Rose For Emily Timeline

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Recommended: Characteristics of southern gothic literature

One of the things that makes “A Rose for Emily” such a classic short story is Faulkner’s use of a fractured timeline. The story being written in non-chronological order affects the readers perception by creating suspense, anticipation, and by viewing Miss Emily’s own perception of life. “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 the inside of her house, gothic no one save an old Negro manservant – a combined gardener and cook – had seen in at least ten years” (pg451). “A Rose for Emily” evokes the terms southern gothic and grotesque the general tone being gloom, terror, and understated violence. Faulkner captures these forms through: a decaying mansion, a corpse, a murderer, and a mysterious servant who disappears. …show more content…

Suspense began in the first paragraph when it says people went to her funeral. “…. the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house which no one…..had seen in at least ten years,” (pg451). This indicated Emily’s lack of friends and family first of all, since no one actually went to mourn her loss, this makes you wonder in suspense because did she not have relationships with anyone since she lived there so long. This all creates suspense and excitement for the reader so the anticipate certain things that happen and continuously wonders what will happen next making the reader constantly change his/her perception of the

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