Faulkner's Short Story A Rose for Emily

William Faulkner was born in 1897 and died in 1962. He grew up in a small town in Mississippi, which is the setting for many of his novels and short stories. Faulkner's family had lost power and money during the Civil War. His work is deeply rooted in the story of the South, tackling issues such as race, gender, and class. His short story titled A Rose for Emily is an interesting and rare one. The author wrote this story in a confusing way that I had to actively read twice to understand.

This brilliantly written story by William Faulkner embraces numerous themes that can be construed in quite a lot of ways. This short story is about Emily Grierson's life. One important message that William Faulkner tried to pass across to readers through this short story is that it is crucial to let a child grow to be themselves. Giving a child the freedom of living and expression while growing up helps them to develop emotionally and socially.

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Parents needs to find a balance so that they are not negligent and at the same time not overbearing when raising a child up. Emily's father was terribly overbearing, and her daughter's emotional and social life was jeopardized. Growing up, Emily's father played a major impact on her mindset. Keeping her secluded from everyone played a big role in her later life. The story is a haunting example of what happens when the mind refuses to accept change. Emily is an enduring figure and one that the reader sympathizes with despite her murder of Homer.

Abandoned by those close to her, she found comfort only when by their corpses.

The story begins with the funeral of Emily Grierson. Emily's family was once Southern aristocracy. After the war is over, Emily and her father continued to live as they did before, with her father refusing to allow her to marry because he thought no man was good enough for her. When he died and left her alone at age 30, she was shocked and devastated. When she refuses to bury him, the townspeople write it off as an eccentric grieving process.

Emily recovers eventually, and she becomes friendly with a man named Homer Barron, a Northerner who came to town shortly after her father's death. The townspeople are pleased but surprised. However, Homer claims that he isn't the marrying kind and intends to stay a bachelor forever. When Emily is seen buying arsenic from the local store, the townspeople are convinced that Homer's declaration has driven her to suicide. The town arranges for Emily's distant cousins to come into town to watch over her, and Homer leaves. After a brief return to town three days later, he disappears and is never seen again. Despite all these events, Emily continues with her haughty, eccentric ways as if nothing has happened.

The town is soon plagued by a ghastly smell coming from Emily's house, but as always, they deal with the problem in a roundabout way. Late at night, men sprinkle lime around her house, and the smell soon dissipates. The mayor decides to waive Emily's taxes under the pretense of paying back her father after his death, and Emily is left alone in her house. Emily funeral at the end of the story was a large occasion. Many came only to gawk at the loner. After the funeral, opinion about the state of her house was high, and a few townspeople decide to explore what's left. They find her bedroom locked, and they kick down the door to find inside every gift Emily ever bought for Homer. On the bed is the badly decomposed body of Homer Barron with an indentation in the pillow beside him and a single gray hair.

I have seen many people lived an isolated life just like Emily's. Isolation leads to depression. Depressed individuals need s help and healing, they are not to be left alone to suffer and die in silence. Emily lived in denial and also lived a sorrowful life. This reminds me of the story of a man who after he lost his entire family in a plane crash became a shadow of himself. He isolated himself from people, he became a loner who chose not to live in reality anymore. He eventually died committing suicide. Maybe if Emily were raised to be emotionally and socially stable, she would have used the people around her to heal .