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William Faulkner 's A Rose For Emily

Decent Essays

Reaction to Fictional Short Story: A Rose for Emily
Literature comes in a variety of forms that appeal to audiences of all types. Some people enjoy literature in the form of nonfiction novels or articles. Other people may be drawn to fictional pieces of literature such as poems, plays, short stories, or novels. No matter what type of literature an audience may enjoy, the writer will use many methods to capture their attention and express ideas. In the short story, “A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner uses various strategies to convey themes, ideas, and motifs to the audience.
Themes and Motifs

Most literature has a theme or several themes. One theme for “A Rose for Emily” is, “Tradition versus Change.” William Faulkner is conveying a struggle of trying to maintain a sense of tradition in a country that is going through widespread and radical change in the aftermaths of the Civil War. Despite the commercial changes the town is going through such as the addition of cotton gins and garages, Emily remains the same. Therefore, Emily is a representation of tradition in a sense. Faulkner stresses this point when he writes, “Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (Faulkner, 2014, p. 250) Additionally, Emily’s macabre bridal chamber is an extreme attempt to prevent change or freeze time, at the expense of another person’s life. “Tradition versus Change” is just one of the themes for “A Rose for Emily.”

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