Narrative Worth in A Rose for Emily Essay

In the short story A Rose for Emily written by William Faulkner, readers are immersed in the narrative of a supposed town member who describes the impact that the recent death of an old woman has had upon their small community. In the narrative, readers are taken on a journey through the life of Miss Emily, an old, lonely woman who is seemingly frozen in her own timeframe. As the story unfolds, readers learn about the various tragedies Emily encountered in her lifetime such as the sudden death of her controlling father as well as her alienation from other family members that leaves her utterly alone following his death. Audiences also learn about events that happened throughout Emily’s life that both molded her as a person and aided in shaping her reputation around the town. From her controversial relationship with a construction worker named Homer Barron to her suspicious purchase of arsenic at the local drug store, there is no question that Emily lived under the constant scrutiny of her fellow townspeople. After reading the initial sentences, it can be concurred that this story doesn’t simply describe the life of an old, questionably insane woman, but also the story of the age-old battle between old and new. Through symbolism and an artful arrangement of the events described, Faulkner is able to meticulously weave a tale of the clash between newer and older generations’ views and standards.

William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is a story that uses flashbacks to foreshadow a surprise ending. The story begins with the death of a prominent old woman, Emily, and finishes with the startling discovery that Emily as been sleeping with the corpse of her lover, whom she murdered, for the past forty years. The middle of the story is told in flashbacks by a narrator who seems to represent the collective memory of an entire town. Within these flashbacks, which jump in time from ten years past to forty years past, are hidden clues which prepare the reader for the unexpected ending, such as hints of Emily's insanity, her odd behavior concerning the deaths of loved ones, and the evidence that the

William Faulkner has done a wonderful work in his essay “A Rose for Emily.” Faulkner uses symbols, settings, character development, and other literary devices to express the life of Emily and the behavior of the people of Jefferson town towards her. By reading the essay, the audience cannot really figure out who the narrator is. It seems like the narrator can be the town’s collective voice. The fact that the narrator uses collective pronoun we supports the theory that the narrator is describing the life of “Miss Emily” on behalf of the townspeople. Faulkner has used the flashback device in his essay to make it more interesting. The story begins with the portrayal of Emily’s funeral and it moves to her past and at the end the readers realize that the funeral is a flashback as well. The story starts with the death of Miss Emily when he was seventy-four years old and it takes us back when she is a young and attractive girl.

The narrator plays a key role in the development of the plot and meaning of a story. A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner, tells the story of Miss Emily Grierson and her mysterious, isolated life. The narrator of the story, who never reveals their identity, presents the story in a unique way; using a slight combination of first and third person points of view. Although hard to identify, the narrator at some points does and does not include themselves in the information they are sharing with the readers. To start, the author narrates using this style to keep the readers wondering and interested. In addition, Faulkner wishes to portray Emily as a sympathetic character. Also, the narrator communicates the story in a manner similar to the way

William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” tells a story about the life of a woman who grows up in a small southern town shortly after the turn of the 20th century. He tells the reader about the struggles that Ms. Emily and town of Jefferson face in trying to move on from their past and adjusting to the inevitable changes that time brings.

Literary narration tells the events that happen in a story, but reveals the events in a order that will entertain the reader and sometimes leaves them to infer what happens in the story. In “A Rose for Emily” Faulkner starts of by revealing to the readers that Emily is dead which would happen last if the story was in chronological order. Then Faulkner goes back in time to when Emily’s father dies, and her taxes are remitted. Faulkner proceeds to explain how the tax collectors come to Emily’s house. Through out the story Faulkner jumps back and fourth through time explaining other events in the story. At the end of the story Faulkner reveals that Emily has been living and sleeping with Homer Barron that has been presumably dead for some time. Faulkner uses this technique of literary narration to make the story more interesting to readers, rather than telling the story in a journalistic narration that would not be as entertaining to

In A Rose For Emily by William Faulkner, the narrator, or the town’s shared voice, does not tell the story in a chronological sequence of events. The story begins at Emily Grierson’s funeral and proceeds to explain her mysterious life through a series flashbacks that are seemly unconnected. This distortment of time allows for the reader to be ignorant of the true events occurring in the story and for the ending to come as a complete shock, rather than a mere closing to the tale. The chronology in A Rose For Emily, or lack thereof, dramatically changes the effect of the events and directly influences the audience’s take on the short story.

In William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” everything becomes clear after Emily, a local woman in the town, died. William Faulkner knew conditions like Emily’s were real and he wanted to express those conditions in his story. Her life would have been much better if she had been raised differently. Emily grew up with the disadvantage of having a cruel, selfish father, only thinking about is own comfort, preventing her from living life like an ordinary girl. After her death the town finally went to her house to try and find answers. They remembered various situations from her life and how unfortunate and sad her life was. The short story jumps between flashbacks and the present. The reader

William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily is a dark and tragic tale about a lonely upper-class woman struggling with life and customs in the South. The story deals with themes such as the inevitability of change and the futility in trying to stop it. Faulkner succeeds in creating a suspenseful and mysterious story by the effective use of literary techniques, such as foreshadowing, the themes and symbolism and the unique use of other narrative techniques that elevates the overall suspense in the story.

In “A Rose for Emily”, Faulkner uses suspense and mystery to narrate the story. He describes six main characters who are Emily Grierson, Mr. Grierson, Homer Barron, Tobe and Colonel Sartoris and Judge Stevens. Faulkner narrates the story by hiding himself behind it, by using the common pronoun “we”. Emily Grierson who is one the major characters is described as the one who suffers the most in this story. Faulkner uses sympathy while describing Emily as an absent, a “cut off the outside World” person, she is almost not related as a human being.

Another prime example of Faulkner's effective writing is his use of narration. Of course, in most stories the narrator is a key asset. In :A Rose for Emily" Faulkner uses the narrator not only as a story teller, but as an observer from the crowd as well. The narrator's point of view, which is third person, had a positive effect on the way a reader views the story. "Through out the story the narrator uses "we" instead of I revealing to us the way the townspeople judge Emily" (Madden 1988). The narrator thinks back in time throughout the story remembering particular events that occurred in the past. This is important to the reader in that it helps aid the understanding of how the townspeople viewed Emily. The narrator as one of the townspeople viewed Miss Emily as impervious, tranquil, and perverse. If the story had been narrated by anyone else, it may not have been as easy for the reader to completely understand. "With this spectator as the narrator, describing the events of the story through his eyes, one can detect a general impression of Emily" (Madden 1987). The view of the narrator is beneficial in understanding the things that Emily goes through. Also toward the end of the story the narrator gives the reader a feeling if sorrow and pity for Emily. It is apparent Faulkner's use of narration is critical to the enhancement and clarification of the "A Rose for Emily." After analyzing the

Left open to interpretation, William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily,” tells the remarkable story of Miss Emily Grierson whose life and death, particularly her funeral, drew the attention of her town. Throughout the story, respectability, and the loss of it is presented as the central theme. Faulkner’s elaborate use of setting coupled with characterization foreshadows and creates suspense and his use of metaphors help guide the reader to the climax of the story, Miss Grierson’s bittersweet ending. Initially, the story begins by depicting the death of Miss Grierson and subsequently includes flashbacks of her adolescence all the while hinting at the demise of a woman and the past she personifies. Using setting, characterization, and theme to move

William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” is placed under the southern gothic or modernistic category of writing not only because the grotesque features of the house and the protagonists actions but also in the sense of the stories unique structure. If Faulkner had constructed this story chronologically the reader would not get a chance to see that the protagonist Emily Grierson is worthy of the town's people's “care” before discovering she is perverse and turning into her crazy overprotective dead father.

William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is about an aristocratic spinster who is found dead by the townsfolk of Jefferson, Mississippi. They soon discover a warped secret while clearing out her house. The story is laid out into five parts, spread throughout a few decades involving Emily Grierson’s life. The authors purposefully shifted and manipulated time in the story for a reason; to learn about Emily’s life through a series of flashbacks.

An aristocratic woman, Miss Emily Grierson, lived in the Old Grierson family home until she died at the age of 74. Everyone in the town knew of this once “Southern Belle”, but as the years passed, people of the town never really knew the secrets Miss Emily was keeping. William Faulkner’s gothic romantic story “A Rose for Emily” uses symbolism as points of time to unveil Miss Emily’s mysterious past and reveal the horror of the present. By incorporating the Grierson house, stationary, hair, body features and other objects into the story line, Faulkner explains why Miss Emily’s love life and seclusion made her an eccentric person.(Faulkner)