William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”, is a story that really shows how fragile the mind really is. The speaker brings up many questions as to what is going to happen, or why something may be happening, and although the answer may make sense they aren’t exactly what most would expect.
The story is broken down into sections, each section adds more details to how the very beginning of the story starts. Our story begins with the speaker recalling death of Miss Emily Griersons funeral, and everyone in town attending the funeral, however nobody had entered the place for ten years. The speaker uses this to add a very mysterious tone to the setting. It also brings up the thought of why nobody would have entered in 10 years
Section two starts off similar to the first in the
…show more content…
At the beginning of section 3 Emily has fallen ill. Even though this set a very sad tone, it is temporarily lifted by brief comedy, as they speaker of Homer Barron. Homer worked for a construction company, and introduces himself to the setting since the walkways are being replaced around the time of Emily’s father’s death. He is a very charismatic person, because the kids all follow him in groups to, “Hear him cuss the riggers.” He becomes a popular character around the town. He also begins to take Emily on dune buggy rides. However, although this may be nice for Emily, her fellow neighbors believe she shouldn’t be around types like him. As nice as it may be that something good is happening for Emily, the speaker immediately makes us ponder about why she is about to purchase arsenic. Typically when a purchase of arsenic, or any poison for that matter, they must give a valid reason as to why they are buying the poison. However when Emily goes to buy it and the store clerk says, “The law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for.” (William Faulkner, 6) She simply responds with, “For rats” (William Faulkner,
William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is a story that uses flashbacks to foreshadow a surprise ending. The story begins with the death of a prominent old woman, Emily, and finishes with the startling discovery that Emily as been sleeping with the corpse of her lover, whom she murdered, for the past forty years. The middle of the story is told in flashbacks by a narrator who seems to represent the collective memory of an entire town. Within these flashbacks, which jump in time from ten years past to forty years past, are hidden clues which prepare the reader for the unexpected ending, such as hints of Emily's insanity, her odd behavior concerning the deaths of loved ones, and the evidence that the murder took place.
Setting is place and time, and often provides more than a mere backdrop for the action of a story. William Faulkner uses this device in his complex short story "A Rose for Emily" to give insight into the lonely world of Miss Emily Grierson.
Faulkner wrote that by law they were to state their intended use of the poison, Miss Emily never did. “‘If that's what you want. But the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for.’ Miss Emily just stared at him, her head tilted back in order to look at him eye for eye, until he looked away and went and got the arsenic and wrapped it up.” (161).
“A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner takes us back in time with his Gothic short story known as, “A Rose for Emily.” Almost every sentence gives a new piece of evidence to lead the reader to the overall theme of death, isolation, and trying to maintain traditions. The reader can conclude the theme through William Faulkner’s use of literary devices such as his choice of characters, the setting, the diction, the tone, and the plot line. William Faulkner introduces us to a number of characters but the most involved being Emily Grierson, Homer Barron, Tobe, and the ladies of the town; who are not named individually. Emily Grierson was once a beautiful and wealthy upper class young women who lived with her father, who has since died, on the towns,
William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" has been interpreted in many different ways. Most of these rely solely on hints found within the story. I believe that his life can also help one analyze this story. By knowing that Faulkner's strongest influence was his independent mother, one can guess that Miss Emily Grierson's character was based partly on Maud Falkner.
Southern decadence was famous and iconic back when the story, "A Rose for Emily" was set. It was caused by the end of the Civil War and the forced change upon the antebellum south. Decadence defined the south before the Civil War, including obscene wealth and slavery, and the aristocracy, of which Emily and her father were a part, never had to lift a finger. Emily ends up not only in deep denial, making her able to disregard the reality of her life, but also causing the townspeople to participate in her denial as well. William Faulkner grew up in this southern and self-indulgent environment, making his outlook true to life, and well illustrated in this story.
In William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” Miss Emily Grierson holds on to the past with a grip of death. Miss Emily seems to reside in her own world, untarnished by the present time around her, maintaining her homestead as it was when her father was alive. Miss Emily’s father, the manservant, the townspeople, and even the house she lives in, shows that she remains stuck in the past incapable and perhaps reluctant to face the present.
As Faulkner begins “A Rose for Emily” with death of Emily, he both immediately and intentionally obscures the chronology of the short story to create a level of distance between the reader and the story and to capture the reader’s attention. Typically, the reader builds a relationship with each character in the story because the reader goes on a journey with the character. In “A Rose for Emily”, Faulkner “weaves together the events of Emily’s life” is no particular order disrupting the journey for the reader (Burg, Boyle and Lang 378). Instead, Faulkner creates a mandatory alternate route for the reader. He “sends the reader on a dizzying voyage by referring to specific moments in time that have no central referent, and thus the weaves the past into the present, the present into the past. “Since the reader is denied this connection with the characters, the na...
Repression is the restraint, prevention, or inhibition of a feeling, quality. Although some advocates might argue that repression cannot affect someone’s everyday life, In “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner the protagonist, Emily Grierson challenges that ideology in several unique ways.
William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily tells a story of a young woman who is violated by her father’s strict mentality. After being the only man in her life Emily’s father dies and she finds it hard to let go. Like her father Emily possesses a stubborn outlook towards life, and she refused to change. While having this attitude about life Emily practically secluded herself from society for the remainder of her life. She was alone for the very first time and her reaction to this situation was solitude.
In “A Rose For Emily”, by William Faulkner, plot plays an important role in how
In Faulkner’s tale “A Rose for Emily” there are many historical elements throughout the story; Faulkner uses them to give an authentic feel to the story and to add to the setting. A recurring theme that I found was reference to the reconstruction of the South after the Civil War. The setting of the South after their demise in the Civil War adds character to the story and to the characters. The attitudes people had and the way people treated Emily with respect was a tradition of the “Old South” that is presented throughout this tale.
Miss Emily just stared at him, her head tilted back in order to look him eye for eye, until he looked away and went and got the arsenic. ”(148) This quotation from the passage reveals that Miss Emily had intentions on using the arsenic for a reason the druggist would not approve of. After the people of the town recognized her purchase of the poison, they instantly assumed that she had plans to kill herself. Though she did not use the arsenic to kill herself, it was used to murder someone very close to
William Faulkner's, "A Rose for Emily," is a short story that is narrated by an anonymous character to be considered as the voice of the home town and tells the story out of order. The story is based on the life of Emily Grierson and how it connects with the South after the Civil War. There are many parts in the story that show symbolism in varieties of ways. Some of these symbols include Emily's house, her hair, her clothing, and even the "rose" that is brought in the story. Symbolism is shown throughout many different ways through all forms of literature. It is mainly shown through the main theme as well as the smaller themes that are throughout the story. Symbolism is used to represent ideas or qualities through the use of symbols.
In "A Rose for Emily," William Faulkner's use of setting and characterization foreshadows and builds up to the climax of the story. His use of metaphors prepares the reader for the bittersweet ending. A theme of respectability and the loss of, is threaded throughout the story. Appropriately, the story begins with death, flashes back to the past and hints towards the demise of a woman and the traditions of the past she personifies. Faulkner has carefully crafted a multi-layered masterpiece, and he uses setting, characterization, and theme to move it along.