A Rose for Emily

A detailed Summary of A Rose for Emily

In the story "A Rose for Emily," the symbolism shows more about the character than is detailed by the author, William Faulkner. Symbolism helps to indicate several things in the story. A few things are how Ms. Emily was once innocent but later changes, how her hair and some other items helped to show her resistance to change, how the room where Homer died shows that she loved Homer and her desire to stop change, how Homer's name and actions suggest that he is a homosexual, and how she could not get away from her father's control even after his death. Symbolism plays a huge role in William Faulkner's decision to side with the North or South in "A Rose for Emily".

First, Ms. Emily used to white wear dresses, which symbolize innocence and purity, but she begins wearing black clothes, much like a widow's or mourner's style of dress after Homer presumably disappears. Emily's change in appearance shows that she has become soiled in some sense. She was sad about him leaving and let everybody around her know it. Another example of Emily's change is also exhibited in how the house begins to degenerate. At one time the house was white and emaculate, but Emily allows it to become decrepit and dirty. It be

comes so dirty and smelly that men broke into her cellar door after midnight and threw lime around to try to sanitize the awful smell. "Send her word to have her place cleaned up. Give her a certain time to do it in, and if she don't..." (Faulkner pg. 146). The description of the interior and exterior of her house illustrates Emily's decay.

Next is the use of color to symbolize her love for Homer Barron and her desire to keep things the same. After Emily's death, many of the people in the town brake into one of the locked rooms and discover that most of the room and its objects were red. Red is usually the symbol of love. Also, the way in which Homer's body was found symbolizes her love for him. She must have cared for him because she took the time to undress him, put him in his night shirt, and lay him on the bed. If she had just wanted him dead and not to be with him she probably would have had her servant dispose of the body. Also if she had allowed him to leave her there would be dramatic changes in her life such as the town pitying her even more. She liked having a man in her life, especially because of the number one man in her life (her father) dying.

There are quite a few symbols in "A Rose for Emily" and each one has a special meaning. The meaning of the symbols must be determined by each reader, and therefore, each time the story is read it can take on a new form. I'm sure that if I have to write a paper on this again, I will find a new way of looking at it.

In conclusion I decided that Faulkner sided with the South throughout the story. He tries to make Homer look like a bad person just because he is a Yan

Some common words found in the essay are:
Ms Emily, Miss Emily, Homer Barron, Ms Emily's, Emily Homer, Rose Emily, Elks' Club-that, Elks' Club, Yankee Southerner, rose emily, Faulkner Symbolism, faulkner pg, father's control, faulkner pg 146, drank elks', marrying faulkner, homer barron, faulkner sided, throughout story, emily's change, faulkner sided south, liked drank elks', control death,

Approximate Word count = 1112
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English