A Rose for Emily

A Rose For Emily written by William Faulkner was Faulkner's first published short story in a national Magazine. This story is taken placed in a fictional city in Mississippi based on Faulkner's place of residents. Faulkner said the reason behind the title was a women who had a tragedy and nothing could be done about it and you pitted her and this was a salute to a women you wanted to hand a rose to.  A Rose for Emily tells the story of Emily Grierson's death and life. This story explains Faulkner's idea of social class and new verse tradition.  The story is divided into Five section and explores the social classes of that town, authority and jealousy. Faulkner made it hard for the reader to figure out the narrator, but soon we realize that its the town as narrators. Faulkner spoke in a interview that he made it that way to show how our society gossips, and treats one another. He wanted to show history of different generations of men and women and how we have evolved. The story opens with the town being at Emily's funeral, mostly out of noisiness and jealousy.  Most of the town hasn't been to her house in ten years except her servants and wanted to see what all the talk was about. The new generation didn't really like Miss Emily because she did not have to pay any taxes. Faulkner implies that Emily father took her youth away from her and many look at that and see a connection between Faulkner and Emily. Faulkner's father was a alcoholic and feel to poverty and felt like he had to grow up faster then others. Faulkner describes the house, and uses history and visualization a lot to get his readers engage. In the story the narrators describes Emily as a small, fat women in black making readers believe having money does not take away all your problems. Throughout the short story you start seeing the town people pitted Miss Emily because they realized her family wasn't a superior as they seemed. Many seem this is also a connection to Faulkner because his family was looked as Wealthy but behind close doors they were having problems. Faulkner wanted his readers to see Emily as a human being and maybe that's why her father didn't leave her any money. Faulkner introduces Homer a man who many believe is gay and took advantage of Emily. Some of the towns women just believed she wanted someone to call family. Emily stayed in her home and never really came out. She comes very ill and no longer is seen only through windows. The new generation saw her as dear, inescapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse. Shortly after she died in a dark, lonely dusty basement.












http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/creating/downloads/A_Rose_for_Emily.pdf