A Rose for Emily
In William Faulkner's story "A Rose for Emily," the rose symbolizes many things from love, to hate, to revenge, and her feeling of being neglected. Emily is living a sad life. When she is growing up her father isolates her, and after his death, she is still sad and miserable. Her father leaves her alone, completely alone, and "a pauper, she had become humanized." The greatest thing that a rose can symbolize is love, and Emily finds her "sweetheart" when the city contracts for the sidewalks to be paved one year after her father's death. Even though the women in the town can only say "poor Emily," at this single point in her life Emily is happy, but as soon as Emily's life seems to move forward where she can be happy and love somebody, the thorns of the rose appear, and Emily's life starts to shred. Emily, believing that Homer will marry her, finds the horrible truth that "he is not a marrying man." Homer likes men and a life of drinking at the Elk's Club, and again the town people say "poor Emily" when Homer leaves. Emily feels hatred toward Homer for humiliating her. As expected by the town, Homer returns within three days. Emily wants revenge as the thorns of the rose appear inside her. She wants Homer to be with her
The final symbolization of the rose is neglect. And just like her house, which had once been white and on a " select street", Miss Emily had been a slim young girl dressed in white. But due to the old southern ideals of honor, duty and loyalty the older, the more traditional members could not possibly confront her about this matter. I t was said that she had to "cling to that which had robbed her". This could have ended being a gothic, horror story but instead it shows a repressed, overprotected woman denied a chance to live a normal life because of the times (past). The bridal room is the color of roses and symbolizes the color of love. Homer is of machinery, a hearty laugh and a man's man. The present had tried to defeat her but only through death, did this become possible. It is ironic that the same description " stubborn and coquettish decay" can be a description for Miss Emily as well. The situation was becoming a "disgrace to the town". Emily feels neglected by Homer, so she closes her front door forever to be with Homer and to wilt and die. After the burial of Miss Emily, the door of the little room was broken down and the past was finally allowed to escape its tomb.
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Acceptance Essays
