A rose for Emily

A rose for Emily

Introduction

The short story, “A Rose for Emily,” by William Faulkner is a nineteenth-century romanticism piece dealing with a woman's struggle with the transition into a new era. The main character, Miss Emily is a stubborn and sheltered woman who refuses, or perhaps cannot except that the world around her is changing. Instead of accepting events in her life that bring change, Miss Emily is determined to force her surroundings to stay familiar.

Analysis

Within this short story there are many characters that bring meaning to the plot. Along with Miss Emily and her father the other main characters include Homer Barron, Miss Emily's servant Tobe, Colonel Sartoris, Judge Stevens, and Miss Emily's mentally ill great aunt Wyatt. Although these characters do not share equal amounts of contributions to the story they all were given names, which imply that they had a significant purpose throughout the story. The secondary characters are people of the town who include, complaining neighbors, the druggist, the four men who poured the lime in the basement, the Baptist minister, his wife, Miss Emily's two female cousins, the mayor, and the aldermen. Through his characters Faulkner contrasted the past and present era. Miss Emily represented the past as well as her father, Colonel Sartoris, and Tobe. These characters defined what the past represented and how it was going to be continued. However, the present was expressed through Homer Barron, the new Board of Aldermen, and the new generation of the town's people. These particular characters supported progress and change for the community as well as for Miss Emily by representing the present time.

Although not a named character, the narration is done in third person from the perspective of a resident from the town Emily resides in. The reader becomes a member of society understanding the views of the other town's people. If the story were told in first person through Miss Emily's perspective, the story would take on a new conflict. Since this is not the case, the reader is unable to fully understand Miss Emily's mindset and reasoning for her actions. Although the reader does not know what Miss Emily is thinking they learn about events in her past that help shape her character. Because the reader is held back from certain information, the story becomes a suspenseful mystery.

The language of “A Rose for Emily” is descriptive as well as symbolic. Faulkner represents Emily's rejection to change and wish to live in the past through dialog and description of setting. For example, when the mayor comes to her house to discuss her taxes, after sending her three notices in the mail, she repeats that her father took care of it with Colonel Satoris and does not owe anything. The words the author chooses to describe the house and Emily coincide. The house is described as having a smell of dust and disuse. In the next paragraph she is described as looking bloated like a body long submerged in motionless water, and ...