Essay On A Rose For Emily Grierson Mental Illness

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In the short story "A Rose for Emily" is a town's critical narration of the life of Emily Grierson, one of the town's oldest citizens, who for most of her life has been kept almost hidden from the rest of the world. After her father's death, Emily was emotionally unstable. She is so unstable that she would not let go of her the close people in her life. Emily never recieves any psychiatric treatment but she definitiely exhibits symptoms of mental illness which is why Emily Grierson represents a tragic figure. Emily shows definite symptoms of having an mental illness. In the story, after Emilys fathers death her symptoms become more evident. When the ladies of the town visits Emily's house to offer condolences. They noticed that she had “no trace of grief on her face”(32). Her inability to feel or demonstrate affection shows she is suffering from depression. Many people suffering from depression often show signs of denial. Emily insisted to the visitors that “her father was not …show more content…

“Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town”(30). The town fathers refused to confront her about the smell coming from her house. Instead, they put lime to treat the odor. The pharmacist gave arsenic to Miss Emily even though she refused to give him a valid reason for its use. The community looked after Emily but it was out of a sense of duty and not concern for her welfare. “ We all said, “She will kill herself” ; and we said it would be the best thing” (33). Many people felt the need to protect her and some felt they had to watch her every move. Emily's excessive need for privacy made the townspeople only heighten their curiosity about her life. Because of Emily's behavior, after her death the townspeople broke into her home to satisfy their curiosity. They violated Emily's home and privacy to discover Homer's body in her

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