Stylistic Devices In A Rose For Emily

In the short story A Rose for Emily written by William Faulkner, readers are immersed in the narrative of a supposed town member who describes the impact that the recent death of an old woman has had upon their small community. In the narrative, readers are taken on a journey through the life of Miss Emily, an old, lonely woman who is seemingly frozen in her own timeframe. As the story unfolds, readers learn about the various tragedies Emily encountered in her lifetime such as the sudden death of her controlling father as well as her alienation from other family members that leaves her utterly alone following his death. Audiences also learn about events that happened throughout Emily’s life that both molded her as a person and aided in shaping her reputation around the town. From her controversial relationship with a construction worker named Homer Barron to her suspicious purchase of arsenic at the local drug store, there is no question that Emily lived under the constant scrutiny of her fellow townspeople. After reading the initial sentences, it can be concurred that this story doesn’t simply describe the life of an old, questionably insane woman, but also the story of the age-old battle between old and new. Through symbolism and an artful arrangement of the events described, Faulkner is able to meticulously weave a tale of the clash between newer and older generations’ views and standards.

“At last they could pity Emily” (453) or at least that is what the community thought they could do when Emily lost her father and became “humanized” (453). Emily is one of the most prominent people of her time and is even recognized through a story all written about her. This analytical essay of “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner without doubt, uses symbolism to portray change and decay throughout the story by using Emily’s home, Mr. Grierson, and herself.

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.

The setting of the story takes place in Faulkner’s make believe city of Yoknapatawpha, Mississippi. In a house that was once owned by the late Elder Grierson. When the townspeople finally enter the room upstairs that “no one had seen in forty years” (Faulkner, Section 5), they are stunned by the condition of Emily’s once grandeur house. Furthermore, the house that once set on the “most select street” (Faulkner, Section 1) was now surrounded by garages, cotton gins and was the only house left on the street. Although, once described as “a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies” (Harris), it is apparent that along with the family name, the family home had been on a downward spiral for many years.

In light of Homers feelings toward marriage Emily had been seen in town at the jewelers purchasing a men’s toilet set in silver with the letters H.B. on each

In "A Rose for Emily," William Faulkner's use of setting and characterization foreshadows and builds up to the climax of the story. His use of metaphors prepares the reader for the bittersweet ending. A theme of respectability and the loss of, is threaded throughout the story. Appropriately, the story begins with death, flashes back to the past and hints towards the demise of a woman and the traditions of the past she personifies. Faulkner has carefully crafted a multi-layered masterpiece, and he uses setting, characterization, and theme to move it along.

In “A Rose for Emily” Miss Emily Grierson live a life of quiet turmoil. Her entire life has revolved around an inexplicable loneliness mostly characterized by the harsh abandonment of death. The most vital imagery utilized by Faulkner demonstrates Miss Emily’s mental condition. She, being self-improsened within the confines of her home, is the human embodiment of her house; Faulkner describes it as “... stubborn an coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps--an eyesore among eyesores.” (Faulkner 308).

Faulkner’s use of southern gothic writing style helps the reader build a mental depiction of Miss Emily. When the town sent their ambassadors to discuss the taxes that were owed, Faulkner described Miss Emily as “bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water” (2182). This description gives the reader the sense that the character is not well. Faulkner’s description that Miss Emily looked bloated achieves the desired effect on the reader to show how hideous she appears. This graphic description, combined with the author’s depressing description of the parlor (2182), makes the reader think of death. The reader gets the sense of being in a funeral parlor which helps to strengthen Faulkner’s narrative.

Miss Emily Grierson, the gossip of a small town, is brought down and seperated from society. Although it is unlikely and unrelatable for an old lady to kill then sleep with the corpse of a man, Faulkner makes her character easily recognizable and relatable. With eerie and detailed descriptions, comparisons such as similes, metaphors, and personification allows the readers to make connections to their own world and emotions as well as understand the characters in a real life way. William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” illustrates physical and mental characterization through the use of figurative language.

In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner gives an insight into the life of an insecure, abused, and disturbed woman. Miss Emily is a difficult woman to understand. With years of mental abuse, Miss Emily’s mindset regarding social life is twisted making her awkward and insecure. Although Miss Emily seems very proud to be a Grierson, She has been a victim of extreme mental abuse inflicted by her father. One example is in paragraph 25 quote “None of the young men were quite good enough to Miss Emily and such.

Thai Thompson Professor Parker Eng 110-003 27 September 2015 Unlocking the Power of Women A classical expression of Southern gothicism is one of William Faulkner’s most famous short story, “A Rose for Emily.” This 1929 story is divided into five sections and portrays, in an unorganized fashion, five important turning points in Miss Emily’s life. “A Rose for Emily” gives a dark image of a woman who was discriminated against and deceived by the structure of sexual politics, who still unlocked, within the system that preyed on her, a source of power for herself. William Faulkner uses the characters, the point of view, human nature and how far some will go, as well as control and fear of abandonment to portray the role of gender.

Faulkner’s work in the “Rose for Emily” uses sensational elements to highlight an individual’s struggle with time, attachment and an oppressive society. The literately style of “A Rose for Emily” is that of Southern Gothic (Flora, 2002). According to Morledge, southern gothic literature is defined by an important aspect in which the use of grotesque events in writing is extensively used in most stories. Such events are easily identified in “A Rose for Emily”. Faulkner is able to take us through time. He has the ability to manipulate time by expanding the story out over several years. Another fascinating element Faulkner used in the short story “A Rose for Emily” was foreshadowing. He has a talent in building suspense throughout the story by dropping hints everywhere, making the reader predict a different ending every time.

When reading “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, you may be quite confused. This is because William Faulkner wrote this short story in anachronic order, which occasionally confuses the reader and causes them not to fully understand the story. To understand it you must take parts of story apart and analyze the section. Faulkner uses tons of symbolism, foreshadowing, and history in the passages to help the reader understand what is going on. Literary devices in stories are a great way to analyze what is going on and to help you understand the passage clearer.

“A Rose for Emily” is a Southern Gothic short story written by William Faulkner. The main character, Miss Emily Grierson, has a story and personality that can be analyzed from many different viewpoints. Focusing more on the psychological perspective, Miss Emily is very erratic and idiosyncratic in behavior. She isolates herself in her home and locks up her house to prevent anyone from coming in. Her home hides many secrets, but the one that stands out the most is the corpse of Homer Barron, Miss Emily’s lover. For years, Miss Emily has lived and slept with the corpse, which was unknown for many years by all the townspeople. After this is discovered, Miss Emily’s mental health and stability became the main topic of interest to both the townspeople and the readers of this story.

Literature has always been an integral part of human society. It helped people to express their feelings and emotions and share thoughts that seem very important to them. That is why, since the beginning of the history of the mankind, authors tried to create some special and unique approach in order to create the artwork that could be able to impress a reader and create the needed atmosphere. This desire enriched the world literature with the great number of various stylistic devices and ways to express feelings and emotions. However, authors had never stopped and continued their experiments with the language of their works and plot ("Fabula and Sjuzhet" para. 1). Thus, speaking about the peculiarities of the contexture of various fiction works or books, it is possible to analyze the short story A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner in order to understand the way in which the author could use various stylistic devices and combine them with the untraditional development of action.