Compare And Contrast A Rose For Emily

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is a short story that describes the tradition and how it implements people through the idea of death. The protagonist Emily gave into the concept of death the minute her father passed away. Death prevented Emily from pursuing the greater things in life. On the long run, she died of a broken heart because of her father's death and regret. Faulkner presents an argument based of feminism and the nature of broken women. This short story covers the significance of the pursuing of happiness. Emily Garrison struggles to maintain her tradition and the rich status of her family in her small community. However, time change and Emily become a disgrace to her community when she was not married about the age of thirty.

Desperation for love arising from detachment can lead to extreme measures and destructive actions as exhibited by the tumultuous relationships of Miss Emily in William Faulkner's “A Rose for Emily” (rpt. in Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson, Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 9th ed. [Boston: Wadsworth, 2006] 556). Miss Emily is confined from society for the majority of her life by her father, so after he has died, she longs for relations that ironically her longing destroys. The despondency and obsession exuded throughout the story portray the predicament at hand.

"A Rose for Emily" is a wonderful short story written by William Faulkner. It begins with at the end of Miss Emily’s life and told from an unknown person who most probably would be the voice of the town. Emily Grierson is a protagonist in this story and the life of her used as an allegory about the changes of a South town in Jefferson after the civil war, early 1900's. Beginning from the title, William Faulkner uses symbolism such as house, Miss Emily as a “monument “, her hair, Homer Barron, and even Emily’s “rose” to expresses the passing of time and the changes. The central theme of the story is decay in the town, the house, and in Miss Emily herself. It shows the way in which we all grow old and decay and there is nothing permanent

Two stories, William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” and James Joyce’s “Araby” each have their own style that is demonstrated to the reader. Whether it is through plot, point of view, motif, symbolism, theme, character, or setting, Each literary element has a role in the story. But to mention which literary term that would be the most compelling, character strikingly fits the concept. There are two characters, Emily of “A Rose for Emily,” and the narrator of “Araby”. Each character manifests their love for another individual in the story. How each character exhibits affection towards their counterparts are very contrasting, for better or for worse. It will also be essential in demonstrating the similarities of their approach as well. In explaining

The very beinning of the story is extraordinary. It begins with the burial of Emily, the residents around her coffin did not feel anything, most of them were curious. There were neither friends nor relatives, nobody who was in mouring for her, only inquirers. The readers can ask, what kind of person was Miss Emily? Why the others did not feel sadness? Perhaps there is a bigger question: what was the reason that nobody went to her house more than ten years (except her slave, Tobe).

Faulkner used a setting and time to show Emily had a hard time accepting change and moving on with her life. They story took place right after the Civil War. Most African Americans were loathed and discriminated but Emily was relived from her father. Money showed a social statement back then and Emily’s father had money. Since her father loaned the town money she had become a well appreciated woman even after his passing. In stated in the story, “she had chosen not to come out of the house and when the townspeople had saw her they seen a different Emily.” As stated in the book

This reality sends panic and fear through her because now she has nowhere to turn and no one to tell her what to do, no one to command her life. Not only is she stricken with the loss of her father but now she is cut off to the outside world, because her only link has passed on. Emily immediately goes into a state of denial; to her, her father could not be dead, he was all that she had and she would not let him go.

In “A Rose for Emily”, Miss Emily Grierson lives a life of quiet turmoil. Her

Grierson's life to symbolize Southern aristocracy. For example, when she tried to buy poison from the druggist, she had that air of superiority about her that demonstrated her supposed position of authority, which was illustrated when the druggist submitted to her demands and got her the poison (35). Another example is when Emily remits the taxes being imposed on her by the newer generation (33). The townspeople respect that fact that she is an aristocrat. That is why they are very hesitant when it comes to defying what she wants. Also since the story was told in the point of view of the townspeople, we are able to grasp the idea of the slow decline of the customs of the “Old South” as the townspeople continue to move forward. From Emily's point of view, she might still be thinking that the customs from the “Old South” are still active and is not declining at all, since she is someone who is unwilling to accept change. This in turn leads to her slow demise as she is unable to adapt to the changes in the newer generations. However, when Ms. Grierson dies, so do her traditions and customs, basically symbolizing the decay of Southern aristocracy of the town and the start of change that the newer generations will

“True love is hard to find.” “Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”. These words have been told to and heard from family, friends, co-workers and even words in a poem. (A.C. Bradley). These words are said to someone to comfort and express sympathy and understanding to one that is having a relationship issues. Only a lucky few have found true love the very first time love has entered the into their space, some have managed to remain married over forty years or more. Life’s dilemmas interfere with true love from entering the lives of the people that love has touched. Parents protecting their children, worrying about what other think, love not being reciprocated, fell in love too young, self-esteem too low, looking for

Mr. Grierson was another important character in the story. It was he controlled Miss Emily’s mind. He had such an influence on her. Perhaps Faulkner have made him this way to show the love he and Miss Emily had for each other. He tried to influence her to what he thought was the best for her in return, she listened and obey because of the love she had for her father. In describing the death of Mr. Grierson, Faulkner again foreshadows or alludes to the tragic ending; “She told them that her father was not dead,” and “did that for three days, until she finally broke

The story "A Rose for Emily" is one of first William Faulkner’s publications. The action of this story takes place in a time filled with social and political turmoil, when Southern came into a historical lethargy, and when its glow start faded. The elements presented in "A Rose for Emily" make reference to that time and are a tribute to Mss. Emily Graiser. A dominant tone is shown by a footprint of the past and loneliness to which was added symbolism and melancholia. The author showed us through his words issue of life, love and death, a sensitivity which gets us closer of characters' life and struggles.

Faulkner's story relies on the fact that the reader does not find the meaning of the story until the very last paragraph. This is also true in Carver's story. In Faulkner's story, the reader is told of many events that seem absolutely ludicrous when they are shared, such as Emily's buying the arsenic (par. 34), and her reclusiveness (par. 47). By mid-story, the reader begins to believe the townspeople's opinion of Emily—She's plain crazy. However, the reader is finally allowed to share the epiphany with the narrator that Emily was not crazy, just frightened of the idea of being alone. Only then can the reader realize that killing Homer and keeping his body in her bed was Emily's twisted way of never being alone (par. 60).

William Faulkner is an award winning novelist. He has written novels, short stories, plays, poetry, essays and screenplays. Mr. Faulkner graduated from Oxford University, as well as won the two most important awards that anyone can get for writing: Pulitzer Award and the Nobel Prize. A Rose For Emily, is a short story about a Southern women who faces the loss of her father and is criticized by her own town. In William Faulkner’s, A Rose For Emily the author approaches the story with a pathetical appeal, the tone/attitude of the story is set out to be gothic, as well as be a proud a Southerner.

Faulkner uses Emily’s character to represent the Old South in health and death. Her stubborn attitude and her decorum both reflect the characteristics of the Old South. When the men go to her home and confront her about her unpaid taxes and she asks them to leave, she represents that women in the Old South were not argued with and not questioned as not to insult them. The way that the people of the town treat her reflects this even further. The people of the town treat Emily as a monument just as they had seen the Old South. “It was another link between the gross, teeming world and the high and mighty Griersons.” They see her as something to observe and only interfere when she does something they do not like, such as dating a Northerner. Even in death The Old South follows her. “And now Miss Emily had gone to join the representatives of those August names where they lay in the cedar-bemused cemetery among the ranked and anonymous graves of Union and Confederate soldiers who fell at the battle of Jefferson.”