A Rose For Emily Essay

A Rose for Emily Essay
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. Miss
Emily's relationship with her father is a key factor in the development of her isolation. As she is
growing up, he will not let anybody around his daughter,...show more content...
When Miss Emily finds somebody, though, it quickly pushes her to desperation. Her relationship
with Homer Barron is a result of the life and death of her father. Ironically, he is a northern,
roughneck Yankee, the exact opposite of any connection a Grierson would consider.
Unsuspectingly, Emily is attracted to him, which is an oddity itself considering her lack of
personality and his obvious charisma, for "whenever you [hear] a lot of laughing...Homer Barron
[will] be in the center of the group" (560). He is also the first man to show an interest in her
without her father alive to scare him off. The town is doubtful that the pair will remain together,
but Emily's attachments are extreme, as seen when she would not surrender her father's body.
The circumstance exhibits how her feelings are greatly intensified towards Homer. However, he
is "not a marrying man" (561). When it appears as though he will leave her, she kills him with
poison. While seemingly the opposite effect of love, killing Homer is quite in line with her
obsession. If he is dead and she keeps Homer all to herself, Emily will never lose him; he can
never leave her. Other such details that express her extreme attachments appear as she buys him
clothes and toiletries before they are even considered married. There is also the revelation at the
end of the story that she has been keeping his body for over thirty years and sleeping with it, clearly
demonstrating her overt desperation
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A Rose for Emily
Literary Analysis for "A Rose for Emily"
Sometimes a Rose is Not a Rose:
A Literary Analysis of "A Rose for Emily"
In the short story "A Rose for Emily", written by William Faulkner, the negative impact of Emily's
upbringing by an overprotective father, leads to incredible pattern in her life and the obvious mental
illness that takes over as she not so graciously ages. While written in five sections, the first and last
section is written in present time, and the three middle sections in past tense. To set the stage for
Emily's drastic transformation from young girl to elderly woman, Faulkner uses characterization,
setting and narration to show Emily's lost state of mind and her desire to find and keep love at all
cost as....show more content...
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.
Although the story is told in first person, the narrator of the story is never named but it appears that
the story could be told by any of the townspeople. It has been said that the narrators "function is to be
a window pane or mirror upon the life of Miss Emily Grierson" (Sullivan). The narrator often uses a
negative attitude toward both women and the African American race, furthermore making many
statements in the short story that would not be acceptable in our society today. From "the female
blacks in this town are not allowed out on the streets without aprons" (Faulkner, Section 1) to "it's
probably just a snake or rat

Allegory In A Rose For Emily
Some people love change, but others absolutely dislike it. When something big changes in one's
life, will it change who they are, or will they fight back? This short story shows how when a person
grows up relying only on one person when they leave, it will change everything about that person. In
the southern gothic story "A rose for Emily" by William Faulkner uses characterization, allegory, and
allusion display the idea that the toll that death can take on one's life could be drastic.
Characterization showed the true personality of Miss Emily and how her father's death shaped her.
The many issues in this short story all started at how Miss Emily was raised. She was raised to only
rely on her father, who was very protective over her. When...show more content...
We can see that this story makes a lot of indirect references in the text. "I want some poison, the
best that you have. I didn't care what kind." (pg. 3) Allusion is shown because it made it seem like
she was going to commit suicide. This is evidence that she most likely killed Homer Barron
because he was poorer while her dad wasn't, so she knew that he would never approve, which
could've cause her to kill him. This created an allusion in her mind that it was acceptable for her to
poison someone because of what her dead father would think.
Characterization, allegory, and allusion all play a large role as to why Miss Emily has attachment
issues and is unable to move on from the past and look forward to the future. Though there was no
visible or literal rose, it did symbolize Miss Emily and how she started out mentally healthy and
then as all the major events took place, it shows how roses fade, along with her mental health. This
story is the perfect example to not be too not let the struggles in life overcome

A Rose for Emily
Title: The Jealous Townspeople
I. Thesis Statement: A Rose for Emily is a story of the envy harbored by the citizens in reaction to
Miss Emily's pride, reclusiveness, and heritage.
II. A. Topic Sentence: Miss Emily's heritage is the first and most important reason the town's people
were desirous of her.
1. Supporting Sentence: Miss Grierson was born into a prominent family the residents of her town
recognized as being an old and distinguished family. 2. Supporting Sentence: In section one of the
story, the people who lived among Emily described her as, "a hereditary obligation upon the town."
3. Supporting Sentence: When Mr. Grierson died the town's people felt as though she had...show
more content...
Emily's family was well known to everyone in that area. At one point in time, the Grierson family
may have been wealthy. The families past wealth and illustrious heritage would be enviable to
anyone who grew up less than rich or with odd family members. The fact that people wanted to
have a family like that of Miss Emily's served as a foundation for the jealousy of the people who
lived near her. In section one of the story, the town's people described Miss Grierson as a
hereditary obligation. The description of Miss Emily as a hereditary obligation can be perceived
in two different ways. The first suggested meaning of the phrase could be that since The Grierson
Family had been so distinguished in the past, people pay respect to Emily out of reverence for her
family. The second suggested meaning of the phrase could be that the people of the town, where our
main character lived, seen Emily as an obligation because of the taxes that she did not pay. The use
of hereditary in the second suggested meaning alludes to the fact that until Emily passed away;
each surviving generation would have to support her in a way, because she failed to pay her taxes.
The last example of how our main character's heritage created feelings of envy among the residents
in her town is the statement made after Mr. Grierson's death. When Mr. Grierson passed away, the
narrator of our story recalls that Emily seemed "humanized", and relished the fact that she would

вЂњA Rose for EmilyвЂќ Essay
Samuel Martin
Instructor Waszak
LIT 100
December 7, 2014
"A Rose for Emily": Explain what we learn about Miss Emily's character in the story (not just what
she does, but what kind of person she is). Use specific evidence found in the story to support your
conclusions. Be alert to the possibility that the narrator who reveals this evidence to us might have
certain biases of his/her/their own.
In the poem "A Rose for Emily", William Faulkner stated that "another sad and tragic manifestation
of man's condition [is] in which he dreams and hopes, in which he is in conflict with himself or with
his environment or with others" (Faulkner 79–80). In "A Rose for Emily," a young girl, Emily
Grierson, faces a rather tragic life and undergoes...show more content...
In her killing of Homer, she is holding onto the past– she is attempting to hold on to the relationship
that she and Homer once had, or she wished that she had. She keeps his corpse lying in bed next to
her, which is implied when it was "noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head"
and a "long strand of iron–gray hair" (78). Emily's inability to let go of the past has been
exemplified in the examples of her refusal to pay taxes and her murdering of Homer. However, the
true cause of her inability to let go of the past lies in her conflict with in herself.
Faulkner wrote "A Rose for Emily" with the intent to focus on the tragedy of man's inner conflict, as
well as outer. The two examples given are perfect in demonstrating these two types of conflicts. In
the first, Emily is in conflict with her surroundings, in which the town officials are trying to tax her.
In the second, Emily is in conflict with herself. She "knew that you do not murder people. She had
been trained that you do not take a lover. You marry, you don't take a lover" (80). Emily tries to
embrace the tradition and background of getting married, having a family, and being in love.
However, these aspirations soon caused her to break down when Homer was going to leave. These
conflicts, most importantly the one within herself, strongly impacted Emily to be unable to let go of
the past. Over all, in "A Rose for

Rose For Emily
In William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily" the story of an eccentric southern aristocrat
from the view of the community she lives in. the story opens with the death of the main character,
Miss Emily Grierson. Faulkner described Miss Emily's life circumstances through a series of flash
backs. Faulkner explains his story is an example of a person having their hopes and aspirations for
their life dashed over time, and only later to realize how through poor decision making, they have
broken every value and belief they hold, then proceeding to punish themselves indefinitely.
Brooks and Warren begin by approaching the story from the psychological mindset of Miss Emily.
They point out without finding the meaning behind Miss Emily's actions, the story is merely a
story of abnormal psychology. By being able to understand where the motives came from for Miss
Emily's actions the reader is much more able to see that Miss Emily was not just a mentally
disturbed individual with no real cause for her condition. The idea that Miss Emily refuses to submit
to the group mentality of...show more content...
Fetterley contends that the story is that of a male dominated past and future, and a woman who is
oppressed and victimized by her society systems. In life, Miss Emily's father had been able to keep
her as a possession and control her life. In his death, the community of Jefferson stepped into that
role. Miss Emily was more considered as an object than a person to most everyone her entire life.
Fetterley points out the real wrong done to Miss Emily was in making her a "Miss". In the act of
making Emily a lady certain characteristics and beliefs are immediately associated with Miss
Emily. It is these beliefs of what a lady is and does that allows Miss Emily to murder Homer with
poison bought at the drug store without so much as a raised eyebrow. The thought of a lady
committing murder never crosses the community's

"A Rose for Emily" is a wonderful short story written by William Faulkner. It begins with at the
end of Miss Emily's life and told from an unknown person who most probably would be the voice
of the town. Emily Grierson is a protagonist in this story and the life of her used as an allegory
about the changes of a South town in Jefferson after the civil war, early 1900's. Beginning from
the title, William Faulkner uses symbolism such as house, Miss Emily as a "monument ", her hair,
Homer Barron, and even Emily's "rose" to expresses the passing of time and the changes. The
central theme of the story is decay in the town, the house, and in Miss Emily herself. It shows the
way in which we all grow old and decay and there is nothing permanent...show more content...
Furthermore, Miss Emily's hair is one of the symbols, shortly after her father's death Emily cuts
her hair that could possibly symbolize the freedom for her as breaking away from her father's control
"When we saw her again, her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl..." (212). Also, as Emily
grows older her hair changes into "iron–gray, like the hair of an active man" (214). That hair colour
changing symbolizes the time, we realize time first by Emily's hair, and then her hair has turned "a
vigorous iron–gray" (214) when she disappears into her house. In Faulkner's story Homer Barron
obviously represents the present, the formation, and the new ways. When he arrives to the town for
the construction Emily was already around 30–34 years old, well past her time according to that
time and he was the next generation. Also, probably he might be her future life. Homer Barron
was Northerner "...a Yankee..." (212) and north is known as its easy adaptation for changes but
South is known for traditional. He does not seem to a man who like to settle in one place as
Emily was. Besides the story's other symbols, the "rose" itself is the most important symbol and
the title of the story is not coincidence. It is not suggest just a rose flower, but rather a symbol of
the Homer and the father's love for her, town's love and admiration for her, and also foreshadows
her eventual destruction. The rose in the title symbolizes the absent of love which is a

A Rose For Emily Analysis
A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is unique, tedious, but at the same time astonishing. In
Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily", the plot takes place in 1894 which promptly paints a portrait for
the reader. Within this time period, women are considered to be beneath men on the strata of
society. The story takes place in an era when women didn't have the right to vote, and were
expected to take care of their husband and children, and any women found deviating from that
social norm were frowned upon. Miss Emily is portrayed as being the co–dependent and mawkish
women, as expected in accordance with the time period.Where Emily ostracizes herself from the
stereotypical expectations of women is her reaction to change, including the change with the death of
her father and development of society with the reconstruction of the south. In the town of Jefferson
readers can see the gradual amounts of feminism, starting with the actions and comments made by
the townspeople towards Miss Emily,listening to a man rather than a woman, and finally dealing with
the difficulties of people saying she cannot live without a man.
Living in a small town like Jefferson, word gets around fast. The comments and actions of the
townspeople can be clearly heard by everyone. The townspeople have begun to put themselves into
Miss Emily's life. As they are standing on the streets watching her and Homer they start to talk and
say "Poor Emily", and think that she will never waste her time with a Northerner like

A Rose for Emily–Essay The short story A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner first comes off as
a disturbing story. When you realize that Miss Emily Grierson, who is the main character in this
story, kills the man she's though to be in love with, all you can really think is that she's crazy. I
think the conflict in the story is Miss Emily not being able to find love. With her father not giving
her a chance to date, thinking that there was no one good enough for her. Then, the only man she
has been able to love dies, which is her father. Once she has fallen "in love", she murders her lover.
Miss Emily's necessity for love has caused her to be unable to distinguish fantasy with reality. Miss
Emily's father though that no man was worthy...show more content...
Once Miss Emily's father died, she didn't want to let go. She had no one to love and lover her
back. The only love and compassion she knew was her fathers. With him leaving this world
entirely, I think she didn't want to believe he was dead. She wanted to hold on as much as she
could. "She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days... Just as they were
about to resort to law and force, she broke down, and they buried her father quickly." Again, Miss
Emily's necessity for love made her unconscious of the real world, wanting to hold on to
something that was not there. When everyone had though Miss Emily had found love, he
disappears. She seemed to be very happy with him. They would ride around town in a Buggy. His
name was Homer Barron. In the story it doesn't imply that they were an actual couple. As we
discussed in class Homer might even have been homosexual. If this or anything else was the cases
were Homer couldn't be with Miss Emily her desperation for that companion made her do an
outrageous passionate act. She murders him to keep him with her forever. I think she thinks she
has finally found someone she doesn't want to let go. She feels like she needs this and doesn't
realize that it is out of this world. She doesn't recognize that she has lost her mind. By not only
living but sleeping with a dead corpse. Miss

A Rose For Emily Essay

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