preview

Insanity in A Rose for Emily Essay

Best Essays

The author, William Faulkner, has a collection of books, short stories, and poems under his name. Through his vast collection of works, Faulkner attempts to discuss and bring awareness to numerous aspects of life. More often than not, his works were created to reflect aspects of life found within the south. Family dynamics, race, gender, social class, war, incest, racism, suicide, necrophilia, and mental illness are just some of the aspects that Faulkner explored. In “A Rose for Emily” the aspects of necrophilia and mental illness along with the societal biases that were observed in a small-town setting are seen to be a part of this captivating story. These aspects ultimately intertwine with the idea of insanity that characterizes “A Rose …show more content…

Also during that time period a common treatment for such disorders included a procedure known as trephining. This procedure included chipping a hole into the skull of the afflicted person. This procedure has endured through time and is still used today in a more refined way to treat medical problems like migraines and skull fractures. When dealing with mental afflictions, Ancient Egyptians recommended modern methods like engaging in recreational activities like dancing, and painting. In the past it has also been common to lock up in jails or dungeons individuals who were mentally ill and who acted out. In the 17th century drugs like laudanum, unguents, opium grains were used as sedatives to ease the torment that mentally ill individuals would endure. At certain points in time, the mentally ill were housed in monasteries up until asylums were created and used to hold these individuals.
A person’s insanity can often lead to them being judged and looked down upon by society because they can’t understand that their actions are not accepted in society. This statement is true in relation to the story, “A Rose for Emily”, in the story it is seen how the townspeople speculate about the strangeness of Emily and her family. The story is narrated by several generations of men and women from the town and unlike other stories, the chronology is all over the

Get Access