Miss Emily Attachment Disorder Essay

Miss Emily: An Extreme Case of Attachment Disorder

Miss Emily’s early childhood distress, abnormal behavior, and failure of being a functioning member of society all prove that the protagonist of William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is struggling with severe attachment disorder. Through traumatic events, Miss Emily develops symptoms that one would associate with attachment disorder which makes her a social pariah. Miss Emily finds pity alongside disapproval from her peers which seems to inflate her social discomfort as well as her symptoms. In her death, Miss Emily proves herself as an unfit member of a community that she never truly belonged to. Attachment is “the affectional tie between two people”; however, if children do not form loving and caring ties to their primary caregiver,

Regular symptoms of attachment disorder are abnormal eating patterns, indiscriminately affectionate with strangers, destructive to self, no impulse control, and lack of conscience (Thomas). Miss Emily displays all of these at some point throughout her life. The abnormal eating pattern is observed when she gains a significant amount of weight which is strange for someone who has been small a majority of their life, her affection towards strangers is noted with how quickly she is able to attach herself to Homer, her self-destructive nature is seen with how poorly she seems to take care of herself, and the no impulse control is evident when she goes on a spending spree for a man who she does not live with nor is she married too. The most disturbing thought out all of these symptoms that seem to affect her the most is the lack of conscience. She makes reckless decisions without realizing why they may seem suspicious or wrong. As soon as she feels that she is wronged by Homer she makes a very morally corrupt choice that someone would not make because it is wrong and