A Rose for Emily is a short story by William Faulkner. The story is told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator and it follows the events that occur in the life of Emily Grierson, a wealthy woman who lives in the fictional town of Jefferson, Mississippi.
The story is set in the early 20th century, a time when the South was still recovering from the Civil War. Emily is a symbolic figure of the Old South and her stubborn adherence to its values is juxtaposed against the changing times.
Emily is characterized as a complex and mysterious figure. She is described as a “tragic figure” who is trapped by her past. Faulkner uses a number of literary devices to develop Emily’s character, including foreshadowing, symbolism, and irony.
Foreshadowing is used to hint at the events that will occur later in the story. For example, the narrator mentions that Emily’s father “got into the habit of locking the door” of her room after her lover left her. This foreshadows Emily’s later actions of locking herself in her room for years after her lover’s death.
Symbolism is also used to develop Emily’s character. One example of this is the title of the story itself, “A Rose for Emily.” The rose symbolizes Emily’s youth and beauty, which have faded over time. The symbol also represents her lost love, as roses are often associated with romance.
Irony is another literary device that is used to develop Emily’s character. The story is full of ironic events, such as when the townspeople buy poison to kill a rat, only to have Emily use it to kill her lover. This irony serves to highlight Emily’s desperation and her disconnection from reality.
Emily is ultimately a tragic figure who is unable to adapt to the changing times. She is a product of the Old South, and her death at the end of the story symbolizes the end of an era.
The term “characterization” refers to a writer’s procedures for creating characters. William Faulkner uses characterization in A Rose for Emily to reveal the personality of Miss Emily. He conveys her character via physical description, actions, words, and feelings, as well as through the narrator’s direct remarks concerning the character’s nature and behavior. Characterization is also used effectively by Faulkner to explore the narrative’s topic: excessive pride can lead to homicidal madness.
Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily is a story about the gradual decline of Miss Emily Grierson, a once-proud and respected Southern lady. Emily’s father dies, leaving her alone in the world with no one to rely on but her African-American servant, Tobe. Emily becomes reclusive and cut off from the townspeople.
The only man she ever shows any interest in is Homer Barron, a construction worker who is not interested in marrying her. When Homer mysteriously disappears, Emily refuses to acknowledge his death, instead keeping his corpse in an upstairs bedroom for years. Eventually, Emily goes completely insane and kills Homer before dying herself. Faulkner uses characterization to express the theme that too much pride can lead to homicidal madness.
No one knows who she is, and her face isn’t even shown. She lives in solitude for many years, someone who has withdrawn from society to dwell seclusion. “No visitor had come by since she abandoned providing china-painting lessons eight or ten years ago” (394). Miss Emily’s attempt to isolate herself from society is characterized by Faulkner. “She went out less after her father died; after her sweetheart departed, people hardly noticed her at all” (395). Her cloistered life was due in part to the death of her father and the break up with her sweetheart.
Faulkner also uses Miss Emily’s relationships with the townspeople to characterize her. The townspeople are “ cortex-connected,” meaning that they gossip and talk about each other constantly. Through the townspeople, Faulkner reveals that Miss Emily is “a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (394). The townspeople feel like they have to take care of Miss Emily because she is from an old and wealthy family.
William Faulkner recluse lifestyle a secret because they don’t want people to think badly of her. In addition, Faulkner uses Miss Emily’s physical appearance to characterize her. “Her skin was powdered so thickly that it looked like a mask, and her eyes were lost in the folds of skin above them” (395). Miss Emily’s appearance is an accurate representation of her mental state. She is so isolated from society that she has become disconnected from reality. Faulkner uses characterization to reveal the truth about Miss Emily’s life and her relationship with the townspeople.
Despite her father’s role in her seclusion, her pride also helped to drive her into solitude. “None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily, and such” (395). Faulkner shows how other characters’ emotions influence Miss Emily’s pride. Her pride has kept her from socializing with other community members, which has only reinforced her lonely disposition.
However, Mr. Templeton is still accountable for his daughter’s recluse status. “We recalled all the young men her father had driven away…” (396) If he hadn’t rejected the gentlemen who wanted to go out with Miss Emily, she wouldn’t have gone crazy.
Faulkner uses Miss Emily’s father to ultimately show that it is because of him that she became a loner. Miss Emily was not always a loner, but after her father died she became one. “She told them that her father was not dead” (399). Faulkner uses this quote to show that Miss Emily was going through denial when her father passed away. A lot of people go through denial when they lose someone important in their life, and it usually leads to them becoming more reclusive.
This is what happened with Miss Emily, she started to distance herself from the community and social activities. William Faulkner does an excellent job portraying Miss Emily as a tragic character who becomes a recluse after her father’s death.