A Rose for Emily
A symbol is a person, object, or event that suggests more that its literal meaning. In the story, "A Rose for Emily," the symbolism shows more about the character than is detailed by the author, William Faulkner (287-294). "A Rose for Emily" was published in 1930. A nameless narrator describes the life of a pathetic woman, Emily, who represents a figure from the past. To some readers this horror story is the most "gothic" that Faulkner ever wrote as a writer. But if horror is all he or she gets from the story, then that person is missing the meaning of the story. The inability to handle change is reflected in the control of Emily by her father, Emily and her home's appearance, and the use of color and her unhealthy relationship with Homer. First, there are several examples of how her father's control over her is so great. The townspeople picture Emily dressed in white standing behind her father and him in the foreground holding a horsewhip. The whip symbolizes his strictness and desire for Emily to be a perfect little girl. As Mr.West put it, "...She has been frustrated by her father, prevented from participating in the life of her contemporaries"(150). When her father dies she refuses to bury him sayin
ooked bloated, like a body long sub merged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue'"(West 149). Therefore, after her father's death, Emily displaces her emotions on the condition of her house. Another example of Emily's change is also exhibited in how the house begins to deteriorate. At one time the house was white and immaculate, but Emily allows it to become decrepit and dirty. "It was a big, squarish frame house that had been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street. ...[o]nly Miss Emily was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps - an eyesore among eyesores"(Faulkner 287-288). According to Ray West, it was shown through the use of the words "stubborn and coquettish" also he states that the description of the interior illustrates Emily's decay. "They were admitted by the old Negro into a hall from which a stairway mounted into still more shadow. It smelled of dust and disuse - a close, dank smell. 'In the next paragraph a description of Emily discloses her similarity to the house 'She l! Finally, Faulkner uses color to symbolize Emily's love for Homer Barron and her unhealthy relationship with him. After Emily's death, many of the people in the town break into one of the locked rooms and discover that most of the room and its objects are red. Red is usually the symbol of love. Also, the way in which Homer's body is found symbolizes her love for him. She must have cared for him because she took the time to undress him, put him in his nightshirt, and lay him on the bed. If she has just wanted him dead, and not to be with him, she probably would have had her servant dispose of the body. Also if she has allowed him to leave her, there would be dramatic changes in her life such as the town pitying her even
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1286
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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