William Faulkner's A Rose for Emily

Is there any case in which a murderer would be justified in killing? What if the murderer suffered from a severe form of mental illness? In William Faulkner chilling short story called A Rose for Emily, we see a character who murders her lover, but was it her fault? Emily had been mentally unstable for a long time and her family had a long history of suffering from mental illnesses as well, but at the end of the day there is no justification for murder. Some of the most notorious serial killers and murderers have suffered from one form or another of mental illness. People like Ed Gein, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer all suffered from some form of mental illness ("Dangerous Minds: Mental Illnesses of Infamous Criminals"). Although there is an understanding on how a person with mental illness is more susceptible to commit violent crimes, it is still wrong. In a study it was found that “no significant difference in the rates of violence among people with mental illness and other people living in the same neighborhood” (Publications). Emily killed Homer due to lack of morality caused by a combination of terrible parenting and a system that put her above the law. The relationship she had with her father was a distinct one, he pushed her into a little bottle and never let her out. She wasn’t allowed to be a person, but instead a trapped soul yearning for attention and love. The town in which she lived, held her on this pedestal that separated her from the rest of the

On September 25, 1897, William Cuthbert Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi. He stands as one of the most preeminent American writers of the twentieth century. His literary reputation included poetry, novels, short stories, and screenplays. Faulkner won two Pulitzer Prizes for Fiction and the Nobel Prize in Literature. “A Rose for Emily” is a short fascinating story written by William Faulkner and it was his first short story published in a national magazine. The story involved an old woman named Emily Grierson, the daughter of a rich man that was considered a hero in the town where they lived. The story takes place in the fictional Town of Jefferson, Mississippi during and after the civil war between the Northerners and Southerners. Emily’s childhood was never easy; her father was always overprotective with her even when she was a grown woman. Charmaine Mosby an English Professor of Western Kentucky University in his work analysis of “A Rose for Emily” writes, “Miss Emily Grierson had been cut off from most social contact and all courtship by her father.” This was the principal reason why Emily Grierson was always a lonely soul.

As a result, Miss Emily remains unmarried. This situation perhaps helps readers understand how Miss Emily is trying to cope of all the burden and pressures of great expectations that others have of her. While most individuals can handle this kind of stress, Miss Emily unfortunately is unable to develop healthy, adaptive coping mechanisms. Another glimpse of her character is when the sheriff office attempts to collect taxes, Emily tells them “see Colonel Sartoris” (33), who had been dead almost ten years. “I have no taxes in Jefferson” reasserts Emily (33). Despite many attempts to collect taxes, Emily simply continues to refuse to cooperate with the town authorities. This observation of Miss Emily's behavior is telling us how irrational and inappropriate she is when she interacts with other people. Another episode of her erratic behavior occurs when Judge Stevens, the new town mayor, receives several complaints from the neighbors that a powerful, terrible odor is originating from Emily’s property and ordered by the neighbors to “send her word to have her place cleaned up” (33). This is another hint that Emily is becoming separated from her community and is totally unable to relate to other people in an appropriate matter.

While a “Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor share the common themes of unexpected death and the old south, the murders found in each story are vastly different. Both stories tell of strong female protagonists who don’t cope well with change and both foreshadow death right from the beginning, but the murderers themselves come from completely different worlds.

Miss Emily was raised by a controlling father, who did not let her go out of the house, much less date anyone. When he dies, she does not know what to do. So much so that she keeps his body for a short time. The world around her is changing and maturing, but she is not. Faulkner uses a very peculiar symbol of this in his opening paragraphs. "A small fat women in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt" (Faulkner 147). Time is literally not in eye sight for her. It has "vanished into her belt", where

In “A Rose for Emily” the character Emily can be a dark person, the author shows us what she did to the man Homer Barron. The author includes the story mysterious and irony, for us to think about what can happen to some people as a result of living alone for a while and loosing someone who they deeply care about. Emily is in a situation that affected not just by herself, but other people too because she keeps her feelings and thoughts to herself.

In Williams Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” the story begins by the town going to Emily Grierson’s funeral in amongst her home. When Mr. Grierson died the family left a large sum for the town to use, in result the town suspended taxing the family. When new mayors of the town came into action they tried to make the family pay taxes, however when Emily reasserted the officials that she did not have to pay taxes. The people to officialized the family's agreement to the town as to not paying taxes had all passed away ten years before.

Good Evening and welcome to tonight’s discussion. This evening our topic will be whether or not personal freedom exists in the 21st century for all citizens of the United States, and if not, is peaceful or violent action the most effective change agent. Tonight’s lineup includes the following:

William Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily” begins and ends with death. The death of Miss Emily Grierson, the main character in the short story that takes on the role of a person with an abnormal personality. The narrator tells the tale of Miss Emily’s life following her departure at age seventy four. Although, Miss Emily lived a long life she remained secluded for decades without any human contact. Miss Emily’s mental health is certainly a questionable matter considering the life she leads in this fictional short story. “Human beings have enormous potential to strive toward a higher plane of emotional life” (Brenton 2). With this being said individuals who encounter chronic stress and lack the basic human relationships compromise their mental health. By examining Miss Emily’s mental status, behavior, interactions and personal relationships, it is possible she would have been diagnosed with a form of mental illness according to today’s standards.

There are many tales about crime and horror, things that have happened in the past. Some stories involve horrible people who are psychotic murders and others may be more simple people who are mentally ill and are in need of some good care. Such is the story of “A Rose for Emily,” by William Faulkner, the main character, Emily, is plagued with mental instability and is sheltered from society; but today such a woman would receive treatment options to help her cope and overcome her apparent attachment disorder.

A Rose for Emily is a southern gothic story that takes inspiration from Faulkner’s own life. In addition, the story is set in the fictional county of Yoknapatawpha Mississippi, modeled after Faulkner’s childhood home of New Albany in Lafayette Mississippi. Moreover, A Rose for Emily works with symbols of time, something Faulkner is opinionated on I.E. his famous quote, “The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past.” In any Case, William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily expertly uses symbols such as the house, the rose, and the hair to portray an unsettling, eerie change and decay in the story.

As any reader can see, " A Rose for Emily" is one of the most authentic short stories by Faulkner. His use of characterization, narration, foreshadowing, and symbolism are four key factors to why Faulkner's work is idealistic to all readers.

Literary devices in a story are similar to the components of an engine in a car. Factors that reveal the author’s message to the reader are critical. In “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, uses point of view, character, and symbolism to bring the reader into his world. It is through the eyes of the narrator that the reader can see the lapse of Miss Emily’s timeline, the unfolding of her character, and the symbolic nature of her actions and possessions. The changes the town of Jefferson goes through, decade after decade reveals the contrast with Miss Emily’s personality and way of life. It is Miss Emily’s incapability to develop along with the town that makes Faulkner’s message about the inevitable changes in life more poignant.

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is a unique piece of literature. It has a plot which seems somewhat bland, and it is not particularly exciting. However, the ending is quite suprising, and for me it made the story worth reading. I think there are some interesting aspects of this story if you look at it from a feminist point of view. The feminist movement has attempted to elevate the status of the woman to a level equal with men. Feminists have fought for the right of women to be free from the old social restraints which have been in place for so long. A feminist believes a woman should be strong and independent. In some ways the main character, Emily, is this kind of woman, but for the most part she is

Her best friend. The one to protect her, guide her, fight with her, love her. Her mother. Cecilia and her mother relationships was a strong as could be. They would shop together, play games, go out to eat together, but Cecilia always knew her mother was not afraid to hurt her feelings. She was her mother. She would yell at her if she did not clean her room, she would not let her go out every Friday night. There were boundaries her mother had, and Cecilia hated it, although her mother was trying to be her mother.