The Purpose of the Order in a Rose for Emily by William Faulkner.
What is chronological order, but a stereotype to cage in the mind of a writer? Today, writing has been polluted by the convenience of simplicity. Within modern writing you find the reoccurring pattern of having a thesis, normally last sentence first paragraph, a series of events, in chronological order, and the happening result of these events; which is why some might find William Faulkner’s narrative, A Rose for Emily, a confusing piece to understand. In A Rose for Emily, William Faulkner, completely disregards the community of placing events in occurring order. To the modern reader, this choice of organization may seems a little strange, but William Faulkner wrote in this way with the purpose of creating suspense, mystery, and sympathy. William Faulkner, in A Rose for Emily, takes a small town scandal and turns it into a heightening story holding the reader’s attention till the last sentence. Taking the reader from the present to the past creates the essence of mystery, to the reader, by the cleaver use of hermeneutic codes. Starting the story with Emily Grierson’s death, cleverly, grabs the reader’s attention by presenting the question, “How did she die?”. Another example of Faulkner presenting questions is in one part of the story where the narrator goes back to an account of Miss. Emily banishing the taxes collectors from her house. “See Colonel Sartoris.”, Miss. Emily replied, (Colonel Sartois has been dead almost ten years.) “I have no taxes in Jefferson. Tobe!” The Negro appeared. “Show these gentleman out.” So she vanquished them, horse and foot, just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell. That was two years after her father’s death and a short time after her sweetheart- the one who we believed would marry her- had deserted her.” (31) Once again, we see the use of hermeneutic codes, and the mystery Faulkner creates. “Why can’t Emily come to the realization Colonel Sartois is dead? What smell caused the men of