Roses For Emily Analysis

“Roses for Emily” is a short story in which William Faulker, the author, presents how powerful death is. Miss Emily, Faulker’s Main character, experiences the impact of a death of a family member. Later when Miss Emily’s father dies she knows that all her family members are gone, and she’s all alone. The loneliness crushes Miss Emily. Published in 1930, the power of death in “Roses for Emily” may well be a reflection of the loss that Americans faced during the great depression.
Through Faulker relates Miss Emily’s story, he does not do so in the third person. Faulker reveals the story through the first person. This first person narrator never tells who they are. We have to imply they are speaking for the townspeople. The narrator knows for example that Miss Emily for the most part did not have any friends. (Faulker 772). Faulker never tells the reader what Miss Emily is feeling. Instead the reader must look into her actions and words in order to understand what she feels.
Miss Emily is held a high status in society. She was the daughter of a rich man who helped Jefferson in many ways. So many exceptions were made for Miss Emily’s behavior because of her father’s status in the community. Miss Emily did not pay taxes on her house because of her father’s impact on the community. “So when her dad died she was left to herself; and in a way people were glad. At last they could pity Miss Emily” (Faulker 775). She became in denial saying for three days straight that her dad was not dead (Faulker 775). Until she broke down and lets the law burry him quickly. After her father’s death, Miss Emily continued to hold herself high. Even when she was ill she was determined to have the townspeople see her in a high status. The townspeople realized...

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Miss Emily’s bad luck caused her to separate herself from reality and into her figment of her imagination. She was perceived as personnel who had fallen into a steep mental depression. She sealed herself away from reality and turned down making acquaintances. No one requested for her and she did not try to alternate her lifestyle. Eventually she was buried deeper and deeper into her figment of imagination. She desired to find a stand-in for her father and was drawn to an authoritarian personality in the men that she adored and this may be the explanation why she stored their carcass around after their deaths to preserve the same atmosphere to which she had been used to and to reduce the feeling of seclusion. The power of death in “Roses for Emily” may well be a reflection of the loss that American’s faced during the great depression.