preview

A Rose For Emily Analysis

Decent Essays

A Rose for Emily written by William Faulkner exemplifies Emily Griersons personal trials and tribulations she faced from her young adulthood to the end of her life. Composed in 1931, Faulkner wrote about the old South traditions that Miss Emily followed extensively until the day she died. Throughout this short story the audience follows Miss Emily’s journey of constantly battling the emotional difficulties of being caught up in the time-period of the Civil War, and all the hardships that followed her. After losing her father, Emily lives in a permeant state of denial. This caused her to make unhealthy, rash decisions. “After her father’s death she went out very little…”. (Faulkner, 1993. pg. 207) Miss Emily is characterized by the reader as an old style southern girl, who is caught up in a town on forcing her to move on from her past. Afraid to live the rest of her life without any loved ones, Emily then murders her boyfriend Homer Barron. After losing her father, Emily decides that the only rational thing to do is keep Homers corpse upstairs in a room. In doing so, Emily wishes to feel a sense of comfort and peace when she lays next to him each night. Unable to accept the fact that the world is constantly changing around her, Miss Emily chooses to ultimately seclude herself. Eventually, disconnecting from everyone she remains locked inside her fetid mansion for years. “When we next saw Miss Emily, she had grown fat and her hair was turning gray”. (Faulkner, 1993. pg. 210)

Get Access