Preview

A Rose For Emily Theme Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
695 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
A Rose For Emily Theme Essay
Everyone at some point in their life has or will experience love, whether they were loved or have loved. Love seems to be the underlying goal that Americans strive to have in their lifetime. In the short story “A Rose for Emily,” by William Faulkner presents the reader with a woman named Emily Grierson, who was sheltered and protected by her father her whole life. Not only that, Miss Emily dealt with mental abuse that also came with a domineering personality. Miss Emily has never felt loved or wanted. Faulkner’s use of symbolism profoundly develops the theme of the story, addressing the issues of morality that arises from a young women’s struggle to find love. In the title “A Rose for Emily” the rose surfaces throughout the story as a symbol of love and dreams of romance. Emily’s father was a man who never allowed or agreed to any guy being good enough for his daughter. Because of this Emily was never able to experience love until the day she met Homer. Emily cherished and loved Homer and kept him to herself after his body was corrupted throughout time. Miss Emily was …show more content…
Homer Barron is Miss Emily’s “rose.” He is the only one that has showed love to Miss Emily after her father passed. Miss Emily saw this and never wanted Homer to leave her side. However, many women dry out roses to keep them forever. Emily has known to have a distorted and out of the ordinary mind, so she wanted to keep Homer forever by “drying out her rose.” Emily being unable to let go and accept change and abandonment, she wouldn’t accept that Homer was gone. By not wanting to let go to fix this situation, she decided to keep Homers body with her. Emily wasn’t good with adjusting her life to the struggles she faced. Taking Homers body satisfied Miss Emily because she didn’t have to leave it in the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    A Rose For Emily Point Of View Analysis
    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Rose For Emily Point Of View Analysis

    In the short story, “A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner establishes depth in characters and scenes by using long, descriptive lists. Faulkner also uses point of view to express his feelings of sympathy for Miss Emily. Faulkner juxtaposes past events with present ones, jumping from one time period to another, to tie the scenes together.…

    • 515 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    'A Rose for Emily': Q&A
    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages

    'A Rose for Emily': Q&A

    1) Who is Emily Grierson? What was the former position of her family in the town? What has happened to Emily after her father died? What are her economic circumstances? How does the deputation of aldermen from the town of Jefferson treat her?…

    • 361 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Miss Emily In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily
    • 190 Words
    • 1 Page

    Miss Emily In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

    “A Rose for Emily” is a mysterious and unusual short story. William Faulkner creates a character, Miss Emily Grierson, who is so significant to the town that she is referred to as a “fallen monument” after her death. Miss Emily is an eccentric character, and although she physically changes, her character nor her personality do. Miss Emily is a static character, with internal conflicts, and has odd relationships with her boyfriend and husband. For instance, Miss Emily kept her late father's body and refused to give him up, showing an inability to let go. She keeps his body because she also does not want to be isolated, even though she avoids interaction by staying in her home. Miss Emily's isolation is external with society and also resonates…

    • 190 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Rose for Emily Character Motiviation Essay
    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Rose for Emily Character Motiviation Essay

    The main character, Emily Grierson, in Williams Faulkner’s story, “A Rose for Emily”, is a proud southern woman that displays strange behavior around her town. Throughout the story the behavior of Emily Grierson is mysterious and undergoes through a lot of tragedies. While living with her father she was not allowed to date any man because for the eyes of her father all men weren’t good enough for her. Her father rules her every move and keeps Emily isolated from the public. The story takes place during the Civil War, so in that time women were to be married at a young age. After her father’s death, Emily became more isolated and mentally unstable. Emily is a very spoiled women, she is determined to get exactly what she wants whenever she wants and at which ever cost It is.…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Rose For Emily Title Analysis
    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Rose For Emily Title Analysis

    The true meaning of the title of “A Rose for Emily” is only revealed to the reader when he or she also takes into account Homer’s sexual preference. At first, Homer provides Emily with friendship in light of her being moderately disliked by the town. The more time they spend together, the…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Rose for Emily Essay Example
    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A Rose for Emily Essay Example

    In William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily", he writes a story that occurs in the fictitious town of Jefferson, Mississippi. The story begins with a narrator discussing a woman who died in her old age, and how her life impacted a community. The narrator states in the story that Miss Emily, through her family history, places herself above the other members of her community. He also says that she considered herself to be above the law. When her beau, Homer Baron disappears, everyone in town believes that he moved away, but in reality Miss Emily kills him and keeps him in her home so that they can always be together. With no regard to the laws against homicide, she thinks only of her happiness. "A Rose for Emily" implies that trying to be above the law will always wreak destructive consequences for those who try.…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Rose For Emily Setting Analysis
    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Rose For Emily Setting Analysis

    A Rose for Emily, is a tragic story of a young women who was denied the privilege to love and be loved at young age. The author, William Faulkner, was born and raised in Mississippi at the turn of the century. Faulkner is known as one of the 20th century’s best writers. “The man himself never stood taller than five feet, six inches tall, but in the realm of American literature, William Faulkner is a giant” (“William Faulkner”). In the short story A Rose for Emily, Faulkner ties the story together through setting, foreshadowing, symbolism, and most importantly the characters.…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Rose For Emily Literary Analysis
    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Rose For Emily Literary Analysis

    “A Rose for Emily” is a Southern Gothic story since the themes of murder and death are present. Throughout the story, the Faulkner describes Emily as lonely. “She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue. Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough.”(Faulkner). When Emily goes into the store and buys poison this leads the readers to believe that something bad is going to happen. The ending of the story also makes it Gothic. Emily secret is revealed that she has had a dead corpse in her house for several years. Emily also slept with the corpse a long grey hair was found next to Homers decaying body. The Gothic elements help give this story a gloomy and creepy tone.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A Rose for Emily Essay
    • 290 Words
    • 1 Page

    A Rose for Emily Essay

    In a “Rose for Emily” one can feel sympathetic towards the main character, Emily. Her father is a very strict man who did not feel anyone was good enough for his daughter. He did not let her partake in their community or experience love. This left Emily emotionally unbalanced. As a result, Emily is a recluse who cannot deal with the thought of being abandoned.…

    • 290 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    a rose for emily
    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages

    a rose for emily

    Emily Grierson, referred to as Miss Emily throughout the story, is the main character of 'A Rose for Emily,' written by William Faulkner. Emily is born to a proud, aristocratic family sometime during the Civil War; Miss Emily used to live with her father and servants, in a big decorated house. The Grierson Family considers themselves superior than other people of the town. According to Miss Emily's father none of the young boys were suitable for Miss Emily. Due to this attitude of Miss Emily's father, Miss Emily was not able to develop any real relationship with anyone else, but it was like her world revolved around her father.…

    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Rose For Emily Research Paper
    • 387 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Rose For Emily Research Paper

    Emily was found crazy, by her over reaction to her fathers death and her man fleeing, left alone with nothing but her house. At first she said that her father didn’t die, which the town for the town people seem kind of ok reaction. After a while started to never come out of the house and these people where worried about her and her depression and poor her, etc; but no one seemed to do anything about it. But when the house became grotesque of dust and repulsive smells then they thought she was crazy living in that filth, the house started rotting as she did. How she later is described like a “small, fat woman in black, with a thin gold chain descending to her waist and vanishing into her belt, leaning…

    • 387 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Rose for Emily
    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Rose for Emily

    In the short story “A rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, it starts off with the unknown narrator explaining Miss Emily’s funeral and why the townspeople actually attended. From this the reader learns what type of character Miss Emily is. She does not like change and cannot handle denial. Her family’s name and the way she was bought up by her father is the explanation for this. Throughout the story the reader realizes how respected her family was and what lengths Miss Emily is willing to go to keep the man she loves by her side. The allegory in a rose for Emily would be the townspeople and Miss Emily. Miss Emily is stuck in the past and the town treats her as if nothing has changed. Miss Emily being so isolated in her home shows her unwillingness to accept that the South is changing even when the influences of the North are taking over. The new generation with their new ideas tried to change the ways of Miss Emily but failed. When they demanded taxes, she refused to pay, and she won. This is symbolic of Miss Emily’s efforts to keep the South’s culture alive. The conflict in this short story is internal. Miss Emily cannot understand the idea of death. When Miss Emily’s father dies she refuses to believe it. She also suffers a lot when denied because as soon as she thought her boyfriend, Homer Barron, would leave her she bought poison, the arsenic, and he disappeared. She killed him to make sure that he would never leave. The arsenic was a symbol of getting rid of something. It is used to “kill anything up to an elephant” (4) and for Miss Emily is was used to end Homer Barron’s life. Homer Barron is a FOIL character because he is constantly around Miss Emily giving her the impression that he wants to be with her and because of that Miss Emily falls in love with him. Miss Emily is an indirect character because we cannot understand her. For example, she wants to be by herself which is why she is never seen outside her house but she longs for a partner in life and when…

    • 770 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Essay: a Rose for Emily
    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Essay: a Rose for Emily

    References: Faulkner, W. (2012). A Rose for Emily. In M. Meyer (Ed.), The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature (9th ed., pp. 84-90). New York: Bedford/ St. Martin’s.…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    A Rose for Emily: Themes
    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Rose for Emily: Themes

    Miss Emily seems to start to show some sense of socialism when she meets a man named Homer Barron. They are together for a long time and everyone in town believes that they will be married soon. However, Homer decides that he wants to leave Emily. Emily, after going through the loss of her father, decides to kill Homer. She purchases Arsenic from the drug store and poisons Homer leaving his corpse in her house. In her mind she will always have him by here side, so she leaves his body positioned on the bed. She sleeps with his corpse until her own death.…

    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A Rose for Emily
    • 595 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A Rose for Emily

    Kurtz, Elizabeth Carney. "Faulkner 's “A Rose for Emily”. Explicator. Heldref Publications. 44.2 (1986): 40. Academic Search Complete. Blinn College, Bryan, Lib. 12 May 2014…

    • 595 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics