Literary Analysis of “a Rose for Emily” - 1277 Words

Literary Analysis of â€Å"A Rose For Emily† The short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, by William Faulkner, is told by an unnamed narrator and broken into five sections. The story is not chronological, but completely out of order, adding mystery and climax. The first section begins with the death of the main character, Emily Grierson, and relates the thoughts and actions of the small Southern U.S. town. A flawed relationship between the town and Miss Emily is seen throughout the story. The tension between the town (society) and Emily is a main reason for her recluse and insanity. It is evident from the first line of the story that there is a connection between Miss Emily Grierson and the town she lived in. The opening sentence states that when†¦show more content†¦These slanderers abused Emily by stating, â€Å"Poor Emily. Her kinsfolk should come to her.† (394). Emily was quite aware of the insults for she saw these people whispering and peaking at her behind their blinds. She knew her status in the town and the situation. The narrator states, â€Å"she carried her head high enough† even when they knew the gossip had finally gotten to her. Being an emotionally fragile and self-conscious woman, the slander was devastating. Eventually, people in the town wrote to her cousins whom she had fallen-out with long ago. When her cousins came and visited, Emily did two things, however separated by Faulkner into sections three and four. In section three, Emily went to the druggist and bought poison. The town, thinking she would kill herself said, â€Å"it would be the best thing† (395). Then, in section four, Emily went â€Å"to the jewler’s and ordered a man’s toilet set in silver† (395), and the town believed her and Homer Barron were going to get married. The narrator states, â€Å"We were really glad.† (395). After the cousins left, and Homer Barron came back to town (he had left to get away from the cousins), Homer was seen going into Emily’s house by a neighbor. â€Å"That was the last we saw of Homer Barron. And of Miss Emily for some time† (395), stated the narrator. Emily did not have contact with people in the town, â€Å"save for a period of six or sev en years, when she was about forty, during which she gave lessons in china-painting† (395). Then she gave upShow MoreRelatedEssay on â€Å"a Rose for Emily† Literary Analysis743 Words   |  3 PagesCameron Barba Ms. Carunchio English 11B 12 February 2009 â€Å"A Rose for Emily† Literary Analysis In â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, William Faulkner uses setting, character development, and stylistic devices to express the mystery of Emily and the somewhat gossip-obsessed attitude the townspeople have towards Emily. Faulkner uses the setting to convey the mystery surrounding Emily and her actions. For example, Faulkner writes â€Å" knocked at the door through which no visitor had passed since she ceased givingRead MoreA Rose for Emily: Literary Analysis Essay1023 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† Literary Analysis In William Faulkner’s story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† his main character Miss Emily Grierson’s deranged behavior leaves the reader questioning her mental status. Emily comes from a family with high expectations of her a sort of â€Å"hereditary obligation† (30). Emily has been mentally manipulated by her as so indicated in the line of the story â€Å"we did not say she was crazy then we believed she had to do that we remember all the young menRead MoreA Rose For Emily Literary Analysis957 Words   |  4 Pagesbelongs in the Realism era in the American Literary Canon. His writing was influence by his Southern upbringing, often setting his stories in the fictional Southern town, Yoknapatawpha County. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† was one of Faulkner’s first published pieces and displays many of the now signature characteristics of Faulkner’s writing. The short story provides commentary through the use of many symbols. In William Faulkner’s short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, the author uses the townspeople as a representationRead MoreA Rose For Emily Literary Analysis975 Words   |  4 Pages In the short story, â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† William Faulkner uses a modernistic style of writing combined with Southern Gothic themes to show how strange or â€Å"perverse† of a character Emily Grierson is. The story is split into five parts which all take place throughout Emily’s life. These five parts are not in chronological order. Not until the story is looked at in chronological order will the reader understand the full personality and life of Emily Grierson. 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Assuming a darkRead MoreEssay A Rose for Emily: Literary Analysis 2990 Words   |  4 PagesENG 102 Analysis Research Paper 09-25-10 Literary Analysis William Faulkner’s short story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† carries a theme represented by a dying breed of that era, while using symbolism to represent tragedy, loneliness and some form of pride, the story also shows how far one will go to have the approval of others and the pursuit of happiness. In today’s times, a person’s image could mean everything in life and almost everyone tries to fit into the main stream in some form at some pointRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour And A Rose For Emily Literary Analysis1297 Words   |  6 PagesKate Chopins The Story of an Hour and William Faulkners â€Å"A Rose for Emily tells the story of women who face isolation and struggle with their own terms of freedom upon the death of a male figure in their life. 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While written in five sections, the first and last section is written in present time, and the three middle sectionsRead MoreA Tale of Terror 1087 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† a short story about the odd Emily Grierson, a once well-respected woman in a small southern town, takes readers into a whirlwind of a story leading up to a horrifying discovery about Miss Emily’s secretive demeanor. Through his characterization of Miss Emily, his descriptions of the setting, and his use of foreshadowing, Faulkner effectively develops â€Å"A Rose for Emily† into a horrific tale. The first way that Faulkner organizes â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is in his characterizationRead MoreThe Mystery of the Rose and the Narrator in A Rose for Emily by Faulkner1182 Words   |  5 PagesWhile one of the most traditional interpretations of â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is the variety of meanings for the â€Å"rose† presented in the title and how the â€Å"rose† fits in with the story. Laura Getty states in her article many varied perspectives that many could ponder when identifying what the â€Å"rose† stands for. She states many possible theories that depict what the â€Å"rose† means, including theories of other writers that help support her own theory and also that adds another way that most might not consider