A ROSE FOR EMILY

A Rose for Emily

A Rose for Emily

Thesis Statement

This paper tells gives a brief summary of the story “A Rose for Emily”. It gives a sketch of the character of the Emily, a courageous woman, represented as a “Southern Belle” in the story. She faces all types of adversaries from the people, but she never lets herself let down and stands against the ill-standard norms of the society.

Introduction

Emily is a wilted “Southern Belle” whose life has faded beyond recognition as a rose fades without nutrients. She has fallen into disrepair just as her house has become a decaying shack. A woman who longed for a complete life filled with love and adventure, ended in a tragic death. Miss Emily slipped into a fog of depression and isolation when she realized her life would not continue with Homer as she had thought. Simply put, Miss Emily lost her sanity (Howe, 1975).

Discussion

One of the interesting techniques that Faulkner used to develop “A Rose for Emily” was his use of feminism and how it plays a decisive role in the development of the story (Kermode, 1979). In the 1930's, women's role in the southern culture is very different from modern day culture. Women had certain “rules” and “expectations” to meet according to society, and if they were not met, those women were considered an outcast. Emily is the perfect definition of the “outcast” of Jefferson. She fails to comply with the rules by shrugging off trying to maintain her social status as a mannerly woman, took no concern into the judgment of her relationship with Homer Barrons, and, most importantly, refuses to follow the town's modern changes and new laws.

Emily did not take any consideration into what society expected a woman to do. In a typical southern family, an unmarried woman would go live with their other family members when the head of the household is dead. In this case, when Mr. Grierson died, Emily refused to leave the house or let anyone stay with her for too long. She used her house as a shield from the rest of the world and put herself out of sight. Disobeying the code of social conduct is a great way to stir up the gossip and that are exactly what happens in Faulkner's short story. Emily pays no attention to the whispers around her by the neighbors, and while Emily continues to live in ...