Rose For Emily Symbolism

While one of the most traditional interpretations of “A Rose for Emily” is the variety of meanings for the “rose” presented in the title and how the “rose” fits in with the story. Laura Getty states in her article many varied perspectives that many could ponder when identifying what the “rose” stands for. She states many possible theories that depict what the “rose” means, including theories of other writers that help support her own theory and also that adds another way that most might not consider at first. Most of the interpretations of the rose are all focused on the “internal elements” (Getty 231) rather than the actual rose itself. Getty theorizes about certain characters, buildings, anything that symbolizes a rose in the story as

One thing to notice in A Rose for Emily is the sort of underlying sense that Emily may have a mental illness. She has rather disturbed and crazy behaviors that leave the town wondering about what she was up to. One example of Emily showing her mental ill behaviors is when she refused to acknowledge her father’s death. She kept him in the house for 3 days, refusing to admit that he was dead. “…Miss Emily met them at the door, dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days, with the minister calling on her and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body.” (Faulkner). She had lived with her deceased father in her house without a bother; she even resisted the people that were trying to help her. It seems as this may be her first sign of mental illness, and foreshadowing for the way she reacts to problems in the future.

So, once he dies she is left even more alone than before. Emily refuses to acknowledge that he is really dead. “When he dies, she refuses to acknowledge his death for three days. After the townspeople intervene and bury her father, Emily is further isolated by a mysterious illness, possibly a mental breakdown.” (Mosby).

Symbolism in literature is using an object to portray a different, deeper meaning in a story. Symbols represent ideas or qualities that the author has maneuvered into his or her story that has meaning. There can be multiple symbols in a story or just one. It is up to the reader to interpret the meaning of the symbols and their significance to the story. While reading a story, symbols may not become clear until the very end, once the climax is over, and the falling action is covered. In William Faulkner’s, “A Rose for Emily,” there are multiple examples of symbolism that occur throughout the story.

The Rose for Emily also contains multiple literary devices; such as, symbolism, the aged house Emily lives in shows her isolation, she does not leave that much, because she is hiding a terrible secret in the upstairs room. Emily only wanted a home, she could call her own and grow old with someone she loved in, which she thought was Home Barron but tragically he died and stored his body in the upstairs room, this is the reason why her house was smelling so horrible. The townspeople had to sprinkle lime on her lawn to terminate the smell. The reader is to think that she killed him because she loved him and wanted the control that she never had, because her father abused her and he was all she had before he died, so she wanted to always have Barron.

Like most Faulkner stories, "A Rose for Emily" is very typical. Miss Emily is depicted as a fallen landmark to the chivalric American South. Reinforcing the themes of change and decay, her house, once an exquisite mansion, has turned into a decaying blemish amidst an area that has changed from private to industrial. Another unmistakable image is the crayon representation of Miss Emily's father, related with the oppressive hold of the past on the present. Albeit less rich than an oil representation, the crayon picture is imperative to Miss Emily, and it is seen by the uncommon guest who goes into her house.

When asked about the meaning behind the title , A Rose for Emily, Faulkner never literally stated an answer. However Emily’s peculiar inability to let things go after they are dead suggests a possible reason for the title. It is not unheard of for one to preserve a rose in a closed book. Similarly, Emily preserved the body of Homer Barron in her house for years after his death. Homer was Emily’s rose. He was the happiness and hope that Emily had closed herself off from for such a long part of her life, of course she would want to keep that as long as she could.

The location the house is at symbolizes how Emily’s father wouldn’t allow any man to be with her because they weren’t good enough. Just like the house was in a perfect location, Emily’s father wouldn’t let anyone date her that wasn’t perfect and was up to his standards. Nothing was ever good enough for her father and she would be alone as long as

William Faulkner uses symbolism throughout A Rose for Emily. Faulkner was masterful in this literary technique and used symbolism to create layers within his characters, settings, and overall story. In A Rose for Emily the reader can find symbolism throughout and especially in the story title, Miss Emily’s home, and death and taxes. The symbolic features in this story allows a reader to better understand the depth of Faulkner’s story. Without symbolism the story would not have the same meaning.

The main symbolism running throughout A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, is the theme of how important it is to let go of the past. Miss Emily clings to the past and does not want to be independent. The Old South is becoming the new South and she cannot move forward. The residents of the South did not all give in to change just because they lost the Civil War. In A Rose for Emily time marches on leaving Miss Emily behind as she stubbornly refuses to progress into a new era. In the story, symbolism is used to give more details than the author actually gives to the reader. Symbolism helps to indicate how Emily was once innocent but later changes, how her hair, house, and lifestyle, helped to show her resistance to change. The story is not

Authors often use symbolism to deeper the meaning in their writing. Writers who compose short stories will use symbolism to foretell important parts of the story. Symbolism helps the writer get their point across in fewer words. Using symbolism also helps the reader understand the theme without directly saying it. William Faulkner uses symbols such as the items in the Snopes’s wagon, Abner’s walk through the de Spain Mansion, and Miss Emily’s house to deeper the meaning of his stories.

The literary world contains a vast collection of works, each employing diverse techniques in writing. One technique commonly found in literature is the use of images and symbols. Symbols are sometimes complex and contain both literal and figurative significance. Symbolism in literature is commonly used to bind the attributes of an object with various segments of a story to provide the reader with a deeper understanding and sometimes hidden meaning. In the short story, “A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner utilizes a vast collection of symbols, as a means to enhance the reader’s visual perceptions but also prompts consideration into theories of motive surrounding the murder of Homer Barron.

What Does A Rose for Emily Symbolize? A “Rose for Emily” is a story by the author William Faulkner. This story isn’t just about one person; it’s about a number of members of the town as well. Throughout the story, Faulkner uses symbolism as a way to represent what each character, objects, and places mean.

The symbol of the rose is one of the principal meaning in this short story. Also, it symbolize the importance of the memory of Emily. The author goes between the reality of the story and Emily’s dream. In the story death and demolition is approached but the rose is there to have a optimistic outlook on Emily’s life. Reading the title of this story “ A Rose for Emily” readers would most likely look at this through a romantic perception.

There are two main themes of “A Rose for Emily”. One of them is the power of death. Death hangs over the story by the narrator mentioning Emily’s death at the beginning by describing her bad life. Emily gives into death slowly and the narrator compares her to a drowned woman.