A ROSE FOR EMILY
William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily" is an intriguing story of a lady who gets away with murder in the South around the turn of the century. There are many different interpretations regarding the meaning of this story. These range from Ray West's theory of Emily Grierson's attempt to stop time to Jack Scherting's suggestion that she suffers from an Oedipal complex (Blythe 192). In my analysis of Faulkner's story, I will give several different interpretations written by different writers. Then I will explain which one I agree with the most and why. Celia Rodriguez believes that in "A Rose for Emily" the past is contrasted with the present era. The past is seen in Miss Emily, Colonel Sartoris, the old Negro servant, and the Board of Alderman. Emily's suitor, the Yankee Homer Barron, the new Board of Alderman, and "the next generation with its more modern ideas" (Faulkner 178) represent the present (1). Emily lived completely in the past. She told the new Board of Alderman that Colonel Sartoris had explained to her that she had no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris, however, had been dead for at least ten years. When Homer Barron tried to escap
Emily's power over the town is proven by the fact that Emily is not only exempt from paying taxes in Jefferson, but she gets away with murder. Blythe states, "Once again Faulkner has used sexual deviation to indicate the decay of an old South tradition" (193). Then after she kills him, she positions his body to appear to be embracing a lover. Emily gets away without having to pay taxes simply because she plays up her role as a "lady" (Fetterley 195). There are several clues within the story that could possibly lead a reader to this conclusion. Even when a terrible stench begins emanating from within Emily's house, no one gets suspicious. I believe that Faulkner used his mother's strong and independent attitude as the basis for Emily Grierson. She refuses to pay taxes because the long dead Colonel Sartoris told her she was not obligated to (191). Hers is also the one that I happen to agree with the most. He believes that Emily discovered that Barron was a homosexual. e from her world into the new world, Emily murdered him to keep him in the past with her (2). Fetterley believes that within her patriarchal society, Emily suffers the most injury from being forced into the position of a "lady". Miss Emily openly buys men's clothes, combs, and even a nightshirt.
Common topics in this essay:
Miss Emily,
Homer Barron,
Colonel Sartoris,
Judith Fetterley's,
Board Alderman,
Rose Emily,
Elks' Club-that,
Jack Scherting's,
Grierson Emily's,
Miss Emily's,
colonel sartoris,
homer barron,
miss emily,
board alderman,
pay taxes,
colonel sartoris explained,
paying taxes,
emily's house,
taxes jefferson,
believes emily,
emily grierson,
sartoris dead ten,
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Acceptance Essays
