The Crisis Of Identity By William Faulkner

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.

Madness and desperation can motivate some of the most extreme actions of individuals. For instance, when faced with a loneliness she was forced into by her overprotective father, Miss Emily Grierson in “A Rose for Emily” struggles to cope with a changing environment after his death. Her mental deterioration even culminates into the murder of her significant other Homer Barron to keep him from leaving her as well. In his story, William Faulkner foreshadows Miss Emily’s mental instability from the very beginning with specific hints. Some of those tactics are portrayed in the description of Miss Emily’s family history, the words and actions of the community, and her inability to distinguish between the past and the present.

Critic James H. Picker once wrote, “To classify, to regard fiction as an object can be taken apart and then put back together, is only one way to approach and participate in the work of literature; but it is not the only way. Once students grasp this truth, literature becomes dynamic, alive and ‘available”. In the short story, “A Rose for Emily”, writer William Faulkner uses plot, character and setting to demonstrate Emily’s refusal to transition into the “New South”.

In William Faulkner’s story “A Rose for Emily” his main character Miss Emily Grierson’s deranged behavior leaves the reader questioning her mental status.

William Faulkner uses the short story “A Rose for Emily” to depict the social attitudes of the Old South after the Civil War. The main character Miss Emily Grierson epitomizes the failure of the South to adjust to the changes inflicted on it. Prior to the Civil War, Miss Emily belonged to a prominent and wealthy family of Jefferson who was part of the Aristocratic class. The story portrays how she refused to accept her new social status and was in complete denial. An illustration of her inability to face reality was when she kept Mr. Tobe working as her man-servant, even though she had lost her fortunes and could no longer afford such luxury. Another example of Miss Emily being unable to adjust to change was during the death of her father. She acted as if it had not happened and told her neighbors “that her

The manner that Faulkner applies point of view in "A Rose for Emily" provides the readers with the idea of the dying values, traditions, and customs of the “Old South”.

Faulkner continues his southern gothic writing style when the story goes back to an earlier time in Miss Emily’s life. Faulkner

A suspenseful tale of tradition versus change is told with the help of literary elements in William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily. Foreshadowing and symbolism develop Emily’s tragic fate in a way the reader is exposed to how deeply death and sociatal change have effected Miss Emily. Faulkner displays how effective these elements are for a short story to truly have an impact on the

In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily,” protagonist Miss Emily Grierson uses the town of Jefferson’s perception of her to manipulate situations in order to get what she desires. Through the structural elements of characterization, plot, narrative, and setting, Faulkner provides an interesting look at how preconceived notions can drive a person’s motivations and how that person can utilize those notions for their own advantages. While some critics of his works may disagree, it is clear that Miss Emily is aware of her capabilities and uses them whenever she sees fit.

Critic Françoise Buisson observes that “Wash’s idealized vision of his master present[s] the reader with the baroque drama of Southern illusion” (Buisson 2), and Wash’s outlook embodies the general Southern attitude perpetuating inequality. He believes wholly in his master, and remarks “‘Well Kernel … they kilt us but they ain’t whupped us yit, air they?’” (Faulkner 132). Wash alters his own self-perception in a desperate attempt of self-elevation, convincing himself that the “world in which he sensed always about him mocking echoes of black laughter was but a dream and an illusion, and that the actual world was this one across which his own lonely apotheosis seemed to gallop on the black thoroughbred” (132). Wash’s Platonic conception of himself is merely a plebian emulation of the man he reveres most: Thomas Sutpen. He imagines himself in a position of power atop Sutpen’s black stallion, with all of the marks of representative power. When subjected to the verbal degradation that he experiences at the tongues of the slaves “calling him white trash” (Faulkner 130), Wash attempts to escape the reality of his dismal situation by fabricating a fictitious existence with limited verisimilitude. Wash’s puerile dismissal of his forlorn situation reflects many white Southerners’ general denial of the upshot of the Civil War—while in fact they are defeated, they refuse to accept this adverse reality.

Fear is defined as, “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” Although there is good in the world, many people live their lives in fear. The fear of dying is a typical and/or normal feeling for most human beings. Dying in a nuclear explosion, that is absolutely terrifying to mankind.

Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Ed. X.J. Kennedy. New York: Harpers Collins,

At the core of Dilsey Gibson’s character is her capacity for faith, and the unwavering stability that lends to her life. She is in the employ of a family for whom she has worked for countless generations, and whom she now sees growing progressively more unstable with each passing day. As she leaves the center of her spiritual faith, the Church, she undergoes a revelation in which she is able to finally understand the ultimate fate of the Compsons, and thus of herself and her own family.

William Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily,” was written after the civil war and is often considered a piece of Southern Gothic literature (Davis). Southern Gothic is a subgenre of the gothic culture, which typically relies on the use of supernatural, unusual, and ironic events to drive the plot, all of which can be seen as a driving force throughout the story development of Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” (Davis). Through Faulkner’s ingenious short story, “A Rose for Emily,” he demonstrates the powerful yet internal conflict that comes with change, and the tension it creates between the realms of the past and the future. Upon further analysis, we come to see the story as a representation of the fallen south coupled with societal commentary and a depiction of the characters as spirits from the past stuck in a present time they struggle to come to peaceful terms with. We can see the powerful message Faulkner creates illustrated throughout his use of symbolism, his protagonist Emily, the community that surrounds her, and the incongruent timeline of events he depicts throughout the telling of his story.

Southern women in this time period were resigned to be wives and mothers. There was no other option for them, as they had to comply and go with societal norms. Faulkner was of the belief, like the south, that women were socially and mentally inferior. A reader can see Emily refusing to accept her father’s death, seemingly refusing to accept her fiancé’s death and denying the reality, but instead bending it to better suit herself. While he used these notions, he also pushed the boundaries of women going outside their social circles. While Faulkner represented oppressed women in his books, he also visibly shows them negatively, writing them in a negative light for moving outside of what their perceived societal roles should have been. Though certain women in Faulkner literature are exempt from this rough portrayal of weak-minded, individuals, Emily Grierson is still seen as an odd woman.