Analysis Of William Faulkner 's A Rose For Emily

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

“A rose for Emily” was published in 1930 by William Faulkner, it’s about a lady named Emily. Her father dies, and she thinks he's still alive, and doesn't want people to take his body away. Enough time later, they came to take his body. “After a week or so, the smell went away”. Everyone thought her and her lover-and her former, “boyfriend” -Homer- would sure get married one day. But Homer wasn't planning on staying with Emily much longer. And Emily thought of a way so she could be with him for a long time..

Symbol: A person, place, or thing in a narrative that suggests meanings beyond its literal sense. A symbol usually contains multiple meanings and associations (Kennedy and Gioia G30).

In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner uses symbolism, imagery, simile and tone. Faulkner uses these elements to lead his characters to an epiphany of letting go of out-dated traditions and customs. The resistance to change and loneliness are prominent themes within “A Rose for Emily”. Faulkner uses “A Rose for Emily” to caution his readers that things are not always what they appear to be.

When a person has only been taught dysfunctional love, it is all too often that this is the only kind of love they will ever experience. In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner explores an unorthodox relationship between an aristocratic southern lady named Miss Emily Grierson, and a blue-collar northern fellow named Homer Barron. The narrator, who likely represents the townspeople, describes Miss Emily’s unusual father in detail. Because of this illuminating description, the reader is able to begin to understand the strange dynamic Mr. Grierson and his daughter share. The story reveals how an over-controlling parent can negatively

In “A Rose for Emily” author William Faulkner, uses the literary element, point of view, to show the town’s feelings as it reacts to the events surrounding Miss Emily, create a suspenseful tone, and convey the theme that oppression can cause someone to reach their breaking point.

The years following the Civil War brought about a change in Southern life. Many of the wealthy white families who owned plantations, slaves and vast material wealthy had been all but destroyed by the war. And with the dismantling of slavery, many aspects of the South's longstanding socioeconomic arrangement began to slip away. For many of the demographics that enjoyed the racially-driven hierarchy, the changes that carried over into the early 20th century were especially difficult to accept. This is the shifting context into which we enter William Faulkner's first published short story. In 1930's "A Rose for Emily," the title character represents this incapacity to adapt in a most disturbing way. For Emily, the setting is at once a bygone South in which her family was part of an aristocracy, and simultaneously, a gradually modernizing Jefferson, Mississippi within which Emily cannot seem to survive. Ultimately, the protagonist is a figure that has been deeply wounded by socially constructed forces that are largely beyond her comprehension and therefore has retreated from the setting composed by reality into a suspended state within the walls of her decaying estate.

William Faulkner has done a wonderful work in his essay “A Rose for Emily.” Faulkner uses symbols, settings, character development, and other literary devices to express the life of Emily and the behavior of the people of Jefferson town towards her. By reading the essay, the audience cannot really figure out who the narrator is. It seems like the narrator can be the town’s collective voice. The fact that the narrator uses collective pronoun we supports the theory that the narrator is describing the life of “Miss Emily” on behalf of the townspeople. Faulkner has used the flashback device in his essay to make it more interesting. The story begins with the portrayal of Emily’s funeral and it moves to her past and at the end the readers realize that the funeral is a flashback as well. The story starts with the death of Miss Emily when he was seventy-four years old and it takes us back when she is a young and attractive girl.

While a “Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor share the common themes of unexpected death and the old south, the murders found in each story are vastly different. Both stories tell of strong female protagonists who don’t cope well with change and both foreshadow death right from the beginning, but the murderers themselves come from completely different worlds.

In “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, set in Jackson Mississippi in the year of 1931, there are many occurrences of foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is defined as a warning or indication of a future event. Faulkner uses multiple foreshadowing events in this Nobel Prize Winning story to build up to the shocking last sentence. Some of these occurrences include Miss Emily’s smelly house, when she purchases arsenic from the druggist, the purchase of toiletries and clothing for her sweetheart, and her upstairs being locked for many years. This short story is meant to be a horror, although throughout the story most would not be able to tell. Faulkner uses these foreshadowing occurrences to push the reader towards the horrific ending.

In William Faulkner 's short story "A Rose for Emily" the reader is given the account of an old woman who is rejected by society. The reader is acquainted with Miss Emily Grierson by a spectator, somebody who is not Miss Emily, but rather part of the town that rejects her. The storyteller has a somewhat omniscient perspective, knowing more than the normal town 's individual, however not all that matters there is to think about Miss Emily. The storyteller is available for the greater part of the scene, however never assumes a noteworthy part which would have him talk or do anything critical. William Faulkner purposely composes the story in this design to indicate precisely how

Most of the time, an object can represent multiple things. In the United States the Bald eagle represents freedom. It symbolizes freedom, because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks. Our soldiers fight for our freedom today. Symbolism explains an object more clearly and it goes beyond the meaning. Colors can also be a symbol. The United States flag has three colors and they all represent something different. White represents purity and innocence. Red stands for hardiness and valor. Blue signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice. If the flag is flown half-staff it represents respect, mourning, or distress.

William Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily” begins and ends with death. The death of Miss Emily Grierson, the main character in the short story that takes on the role of a person with an abnormal personality. The narrator tells the tale of Miss Emily’s life following her departure at age seventy four. Although, Miss Emily lived a long life she remained secluded for decades without any human contact. Miss Emily’s mental health is certainly a questionable matter considering the life she leads in this fictional short story. “Human beings have enormous potential to strive toward a higher plane of emotional life” (Brenton 2). With this being said individuals who encounter chronic stress and lack the basic human relationships compromise their mental health. By examining Miss Emily’s mental status, behavior, interactions and personal relationships, it is possible she would have been diagnosed with a form of mental illness according to today’s standards.

The “Rose” in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” we learn about a beautiful and elegant woman named Emily Grierson. She grew up with a controlling father who chased away all of her suitors, leaving her hungry for love. She soon meets a Northerner, whom she falls in love with and goes through desperate measures to keep him, driven by her jealousy.

In a long critical analysis, Terry Heller asserts that although Faulkner’s emphasizes the difficulty of accepting change, they are other ideals that influence the way this short story is perceived. Heller argues that since the publication of this story, Miss Emily Grierson has either been sympathized or hated by the readers. He descriptively comments how the townspeople claimed to feel sympathy towards Emily but in reality never reached out to her to help her overcome her loses. Heller mentions that Faulkner highlights “what the town [felt], the things the town [said], [believed], and [did],” in order to help the reader realize that they are incorrect about the assumptions they make concerning Emily. Heller claims that the town’s actions reveal