A Rose for Emily In William Faulkner’s novel “A Rose for Emily,” Emily was a girl who had a very odd upbringing, She grew up in Mississippi by a very controlling father she had no freedom throughout her adolescent. This led her to being a dysfunctional person who did not know how to deal with life problems.This made the townspeople bear responsibility for Emily since they did not interact with her in her early life, did not refuse her demands, and did not push her father to change how she was being raised. The first reason the townspeople are to blame is they did not try to getclose with Emily. When telling her to pay taxes, they sent letters instead of trying to talk to her about it. Also, when Emily was sick and locked in her house, no one …show more content…
Ascencio 2 The second main reason the townspeople are to blame is they did not refuse her demands. They could have placed the postal number on her house so that she could talk to someone instead of just being talked about. When Emily told the townspeople that her father is not dead they waited three days. If they went in immediately, then Emily could have broken down and gotten help with her emotional issues. lastly, if the townspeople refused allowing her to buy the arsenic, then Homer could have been alive. The townspeople would start to worry for her and tell her she does not need arsenic for whatever deed she wanted to complete.This would lead to Emily opening up to the townspeople of her relationship issues with Homer and he would be alive instead. The last reason the townspeople are to blame is the lack of pressure they put on Emily’s father to change his ways of raising her. When Emily’s father died she stayed locked inside her house for three days, not knowing what to do. Secondly, Emily believed she was above everyone and did not take no for an answer. She took the arsenic without a proper reason and refused to get a mail number. Lastly, after Homer told her he was not going to marry her,
...y of Homer Barron was found in the locked room. Well that was what she used to kill the man she thought to have loved. Her fear of abandonment mix with her already messed up head, is what led her to commit those heinous acts. Evidence showed that she also slept next to Homer’s corpse based on the facts that there was an indentation on the second pillow with grey hair found on top of it. It is obvious that the stuff done by Emily, someone who is sane would not have done that.
Miss Emily bought some arsenic from the druggist refusing to state her intended use. She also purchased a man's toiletry set and clothing. Everyone assumed that they had been married. Miss Emily had two cousins staying with. After the street work was finished, Homer left and did not return until her family had gone. He was seen entering Miss Emily's kitchen door and was never seen again until his body was discovered years later in an upstairs room of Miss Emily's house.
Several points throughout the story indicate foreshadowing of the ending. The first main point was the rotten odor coming from Emily’s house. Several of her neighbors complained to the Board of Aldermen concerning the foul stench that hails from the old lady’s household. This point helps readers contemplate and theorize what the smell that the neighbors were talking about. The second main point that indicated foreshadowing was the event that occurred after Emily’s father passes away. The readers are told that she became very isolated in her home and became distant from the world outside. The narrator also recounts that it took three whole days and several people to persuade her to let them help her “dispose of the body” (1000). This was a big indicator of what was going to happen because this was what she essentially did: kept a body dead body in her home. The third main point was when Emily successfully bought poison or arsenic from the local pharmacy. This event showed many clues of the ending. When she was buying the arsenic, she did not explain to the druggist her intention of buying and using the poison. This interaction between the two raises some eyebrows for it was truly mysterious for an old lady to purchase poison randomly. The final main point is the story of Homer Barron’s mysterious disappearance. Before he eventually
After being reclusive for decades, Miss Emily dies in her dusty house at age 74 (305). After her burial, they force entry into the “room in that region above the stairs which no one had seen in forty years” (306). They find the “bridal suite” and remains of Homer laying “in the attitude of embrace” along with evidence that Miss Emily had also been in that bed with him (306). Readers believe that Emily kills Homer with the arsenic. In her mind, she is not going to allow him to leave her. She prefers to have him dead in her house, rather than gone
...s obsessive with keeping homer by her side forever. Miss Emily becomes mentally unstable and poisons homer. I do believe that the fatalities and changes she goes through have a greater effect on her emotions and actions than the townspeople and readers see without analyzing the story. Argiro states that, “The story is an allegory of misreading signifying backwardness, mystification and psychopathology…” (par.50). Miss Emily is misunderstood by the townspeople and is resistant to the changes around her as well in her life.
In “a romance to kill” the author explains that they believe that the townspeople did not like how Emily was acting when she was with Homer. The townspeople felt that she was just messing around driving around with him out town. The story also shows that the town wanted them to get married but did not like the way they acted. I feel that because Emily grew up in this town and she was high class, people would watch out for her. The town seems to start feeling like they need to just do something to help her along. Emily needed to find love and happiness and start acting like a “lady” in this town. I feel that the townspeople are being frustrated with Emily at this point and need to see her move on but they also seem to gossip about her so often that it seems that they do not like
Emily had a weird smell around the yard, and the smell was so bad that the people went around and asked Judge Stevens about it. The man of law acts as if he isn’t suspicious and he writes it off, “It’s probably just a snake or a rat that nigger of hers killed in the yard.” (Rose for Emily, 2). He then continues with his story changing saying, “Dammit sir, will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad?” (Rose for Emily, 3). The judge keeps changing his story; he knows what is happening, he just isn’t doing anything about it. Emily goes to the local drug dealer asking for poison. Emily says that she wants Arsenic. The drug dealer responds, “If that’s what you want. But the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for” (Rose for Emily, 4). The drug dealer then sent her a package with a bottle of Arsenic with a note attached reading “For rats” (Rose for Emily, 5). Judges and drug dealers can be corrupt, it happens sometimes, but they both know dang well that they aren’t doing what they are supposed to. When Emily died the people went into her house to check out what had happened. The people said, “Already we knew that there was one room in that region above stairs which no one had seen in forty years, and which would have to be forced” (Rose for Emily, 5). The people knew that there was something happening in the house long before they saw the dead body of Homer Barron. The town’s people knew what happened. They knew that Homer didn’t want to settle. Everyone knew that someone was dead in that house; they just didn’t do anything about
In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner, the narrator creates this image of Emily to only benefit the townspeople and the town. The townspeople continue to torment Emily even when she has passed away. The town try’s to protect their image as a southern knit community, with her inheriting her father’s house, the town feels responsible for Emily at this point. Although they feel for Emily, they continuously
As time goes on Emily grows up, her mother criticizes and blames herself for the distance between the relationships. It is causing tension in their already rocky relationship. The mother is obviously suffering from guilt on how Emily was raised and the unpleasant memories of the past. Emily was also suffering. We see her shyness towards those who care for her. She was a very depressed teen. She had quietness in her daily duties, and her feelings of not being good enough towards herself. She always felt that she was extremely ugly and not smart compared to her younger sister, Susan. She thought she was perfect. She was the typical “Shirley Temple” image.
The townspeople's actions and how they are able to participate in Emily's denial and be decadent as well.
At the beginning of the story when her father died, it was mentioned that “[Emily] told [the ladies in town] that her father was not dead. She did that for three days, with the ministers calling on her, and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body” (626). Faulkner reveals Emily’s dependency on her father through the death of her father. As shown in this part of the story, Emily was very attached to her father and was not able to accept that fact that he was no longer around. She couldn’t let go of the only man that loved her and had been with her for all those years. While this may seem like a normal reaction for any person who has ever lost a loved one, Faulkner emphasizes Emily’s dependence and attachment even further through Homer Barron. After her father’s death, Emily met a man name Homer, whom she fell in love with. While Homer showed interest in Emily at the beginning he became uninterested later on. “Homer himself had remarked—he liked men” (627) which had caused Emily to become devastated and desperate. In order to keep Homer by her side, Emily decided to poison Homer and keep him in a bedroom in her home. It was clear that she was overly attached to Homer and was not able to lose another man that she
Emily stole the brick (heroin) because she needed more and was highly addicted to it. But even though she stole from the group it shouldn’t not lead to death for any reason. So that leads her as a victim in the movie. Emily was not in control, she was controlled by Tug and the some of the other people in the club. She had to follow strict rules while she was in the rich kids
Miss Emily’s refusal to change all started when her father had passed away and when asked about it she was in denial and “she told them her father was not dead.” She didn’t want to come to the realization that the only person in her life that loved her and protected her was gone. The fact that he was so controlling of her life and how she lived made Miss Emily afraid of what was going to happen next. She wasn’t used to making her own life choices.
When Emily’s dad died, some of the town were happy as in relieved , some were devastated. Her dad ran away every guy away from her because he felt like they weren’t on her level . What showed good vs. evil was when Emily out of the blue started acting strange out the blue when her dad passed away. She became really never close to Homer ,who would of became her husband ,but he wasn’t feeling the getting married thing. Emily didn’t want him to leave her
Through the use of setting, characterization and theme Faulkner was able to create quite a mysterious and memorable story. "A Rose for Emily" is more than just a story though; her death represents the passing of a more genteel way of life. That is much more saddening than the unforgettable scene of Homer's decaying body. The loss of respect and politeness is has a much greater impact on society than a construction worker who by trade is always trying to change things. Generation after generation Miss Emily happily escaped modernism by locking herself in her house the past.