Essay on Connecting Symbols in A Rose for Emily

In “A Rose for Emily”, Charles Faulkner used a series of flashbacks and foreshadowing to tell Miss Emily’s story. Miss Emily is an interesting character, to say the least. In such a short story of her life, as told from the prospective of a townsperson, who had been nearly eighty as Miss Emily had been, in order to tell the story from their own perspective. Faulkner set up the story in Mississippi, in a world he knew of in his own lifetime. Inspired by a southern outlook that had been touched by the Civil War memory, the touch of what we would now look at as racism, gives the southern aroma of the period. It sets up Miss Emily’s southern belle status and social standing she had been born into, loner or not.

Through this examination of the differences between past and present, wrong and right, and North and South, by Ray West Jr., the different viewpoints and conflicts that appear throughout “A Rose for Emily” are deeply analyzed. West’s critical assessment divides the characters based on who represents the old ways and who represents the changing times. However, the story shows the South’s fervent desire to keep their lifestyle the same. Emily attempted to hold her love for Homer like the South attempted to hold its love for gentile days before the Civil War. West’s asserts that Emily’s fall from grace symbolizes the South’s fall. The deterioration of Emily and the South during reconstruction parallels the slow deterioration of Emily’s house.

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

The whip he held was a sign of strictness, power, and protectiveness he had towards Emily. When Miss Emily’s father dies, her refusal to admit that he died shows her unwillingness to accept change. The watch Miss Emily wore tucked out of sight in her belt is also symbolic of this. Another symbol of her unwillingness to change was her refusal to allow the new guard to put the numbers of her house for free mail delivery and her use of old paper and old ink in her answer to the demand for tax payment. Her refusal to pay taxes and her dilapidated house also reflected her unwillingness to change. The Grierson house represents the Old South and is symbolic of an age gone by. The poor upkeep of the house relates to Miss Emily and her poor upkeep. The fact that cotton wagons and gasoline pumps flanked the house represents the conflict between the Old South (Miss Emily) and the New South (the changing town). Faulkner also used the stench that permeated the air around Miss Emily’s house as symbolism. It symbolized the sour faultiness in southern thinking or logic; that the town would rather cover up the smell (townsmen with the lime) than uncover the cause. The bedroom where Homer was found dead symbolized a few things. First, it symbolized Emily. It was upstairs representing the high and mighty Griersons and it was secluded from everyone like Miss Emily was for the majority of her life.

William Faulkner’s short story “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.

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

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 first symbol, found in "A Rose for Emily", is the house where Emily and her father live. This house is at one time a beautiful home to Emily and her father. During that time, the house symbolizes prosperity, family, and happiness. Unfortunately, the house does not stay a positive symbol forever. Emily 's father dies and the only people that continue to live in the house is Emily and one servant. Emily does not take care of her beautiful home any longer. The house is no longer appealing. It slowly becomes rundown and is symbol of despair and grief. Emily uses the house to alienate herself from the rest of society. She comes out of her alienation when she meets a man that she likes. His name is Homer Barron and she dreams of one day sharing her home with him. However, Homer does not agree with the ideas of Emily and tries to leave her. Emily is not fond of his choice to flee her, so she murders him. She uses the house to hold him like a trophy in a room. The house that was thought of as a positive place in the

In the story “A Rose for Emily” written by William Faulkner, the author uses the house to symbolize Emily’s life. The first example of the house as a symbol of the life of Emily in the story is at the begging when it first describes the house. In the story it says “It was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies.” At the beginning of the story the house is white and it symbolizes Emily when she was younger and hadn’t done anything wrong. White is a pure color and when Emily was young she was pure.

Dust symbolizes the decay of life in that house. The decay and eventual death of Emily as well as the love she never

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.

Even though the rose is distinctly only in the title, it emerges as allegorical and symbolic throughout the story. Getty states, “The "Rose" of the title extends far beyond any one flower or literary allusion in its implications for the story's structure. The "Rose" represents secrecy: the confidential relationship between the author and his character, with all of the privileged information withheld” (Getty 230). The view of the warmth of love and fondness is to be thought when

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.

Miss Emily was strange and mysterious woman because she didn’t want to see anyone and she didn’t leave her house so many years passed nobody had been able to visit her,she didn’t want to adjust to the new generation and she wouldn’t communication with them.She is the classic outsider,controlling and limiting the town’s access to her true identify by remaining hidden.the house that shields Emily from the word suggest the mind of the woman who inhabits it.

1. Discuss the ways in which Faulkner uses Miss Emily 's house as a symbol and/or metaphor both her character 's personality and circumstances and for the narrative 's broader themes. What does the description of Emily 's house—at the beginning of the story, particularly, but also throughout the narrative—reveal about her character? About the story 's historical setting? About the narrative 's central concerns?