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Roles Of Women In A Rose For Emily

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A Rose for Emily is a short story written by William Faulkner about a woman named Emily Grierson who lived a sad, sheltered life. Emily’s issues started early in her life with her father, a man who sheltered her from normal life and ran off any man that was interested in marrying his daughter. Shortly after his death, a new man started to become part of her life; his name was Homer Barron. Unfortunately, this relationship did not last long and he quickly decided to leave her. In fear of him leaving her, she found it easier to kill him rather than live the rest of her life alone. During this time period, the early 1900s, it was expected of a woman to get married and create a family. This was never a possibility for Emily,as her father smothered any possibility of a man pursuing her for marriage. Emily was led directly into a life of depression, loneliness, and reclusion because of social norms and the actions of her father. The role of women in society has significantly changed since the early twentieth century. In the early 1900s, women were expected to get married, be a part of a family, have 6 to 8 children, and mother them. Men were always the head of the household and were expected to represent that family, as it was a man’s calling in life at that time. This was a patriarchal society where men dominated government, the workforce, and everyday life. With women having so little authority in the family and society at that time, this can be an incredibly hard time

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