Mr. William Faulkner was one of the most famous Southern writers to have ever lived. A lot of his work focused on real historical events, especially concerning the South . His writing was so well done it made readers feel as if they were living through those times themselves. A Rose For Emily is no different.
One day, a young girl came home from her senior year in high school and received some horrible news: Her father had killed himself by shooting himself with a shotgun for unknown reasons. A few months before he died, he told his daughter that she would never find another man like him and that she would be all alone after he left this world. She then locked herself in her room and cried for days on end, not eating and not sleeping. A Rose For Emily is about what happened after the father died and how the town reacted to her.
When news went out that Miss Emily had passed away, everyone that knew her was shocked and upset (especially since she looked much younger than she was). All of the local men in town were excited to come over and pay their condolences to her family, but they were all turned away at the door by a large gross looking man with bushy eyebrows.
A boy from school later told his teacher about what he saw when he walked past Miss Emily’s house- “I saw old Homer Barron drive up there an’ I heard him runnin’ his car engine back an’ for like he always done when he’d come callin’. A nd I heered Miss Emily callin’ t’him, ‘Come on in,’ like she always done; an’ then I heard him walkin’ across th’ floor where nobody ain’t supposed to go, an’ then I heard the slammin’s of th’door that never has anybody coming out- it was too quick like he didn’t stay more than a few minutes-” (Faulkner 643).
The next day, some people went over to Miss Emily’s house only to discover her dead body laying in bed with what looked like dried blood all around her. She had slit her wrists and died by bleeding out. A new man seemed to have come into town not too long ago and was seen going in and out of her house a lot. A few days after she died, a rose was found by the door with a card that read “From your secret admirer,” which caused confusion throughout the town because no one seemed to know who could have given it to her.
A figure from the past dominates over Emily’s life. A man who is a symbol of repression, someone holding Emily back from her chance to love and live life. A character that we all hate in some way or another. A character that we all wish for their death…but then again Faulkner is playing with his audience here. He is writing horror but he isn’t just writing horror: he’s showing us how emotion and rationality don’t mix well and the result becomes an unbearable monster -emotion- which can never be satisfied no matter what we do or sacrifice -rationality-.
We must try to love people after they are dead,” said Miss Coldfield . “I loved your mother after she was dead. ” Miss Emily is a person with an intricate mind. A mind that tried to survive, tried to escape through any means possible mostly driven by what her father repressed her from doing. A woman made monster by the repression of society at the time (circa years ago). A women who was not able to express herself according to her emotions and instincts like most people living today.
A loss that cost her dearly in the end as she dies miserable after refusing to let go of the only thing she could hold on; bitterness…bitterness is something we all find within us when someone takes away our chance for love, but does it make us monster like Miss Emily? It’s an interesting question because love is connected with happiness, peace and freedom while bitterness breeds hatred, sadness and anger. A lot of how we act is defined by what we want, desire and the need to get it… A Rose for Emily. “The messenger hesitated. Then he said: “They’re gone. ” Miss Emily Grierson dies after living a lonely life of bitterness.
A bitter life made her into an unavoidable monster; she became isolated from many people especially her lover Homer Barron after he left mysteriously one day never to be seen again. A person that was not able to express herself according to her emotions like most people do today. A loss that would cost Miss Emily dearly in the end as she dies miserable after refusing to let go of the only thing she could hold on;…bitterness is something everyone finds within them when someone takes away their chance for love, but does it make everyone a monster like Miss Emily? A Rose for Emily.
She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue. A scent of camphor arose from her skirts. She took the flowers without comment and after a moment’s hesitation she lifted them to her face and briefly inhaled their fragrance. ” When Mr. Grierson dies a nameless stranger is seen at his funeral by one person… A slight relation between this man with Mrs. Grierson after she died shows us what kind of relationship they actually had together… A rose placed on each grave is also an interesting thought because it’s beauty brings pleasure to our minds but it’s thorns are deadly.
A rose for Emily… A strange gift to present to someone after they die, A symbol of love that can also be a sign of hate. “The moon was shining on the cedar tree outside her window when she became conscious of the scent of roses. ” The story closes with another description of Miss Emily’s house and its surroundings, only now the flowers have become overgrown… The narrator remarks on how both Miss Emily and her house were dead even though there had been life within them at one time.
A rose for Emily… A strange gift to present to someone after they die, A symbol of love that can also be a sign of hate. A Rose for Emily… A living corpse who came alive again because she would never let go of the bitterness within her heart. The character Miss Emily is always depicted in front of us covered by an aura which does not show her real face but it feels like we are seeing what’s behind all this beauty that she covers herself with. A shroud showing our thoughts about what should have been, could have been but wasn’t to be… A Rose for Emily.