09 Apr. 2014. .

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