In the eighteenth century, Gothic story was an extremely popular form of literature, and it has been a major genre since then. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and "A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner are both Gothic horror stories consisting madness and suspense. The Gothic horror story carries particular conventions in its setting, theme, point of view, and characterisation. Both Gilman and Faulkner follow the conventions of the Gothic horror story to create feelings of gloom, mystery, and suspense that are essential for compelling stories. Goth is a term that originally referred to a northern Germanic tribe who ransacked southern Europe in the fourth century A.D. Because the Goth was associated with the fall of Rome and its classical culture, the term Gothic was applied with a negative meaning of medieval or barbaric. In the eighteenth century, Gothic novels drew upon the conventions of the medieval romances which tell stories of knights battling with magic and monsters, and Gothic story often introduced existence of supernatural elements and a protagonist's immersion into a dark, horrific realm. The style of Gothic literature tends to be extreme, seemingly uncontrolled, and intended to invoke a strong emotional response which might be awe, pity, guilt, horror, or fear. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the journals wrote by the narrator continuously conveys to readers that her emotion and mind is seriously influenced by the wallpaper which drives her insane in the end. On other hand, "A Rose for Emily" is a story that full of pity and fear; the town people pity Emily for loss of her father and for being a spinster; Emily herself fears the separation with her lover, Homer Barron, and ends up killing him in ord... ... middle of paper ... ...story still remains popular, and it is thrilling and enjoyable to read. List of Work Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper." Reprinted in Elements of literature. Robert Scholes et al. 3rd Canadian edition. Toronto Oxford University Press, 2004; 75~87 Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." Reprinted in Elements of literature. Robert Scholes et al. 3rd Canadian edition. Toronto Oxford University Press, 2004; 150~156 Burg, Jennifer, Anne Boyle. "Using Constraint Logic Programming to Analyze the Chronology in `A Rose for Emily'." Computers & the Humanities 34 (December 2000): 377~392. Academic Search Premier. June 14, 2004 Scherting, Jack. "Emily Grierson's Oedipus complex: Motif, Motive, and meaning in Faulkner's `A Rose for Emily." Studies in Short Fiction 17 (Fall 1980): 397~405. Academic Search Premier. June 14, 2004
The story "A Rose for Emily" is one of first William Faulkner’s publications. The action of this story takes place in a time filled with social and political turmoil, when Southern came into a historical lethargy, and when its glow start faded. The elements presented in "A Rose for Emily" make reference to that time and are a tribute to Mss. Emily Graiser. A dominant tone is shown by a footprint of the past and loneliness to which was added symbolism and melancholia. The author showed us through his words issue of life, love and death, a sensitivity which gets us closer of characters' life and struggles.
Mosby, Charmaine Allmon. "A Rose For Emily." Masterplots, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-3. Literary Reference Center. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
William Faulkner’s "A Rose for Emily" is perhaps his most famous and most anthologized short story. From the moment it was first published in 1930, this story has been analyzed and criticized by both published critics and the causal reader. The well known Literary critic and author Harold Bloom suggest that the story is so captivating because of Faulkner’s use of literary techniques such as "sophisticated structure, with compelling characterization, and plot" (14). Through his creative ability to use such techniques he is able to weave an intriguing story full of symbolism, contrasts, and moral worth. The story is brief, yet it covers almost seventy five years in the life of a spinster named Emily Grierson. Faulkner develops the character Miss Emily and the events in her life to not only tell a rich and shocking story, but to also portray his view on the South’s plight after the Civil War. Miss Emily becomes the canvas in which he paints the customs and traditions of the Old South or antebellum era. The story “A Rose For Emily” becomes symbolic of the plight of the South as it struggles to face change with Miss Emily becoming the tragic heroin of the Old South.
Faulkner, William. “A Rose For Emily.” An Introduction to Fiction. 10th ed. Eds: X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. New Yorkk: Pearson Longman, 2007. 29-34.
The blending of terror and romance in Gothic Literature was used in a unique combination to attract and entice the reader into the story. The terror in the literature helps the reader explore their imagination and form their own picture setting of what is happening. Using romance in the story also keeps the reader's attention because of the unknown and the curiosity of what happens next. The Gothic writing became popular after the Romantic period because readers were still a...
Kurtz, Elizabeth Carney. "Faulkner's 'A Rose for Emily'". Explicator. Heldref Publications. 44.2 (1986): 40. Academic Search Complete. Blinn College, Bryan, Lib. 18 Oct. 2007
Burg, Jennifer, Anne Boyle and Sheau-Dong Lang. “Using Constraint Logic Programming to Analyze the Chronology in A Rose of Emily”. Computer and the humanities (2000): 377-392
he Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a story that epitomizes the oppression of a woman’s role in the late 18th-early 19th century. This story shows that women were greatly oppressed, but also shows that freedom from oppression is not always a good thing. The Yellow Wallpaper shows this through symbolism throughout the story, as well as through the actions of the characters.
William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” displays themes of alienation and isolation. Emily Grierson’s own father is found to be the root of many of her problems. Faulkner writes Emily’s character as one who is isolated from the people of her town. Her isolation from society and alienation from love is what ultimately drives her to madness.
In “A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner, Emily Geierson is a woman that faces many difficulties throughout her lifetime. Emily Geierson was once a cheerful and bright lady who turned mysterious and dark through a serious of tragic events. The lost of the two men, whom she loved, left Emily devastated and in denial. Faulkner used these difficulties to define Emily’s fascinating character that is revealed throughout the short story. William Faulkner uses characterization in “A Rose for Emily”, to illustrate Miss Emily as a stubborn, overly attached, and introverted woman.
The color yellow is the common symbol in the two stories. In the story of A Rose for Emily, color yellow has been used to symbolize both hope and hopelessness. Emily and Homer are seen every Sunday riding in a ‘yellow-wheeled buggy' and Homer has a ‘whip in a yellow glove' when she is with Emily. The color is used to signify that despite the tragedy that has befallen Emily she is willing to have hope that she will experience happiness with Homer. Emily believes that Homer will be the one to bring joy and contentment in her life. As the story comes to an end, the town people discover that Emily died laying her head on a ‘pillow yellow and moldy with age and lack of sunlight.' Emily dies while sleeping on a yellow pillow which signifies that she died while holding to the hope that she was going to be happy. Also, it also symbolizes the loss of hope as she realized the end had come and yet she had not experienced the happiness she required. Moreover, the color yellow in the yellow wallpaper story signifies freedom and hope. When the writer moves to the isolated house her husband chooses a room covered in Yellow paper as their bedroom. The writer starts studying the paper, and at long last, she removes the paper from the wall saying ‘I am free.' The yellow wallpaper symbolizes the controlled life of the writer.
Alice, Petry. A Rose for Emily.’” Explicator Spring 86. Vol. 44 Issue 3. p. 52. 3 p.. Ebook
William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” has many gothic themes such as, when Emily buys the arsenic and the tomb that lay buried in her house. These themes show that gothic literature consists of cryptic and dark settings and tones. This mysterious story is filled with violent events and creates suspense and terror.
Written in a period of emerging writing genres, Emily Bronte used Gothicism to develop aspects of Wuthering Heights. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the Gothic writing style is of or relating to a style of writing that describes strange or frightening events that happen in mysterious places. While that definition does not begin to encase all parts of the Gothic writing style, it does deeply reflect much of the theme in Wuthering Heights. Gothicism is present through violence, revenge, death, and superstition. These themes have determined the course of the plot allowing Emily Bronte to successfully represent Gothicism. The mood of Gothicism links events and people together (Gregor 5) creating an unique work of gothic literature.
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.