Category: A Rose For Emily

The stories under analysis are considered to be masterpieces of 20^th century literature, though both of them are very special. So the aim of this essay is to compare the themes and writing styles of the works by Sandra Cisneros and William Faulkner.

What makes this stories alike is that they are about “the inability of love and compassion to reach those to whom it is proffered” (Abcarian, 2005, 152). The House on Mango Street and A Rose for Emily are about tragic women’s fate. The main characters of the stories, though absolutely different in their ages, appearances and lifestyles, failed to find love and understanding in their lives. This lack of understanding makes both Esperanza and Emily live in the worlds of their own.

The techniques of the authors are very different from conventional, and this is the feature that unites them.

The House on Mango Street is a work of fiction, but the author breaks the conventional rules of form and plot. It composes a series of vignettes, each of which is a descriptive scene or a sketch. A vignette cannot be called a story because it doesn’t have a distinct plot. In these scenes the character is important. When these vignettes come together, the life of a young girl is revealed.

The reader gets to know about Esperanza, the main character and the narrator, and about her cultural surroundings.

The House on mango Street covers a period of one year in a life of a twelve year old girl. The house she and her family live in is situated in the centre of a Latino neighborhood. There are many poor areas in the city; most of them are racially segregated. The novel describes how Esperanza grows physically and emotionally. There are also scenes depicting the life of her neighbors.

In the city Esperanza soon makes friends with Sally, who uses boys in her attempt escape from her evil father. Mainly because of this friendship Esperanza is eventually assaulted by local boys. The story is filled with the girl’s traumatic experiences. The observations of the other women in the neighborhood add up to the feeling of disillusionment.

The plot of the next story is tragic too. The reader is invited to Miss Emily’s strange and frightening world.

“A Rose for Emily” tells the reader one of many stories which take part in the fictional county seat Jefferson which is situated in Mississippi. This place is a critical setting in many of Faulkner’s works. Though the work is not big in volume, many themes are revealed in it, such as relations between North and South, the nature of time, tragedy of spinsters.

As opposed to The House on Mango Street, the third-person narration is used. The reader knows neither his /her name nor his /her age. The narrative point of view and intricately complex chronology make the story unique. The narrator uses the word “we”, which creates a feeling that he is speaking for the whole town. This technique suggests the idea of a gossipy nature of a town, where everyone knows everyone.

The plot is rather simple but scary. Emily Grierson, an eccentric spinster, has odd relationships with her lover, a Yankee, Homer Barron, and her father. After Homer disappears from the city, everybody thinks that he has returned north. Emily seldom leaves her house. In the end of the story the reader understands what the cause of the dreadful stench which emitted from her house was. She had been sleeping with her lover’s corps for 40 years.

Faulkner masterly experiments with time, the narration shifts from the very end of the story, the funeral, back to the past.

In conclusion I would like to say that these authors use very special literary devices which make their styles unique. Cisneros and Faulkner masterly penetrate into the psychics of their characters. Their women struggle to reach love in unresponsive world. Though their ways to do it are absolutely different, neither of them finds understanding and sympathy.

References

Abcarian, R. & Klotz, M. (2005). Literature: The Human Experience (9^th ed.). Bedford/St.Martin’s.

The embodiment of women’s character is widely used in the works of outstanding authors. They describe in detail all the female sufferings and struggle, persistence, and resistance to the negative environmental factors connected with social inequality and prejudices against weak gender. To illustrate these facts one can analyze such books as “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner.

Zora Neale Hurston is known as a short story writer and the author of the masterpiece called “Sweet”. This story tells about Afro-American woman Delia Jones who was constantly struggling against society and her husband. This story is rich in moral and religious symbolic features. The events take place in Deep South; they closely interact with a woman’s belief in God, her trust in her inner voice, and her hope for the careless future. The symbolic characteristic of Delia Jones and her husband Sykes shows that they are two completely opposite people with different moral values. The protagonist of the story is a very hard-working, intelligent, and strong-willed woman with her own view of life, unique lively faith, and saintly virtue. To describe her husband means to show the opposite character. Sykes is presented as a physically strong man, who had never believed in anything and provided his wife with no support.

The symbolism of religious characters is widely presented in this story. All the things mentioned in this story are symbolic in a way. The white dress of Delia is described to show the inner character and soul of the woman. The presence of religious mood influences the behavior of Delia Jones. Only her faith helps in overcoming all the difficulties of life with Sykes Jones, to contradict him and struggle with his interests. He seems to be the embodiment of evil; his symbolic character is shown by the description of the “snake”. The author tried to compare him with this creature; the interior of the snake completely coincides with Sykes, who always tried to frighten his wife and hurt her. The contradiction of good and evil is provided by the description of the main story characters. The symbolic nature ends the story with the sunrise. By this, the author stated the victory of the good and saint character of Delia Jones. Sykes’ death brings relaxation and the feeling of a happy and troubled future.

The related topic is raised in “A Rose for Emily”, written by William Faulkner. The protagonist of this work is Emily Grierson who devoted her present life to the past and lived only by memories. The theme of the story is to present the character of a “lady” and her behavior in society, her actions, and justifications for them. She is an offender because she killed Homer Barron; it is difficult to explain the motive simply because no one knew the mysterious character of the so-called “lady”. She acts against the rules of society, she just rejects them and strives for satisfying her needs and interests. Emily refuses to pay taxes as it was of no importance, she does not want to be abandoned by Homer Barron and the only way out she finds is to kill him in order to save their relations and feelings. The author managed to symbolize the strong-willingness and persistence of the female character. The role Emily played in her life was the figure of a modern “lady” who never considered public opinion and acted according to her own will. The symbol of the rose is embodied in Emily who likes this wonderful and innocent flower should struggle with society in order to be protected from the changing environment.

Both the authors managed to cover the same theme of providing strong features to a weak person. Delia and Emily wanted just to prove to the public that they also have the right to live a full life without any limitations. They were strong enough to stand their ground and act in a way they consider to be appropriate. The description of brave women in society shows the results of social development. Nowadays women are not to struggle in order to be realized and heard by the surrounding people. The authors reflected successfully the sufferings and difficult fate of Afro-American women and managed to represent their “victory” among unfairness and prejudices.

References

Gwynn, R. S. A pocket Anthology (Penguin academic series), New York, 2004.

William Faulkner’s short story A Rose for Emily explores the experiences of a woman who cannot adjust to the evolving social and cultural environment. The author focuses on the life of Emily Grierson who once belonged to the Southern aristocracy; however, she is forced to adjust to the changes that American society underwent. More importantly, the writer shows the way in which this person becomes more and more secluded.

Additionally, this short story shows that this resistance to change can lead to disastrous results. Overall, it is possible to say that this work will be a part of the literary canon because it provides an excellent example of character development. In particular, the writer is able to portray the inner world of the protagonist by focusing on minor details that can be very informative.

Additionally, the writer skillfully uses symbols that represent significant social and cultural trends. To some degree, the main character is a symbolic figure representing the culture of the Old South and its values. It is possible that these techniques will be emulated by other authors in the future.

In this short story, William Faulkner does not explicitly express his opinions about Emily; instead, he focuses on different aspects of her behavior which give readers insights into the inner world of this woman. For instance, it is possible to mention that she refuses to pay taxes and notes that Colonel Sartoris freed her of this obligation (Faulkner 6). Nevertheless, she forgets that this man died many years ago.

Additionally, this woman does not let governmental officials attach a metal number to the door of her house (Faulkner 10). This refusal is important for showing that she does not want to accept the idea that her house is only one of many.

Overall, this woman does not want to believe that she lives in a new society in which she is no longer a distinguished member of society. This is one of the main ideas that the author wants to emphasize with the help of characterization.

Apart from that, William Faulkner relies on symbolism to describe the changes in society. To some degree, this character represents the values of the antebellum Southern society (Holland 143). The unnamed narrator describes the main character in the following way, “Alive; Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (Faulkner 5).

In this way, the author wants to demonstrate that this woman symbolizes the values of the so-called Old South (Holland 143). In particular, the main character represents a group of people who did not accept the changes that America underwent after the Civil War.

Overall, the short story discussed in this paper illustrates some of the main techniques that marked the literary legacy of William Faulkner. In particular, this author wants the readers to form their own conclusions about people’s actions or their worldview. This is why he attaches much importance to character development. Moreover, this author wants to demonstrate that some characters can represent a great number of people.

Moreover, they can stand for cultural values and social norms. These techniques can enable writers to engage the audience. This is why stories like A Rose Emily can be a part of the literary canon in the future. These are the main arguments that can be advanced.

Works Cited

Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily and Other Stories, New York: Random House LLC, 2012. Print.

Holland, Norman. The Nature of Literary Response: Five Readers Reading, New York: Transaction Publishers, 2011. Print.

While Lorraine Hanisberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun is considered as being much ahead of its times in terms of depiction of black people’s daily life and the repression that they have to undergo at a time when considerable developments have taken place in the direction of giving them their due civil rights, A Rose for Emily is a short story written by William Faulkner about Emily, an old woman who lived in the small town of Jefferson. Faulkner has depicted several themes in A Rose for Emily but the most significant is that of decay which is evident in the entire story. This essay will analyze the two works and compare and contrast them in the context of what messages they have conveyed to people and society, and what issues they have highlighted in the viewpoint of the two authors.

The aims of the play A Raisin in the Sun were shared by Hansberry with her husband in telling him that she desired to create a description by way of a social drama, of the lifestyle of Americans Africans, and in doing so she created an imaginary set up that appeared to be agonizingly real at times. The plot of the story centers on the way her characters go about doing things in trying to escape from their restricted surroundings. It is also known that a major part of the play bears some resemblance to the personal life experiences of Hansberry. Conversely, the story A Rose for Emily is written in the typical Faulkner style of flowing awareness and perceptions. The story primarily illustrates the theme of decaying which is demonstrated in the manner in which the town, Emily’s house, and Ms. Emily herself become decomposed over the years and decades. They no longer represent the pleasure and happiness one received when associated with them when Emily was young.

The story, A Rose for Emily is set in the early years of the 20^th century and is narrated by an unidentified person who resides in the same town. The reader learns about Emily’s death in the beginning and about how she used to live in the town as a young lady with her father and lover. However, the end of the story depicts the disconcerting fact that Emily is not dead and was all along in hiding. In contrast, A Raisin in the Sun is about a family and reveals to the reader the kind of life lived in tenement houses in bigger cities. The play depicts the struggle that the characters undergo in attempting to find a better future for their children.

The characters in A Raisin in the Sun are real in the sense that the reader can have a feel of a mother’s love for her family and for her children to succeed in life. The other characters can be perceived in terms of their aspirations. Ruth wants that her daughter Beneatha should become a doctor and aims at providing her with all facilities to achieve this end but Beneatha is frustrated with the traditional beliefs and ideas of her mother. Beneatha is not happy with the traditional marriage that her brother went through. Her character displays a high sense of dependence on dreams that should be fulfilled to make her feel contented. Walter is portrayed as an angry man who does not appear to get anywhere with such an attitude. The silver lining in the play is revealed at the end when the family wins against all the daunting tasks faced by them. The play reveals the strong willpower of the family in being unwilling to swallow their pride in the face of several difficulties and at the behest of Lindner who wants them to leave the white neighborhood. This is although in the prevailing circumstances there is the likelihood of the family suffering from more distinct acts of discrimination. The characters as created by Hansberry speak and behave in the typical and original dialect of Chicago neighborhoods. The author has also used a nonstandard dialect that would typically be used by black people.

The hardships and struggles of the African Americans can be easily seen upon reading the play. The author has given a deep insight into the struggle for civil rights by the African Americans and the struggle of their younger generation in this regard is equally perceived at times when they face discrimination. Books and Writers (2008) have cited a speech that the author gave in 1959 whereby she said, “The unmistakable roots of the universal solidarity of the colored peoples of the world are no longer predictable as they were in my father’s time – they are here. And I for one, as a black woman in the United States in the mid-Twentieth Century, feel that I am more typical of the present temperament of my people than not, when I say that I cannot allow the devious purposes of white supremacy to lead me to any conclusion other than what may be to most robust and important one of our time: that the ultimate destiny and aspirations of the African peoples and twenty million American Negroes are inextricably and magnificently bound up together forever” (Books and Writers, 2008).

Although the play A Raisin in the Sun is about the American Blacks it also deals with a common theme about the failure of the American dream which can be related to by anyone under the given circumstances. According to Gerald Weales, “Walter Lee’s difficulty….. is that he has accepted the American myth of success at its face value, that he is trapped, as Willy Loman [in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman] was trapped by a false dream. In planting so indigenous an image at the center of her play, Miss Hansberry has come as close as possible to what she intended–a play about Negroes which is not simply a Negro play” (EPA, 2009).

Hansberry aptly argues about the inherent discrimination that is present in the Chicago housing market and other big cities whereby houses in black neighborhoods are almost double the prices as compared to white neighborhoods. Although the Younger family can fulfill its dream of leaving their run-down apartment and purchase a house in a white neighborhood, their happiness is not for long since Mr. Lindner comes up and attempts to pressurize the family to leave. The family fights back against the proposals and pressure exerted by Mr. Lindner but has to ultimately leave after Walter loses the entire money. The family decides to work harder by taking extra jobs so that the children have a better life and a brighter future (Julie, 2007).

A Rose for Emily depicts a different story about the society in Jefferson and how time can lead to the gradual decay of a town and of the way people are perceived over time. As the story progresses and Emily grows up, the town of Jefferson is also growing old. The street on which Emily lived while she was young was considered to be the best during that time but now it is in bad shape and is most awful and unpleasant for residents to refer to in any manner. It appears that with Emily the street has become aged and corroded. While Emily was young, she and her family drew a lot of respect and they were amongst the most respected and valued residents of the town. As Emily grew older she was gradually perceived differently by people in Jefferson. As an old lady, she was viewed in the same manner as her old house came to be viewed. The entire respect earned by her father was over after the older men and women died and gradually the old charisma of Jefferson began to fade away.

Emily’s house was once considered to be one of the most exquisite in the entire town of Jefferson. The house was very well maintained while Emily was young and as she grew older so did her house in eventually becoming a blemish for the town of Jefferson. Its faded paint and messy yard gave a bleak picture of a bygone era when the same house was considered to be a landmark home and center of attraction. Faulkner has given a meaningful account of how the house and Emily were directly associated in terms of both growing old and losing their splendor. Both Emily and her house began to be gradually looked upon as monuments of the past. A Rose for Emily deals with the influence that time has had over the status of people and about the way people are perceived differently. The story is a clear example of a lady and her family that had a virtual aristocratic lifestyle and how over time the circumstances are changed. The author depicts that this happens if people do not consistently maintain their humility and humanity. Emily was a beautiful girl when young and enjoyed a high status but by the time she grew old she had lost so much in terms of personal charm and happiness.

Emily was considered to be one of the most gorgeous women in Jefferson when she was young. Her father was a powerful man and young men were scared to approach her in attempting to court her. But as she grew older Emily started losing her good looks and in old age became grey-haired and plump. It was also believed that her thoughts had decayed. She had a lover named Homer Barron who people thought had left her but it is made known only at the end of the story that he had been poisoned by Emily. His body had been left by Emily in her bedroom. By the time she became old her mind had corroded to the extent that she killed the man who loved her. It appeared she was not aware of what was right or wrong, nor could she understand if something was normal. Her mental state indicated why her house had decayed to such an extent.

Although Faulkner has several themes in A Rose for Emily, decay is a major theme depicted in the entire story. With Emily, her house, and the town of Jefferson, all appear to be growing old and decaying over time. Miss Emily loses her beauty and her senses; the house loses its exquisite beauty and the town of Jefferson changes and grows old. The author has conveyed how a beautiful southern town decays over time and how a beautiful lady loses her mental aptitude and balance, all in conveying that eventually all humans grow old and decay if values are not maintained and care is not taken of mind, body, and soul, as also of material things such as houses and other personal possessions (Bernardo, 2009).

While comparing and contrasting the two pieces of literature one is bound to find a lot of differences between the two in terms of the issues that they deal with. A Raisin in the Sun deals with issues of race, exploitation of American Blacks, and the repression that they have to go through in attempts to improve their circumstances and to make a better life for themselves and their coming generations. The play traces the gradual development of art and intellectualism amongst Blacks which is aptly narrated by Schmoop:

“A Raisin in the Sun is part of broader shift in black art towards depicting working-class, ordinary African-Africans. Previously, black intellectuals did not use literature, art, or the stage to portray working-class African-Americans for fear they would perpetuate undesirable stereotypes. By focusing on the dreams and aspirations of one particular working-class black family, moreover, Hansberry was able to show audiences the universality of black aspirations while also demonstrating that their race posed a significant barrier to achieving those goals” (Schmoop, 2009).

Indeed, Hansberry has depicted the struggles of a single-family which is Black American. Most of the themes in the play convey love in the family, rivalry amongst siblings, desiring the best for children, and aiming to earn more and to have more material things. Colour is used as a theme in portraying the concerns of black people and the difficulties they face in being exploited repeatedly in their daily life and in most things that they attempt to achieve in life. A Raisin in the Sun is remarkable in that it is seen as being simplistic in addition to providing the reader with the extent to which the African Americans respond to the exploitation that still appears to be happening. The play represents different emotions of different age groups of Black Americans in giving an in-depth view of the issues being faced by them.

Contrastingly, in his story, Faulkner presents the viewpoints of an unknown resident of Jefferson where the family of Ms. Emily was a living example of the true aristocracy. The author has presented the reader with powerful arguments in stating that privileges can at times prove to become prisons. The story depicts the superficiality in what people perceive amongst children growing up in the lap of luxury. Miss Emily’s younger days were lonely since her life was controlled strictly by her father and he turned away all her suitors. Years of suppression gave way to freedom after Emily’s father died and she immediately found a boyfriend named Homer Barron who was a Yankee day laborer and not very well off. She drove around the town with him and bought expensive gifts for him. However, in due course, she discovered that he was gay and could not tolerate the frustration. She dared to buy arsenic from the chemist and poisoned him in her own house and left his body to decompose. People in the town did not realize that after she purchased arsenic, her lover was nowhere to be seen. Nor could the residents of Jefferson connect the foul smell that came from Emily’s house. The murder was never spoken about by the people of Jefferson and it was officially known forty years later when Emily died. The people of the town were moved to see the skeletal remains of Homer on Emily’s bed with her grey hair lying close to his head on the pillow. The story is a stark revelation of tragedies that occur in society as a result of observance of social norms that largely restrict than liberate our conscience and our inner self.

Reference List

Bernardo Karen, (2009). William Faulkner’s “A Rose For Emily“.

Books and Writers, (2009). Lorraine Hansberry (1930 – 1965).

EPA, (2009). Hansberry Lorraine.

Julie E, (2007). Analyzing A Raisin in the Sun, Associated Content.

Schmoop, (2009). A Raisin in the Sun: in a Nutshell.

Introduction

When examining the character of Ms. Emily from the story “A Rose for Emily” and the Arab from the story “The Guest” their divergent characteristics and origins would normally result in little if any consideration being given for finding similarities between the two.

Despite this assumption, the two characters are remarkably similar since they are both victims of the loss of their individual freedoms. In order to prove this point this paper will first examine the character of Ms. Emily and will point out the various facets of the character that are indicative of a loss of freedom.

After such an examination, a comparison will be done with the character of the Arab with the climax of the examination of the character culminating in the scene involving the 1,000 francs and the decision to escape to freedom or go to jail.

It is expected that by the end of this examination the similarity between the two characters will be revealed. It is the assumption of this paper that the concept of honor, pride and the perception of society can be similar to a prison of iron bars and stone walls.

Examination of Ms. Emily

Ms. Emily’s loss of freedom can be characterized by her pride, her heritage and the image of being the last of the Grierson’s within their town as being aspects of her as a person. As it can be seen within the story, Ms. Emily can be described as aloof, prideful, haughty and considering herself far above others within the town.

Evidence of this can be seen from the following quote from the story: “the Grierson’s held themselves a little too high for what they really were “(A Rose for Emily, 545). Such an attitude alienated her from making friends with the other women within the town.

Not only that, it eliminated the possibility of suitors from successfully wooing her as seen from the quote: “none of the young men were good enough for Miss Emily” (A Rose for Emily, 545).

Even when her father’s death left her nothing but the house she lived in she still continued to maintain the attitude of superiority that isolated her from others within her area.

Based on the ending of the book, where it was shown that Ms. Emily had actually killed her suitor to keep him with her, it can be seen that she was a person that was desperate for love and companionship.

In the end, she let her pride and the perception of the people around her act as a prison against being able to gain the love and affection she desperately craved. Evidence of this can be seen in this part of the story: “the body had apparently once lain in the attitude of an embrace” (A Rose for Emily, 550).

When reading this part of the story it becomes immediately obvious that Ms. Emily continued to lie with this corpse even till her dying days. This was due to the way in which she let her pride and her arrogance prevent those she considered “inferior” from associating with her which in the end left her alone and depressed.

This can actually be considered one of the themes of the story “A Rose for Emily” where the author attempts to show the effects of letting one’s pride and the perception of others dictate your actions.

It must also be noted that the setting itself was during the era after the civil war wherein the perception of others played a crucial role in societal interaction this can be seen from the following part of the story: “the day after his death all the ladies prepared to call at the house and offer condolence and aid as is our custom” (A Rose for Emily, 545).

Examination of the Arab

In the story, “The Guest”, we are introduced to a situation where the character of Daru is tasked to take the Arab prisoner to Tinguit in order to be judged for the crime of slitting his cousin’s throat.

Despite the obvious dangers that such a man presented, Daru treated him kindly, fed him, spoke to him and in the end gave him the opportunity to flee instead of being judged for a crime.

Despite being presented with the opportunity to escape with 1,000 francs, the Arab chose instead to go to jail. Before proceeding, what you must understand is that the concept of freedom is a pervading theme within the novel wherein the author shows that a person’s ability to choose a particular action actually gives value to their life.

Despite being given the option to flee to safety, he still chose to go to Tinguit and possibly to his death. The reason behind this is actually similar to what can be seen in the case of Ms. Emily involving pride, honor and the perception of others towards them.

What you have to understand is that the actions of the Arab are inherently connected to the way he was treated by Daru. First examine the following section from the story: “….are you hungry? Yes, the prisoner said. Why do you eat with me? I’m hungry” (The Guest, 6-7).

As it can be seen from this snippet of their conversation, he was treated kindly and with respect instead of with disdain and annoyance as seen in the case of Balducci. This creates a certain degree of indebtedness on the part of the Arab which is expressed through his conversations with Daru and the fact that he could have escaped during the night but did not.

Secondly, he was given a choice instead of merely being taken to Tinguit as seen from the following quote “You have a two-hour walk. At Tinguit, you’ll find the administration and the police. They are expecting you” (The Guest, 10).

In this instance, Daru solidifies the removal of the Arab’s freedom by entailing that he views the Arab as being trustworthy enough to make his own decision.

While in a literal interpretation of the story it can be interpreted that Daru was trying to give the man his freedom, in actuality his kindness, generosity and general attitude towards the Arab made it so that the Arab lost his freedom to choose.

He could not go against his honor of just escaping since he was being trusted to go to Tinguit by himself. His pride also demanded that he fulfill such a request since he was being treated as a human being instead of an animal.

Lastly, he valued the perception of the doctor towards him and as such he willingly walked to his possible death despite the fact that an alternative solution presented itself. This is evidenced by this particular part of the story: “the Arab again stood framed in the doorway, closed the door carefully, and came back to bed without a sound”(The Guest, 8).

As it can be seen, the Arab had the opportunity to escape but did not. This is indicative of the chains of honor and trust that were already set that prevented him from escaping. That is why at the end of the story the message “you have turned in our brother, you will pay” (The Guest, 11) appeared despite the fact that Daru had given the man the opportunity to set himself free.

The fact is that his actions of actually helping the character wound up creating the same social situation seen in the case of Ms. Emily wherein the character felt as if she had to uphold the image that was being fostered upon them.

As such, even if Daru seemed as if he had given the man his freedom it could be considered just the same as dragging him to Tinguit due to the consequences of his actions.

Conclusion

It is based on this that it can be stated that the concept of honor, pride and the perception of society can be similar to a prison of iron bars and stone walls.

Such aspects can restrict the freedom of choice resulting in people fostering an image, attitude and behavior that they may not necessarily want to portray but in the end have no choice but to display.

In a way, Albert Camus and William Faulkner in their individual stories involving Ms. Emily and the Arab have treated their characters similarly by showing how freedoms can be taken away simply by the act of thinking and perception.

Introduction

The struggle between traditions and progress has always been a thrilling thing to write about. The events of William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily, like many other his works, take place in the South after the Civil War. The primary purpose of the author is to demonstrate that, despite the defeat, the South would not give up its traditions so easily. To transmit the message, Faulkner uses three binary oppositions: death – life, the old – the new, and the North – the South.

Background

The background of W. Faulkner has had a significant effect on the key message of the story, as well as on the binary oppositions that he uses to transmit this message. Faulkner was born in the South and impressed by the stories of its Confederate past. His great-grandfather of the same name was a Confederate officer and also a writer and had an impact on the imagination of his descendant. Faulkner was interested in examining the fading traditions of the old South, which was reflected in his works. The writer made up an entire Mississippian district, Yoknapatawpha, as a stage for the events taking place in his works. One such work is A Rose for Emily.

Death and Life

Death and life are opposed but at the same time intertwined in the story. The narration begins with a death: “And now Miss Emily had gone to join the representatives of those august names where they lay in the cedar-bemused cemetery among the ranked and anonymous graves of Union and Confederate soldiers who fell at the battle of Jefferson” (Faulkner par. 2). In this passage, Emily is compared to the soldiers who fell in the Civil War since both Emily and the soldiers have passed to the domain of death. Even when Emily was still alive, it could not be called life: she was mentally dead. Her world was “high and mighty” (Faulkner par. 17), but her house was in decay, and the deathly smell could be sensed near it. One of the manifestations of this opposition is the contradiction between a cold and remorse Emily and her lively black servant who has no trouble socializing with people.

Also, Emily herself does not distinguish between life and death. She has been refusing to recognize her father’s death for three days and did not want him to be buried. She told an official to “see Colonel Sartoris” (Faulkner par. 14) who had been dead for ten years. Emily did not want to acknowledge that Homer died, even though she killed him herself.

The opposition between life and death creates a dark, macabre atmosphere, as well as it makes a reader perceive how tragic the depicted events are, even though they are described in such a calm tone. Such an attitude prepares a reader for the understanding of the central message of the story.

The Old and the New

The binary opposition that draws attention from the very beginning is the opposition between the past and the present, the progress and the tradition, the old, and the new. This juxtaposition is enforced by the structure that Faulkner developed for his story. First, the story has a changing timeline: it begins with the speech about the funeral of Emily, then the narration turns back to the times when she was alive and proceeds gradually to the time of her death, and then it goes back to the funeral and the examination of Emily’s house.

Furthermore, the story is divided into five parts; Emily is separated from the community and each time when she has a visitor, it is in a new part. In the story, Emily represents the old; the townspeople and Homer Barron, i.e. those trying to invade her personal space, represent the new. The effect is strengthened by the fact that the narrator speaks for the townspeople.

Emily lives in her old house, maintaining its traditional atmosphere, keeping her Southern aristocratic pride, and treating others as non-equals. She denies progress and refuses to acknowledge that times have changed. For instance, she does not allow a “new guard” to attach a number to the surface of her house, even though it would help her to receive mail more quickly. She lives in her world where she can refuse to pay taxes because of a gentleman’s agreement that happened a decade ago. In the meanwhile, everything around her is changing: the Southern economy, technology, and even social relations. By juxtaposing the old and the new in such a startling way, Faulkner makes a reader focus on his main message and feel the tragedy of the central problem of the story.

The North and the South

As it seems, the opposition between the North and South is central for the story while the other two oppositions are intended to emphasize it. Emily and Homer Barron are the embodiments of the South and North, respectively; more than merely representing the parts of the country where they are from, the characters represent the spirit and traditions of these parts and their historical fate.

Proud, aristocratic, well-bred gentlewoman, Emily is juxtaposed to the immigrant and laborer Homer, who is depicted in a hasty language and portrayed as a man of action with somewhat questionable morals: “A Yankee – a big, dark, ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face… Whenever you heard a lot of laughing anywhere about the square, Homer Barron would be in the center of the group” (Faulkner par. 31). Thus, the author presents the noble South with its tendency to respect tradition and the changing North with its self-made men and the American dream.

One of the debatable questions that arise when it comes to analyzing A Rose for Emily is the meaning of “rose.” An opinion exists that, since rose, being noble and beautiful, fades but leaves the memory of its beauty, it symbolizes the Southern traditions (Barani and Yahya 158). Being damaged by the Northern victory, they fade but are preserved in the memory of those who want to remember.

At the end of the story, the South gains a small victory over the North. Unable to stop the hasty, ever-changing Homer by other means, Emily kills him. Even though the South is defeated, it is still strong, and its traditions are not easy to destroy. This central message of the story is conveyed through the binary oppositions.

Conclusion

At history lessons, we are taught that in the Civil War, the North was a progressive force that was to defeat the South. However, the reality is much more complicated. William Faulkner allows his readers to get an insight into the manner of thinking of a person devoted to traditions rather than progress. Perhaps the writer wanted the readers to learn that a manner of thinking is not changing easily, and sometimes it makes a person do things that may seem odd or cruel.

Works Cited

Barani, Forough, and Wan Roselezam Wan Yahya. “Binary Opposition, Chronology of Time and Female Identity in William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily”. International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature 3.2 (2014): 155-160. Print.

Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. n.d. Web.

The text under consideration is “The Rose for Emily” by an outstanding American writer, William Faulkner. This literary work is a marvelous and impressive example of Faulkner’s literary talent, as on the basis of several pages he manages to transfer immense feelings and the terrible tragedy that is usually characteristic for longer literary genres, for instance, novels. We believe that the author manages to disclose his message of the story mainly due to resorting to symbolism. Symbols are the devices that make this story so outstanding, beautiful, and terribly sad at the same time. That is why symbols of the text deserve detailed analysis.

In the first place, the family house where Emily and her deceased father lived is one of the central symbolic images of the story. Usually, people can always find refuge in their houses, they know that the family hearth is always ready to warm us, the family house is the symbol of childhood and the unity of the family. The house in “A Rose for Emily” makes an absolutely opposite impression on the reader. It is a dark and oppressive symbol: “It was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies …” (Faulkner and Cowley 392). The house is presented to the reader as a monster, as a black hole, extracting Emily’s life and energy. The house imprisons Emily forever and it symbolizes her loneliness and isolation from society, what is more, it also imprisons her beloved person, like a monster from horror movies, that lets a person in and never lets him out. It is known that people managed to come into the house only after Emily’s death, as if her death opened the door of the house and many people came in order to see the house inside, not to say farewell words to the late mistress of the house (Faulkner and Cowley 392).

In the second place, hair and grey hair, in particular, is a speaking symbol of the story. It symbolizes the process of aging and movement to the logical death of the protagonist. Hair was the only sign that gave the town dwellers the opportunity to follow the changes in Emily’s appearance and her destiny: “her hair was cut short, making her look like a girl” (Faulkner and Cowley 396). Besides, there is one more symbolic thing connected with grey hair, it is the grey lock that was found on the pillow near Homer’s decomposed corpse. Here the loch stands for the irrefutable evidence of Emily’s presence in the room, it is soothing like a signature under the confession of a terrible murder in the name of love.

In the third place, it is impossible to omit the most terrifying symbol of the short story, death. This symbol opens the story because we meet the protagonist when she is dead already which is unusual in itself. The breathing of death may be read between lines because many other minor details contribute to the creation of the symbolic atmosphere of death: lime that is used to struggle against the smell of putrefaction, because the terrible smell is covering the whole town gradually, the poison for rats that may well kill a person and in fact really kills Barron. Besides, the story has a number of deceased characters: Emily, her father, her fiancé. All these elements together create an oppressive and gloomy atmosphere in the story.

In conclusion, let us say that by means of the usage of symbols in the narrative William Faulkner manages to attract the reader and make his flesh creep. Every symbol is necessary for the composition of the story because all of them are aimed at the creation of a horrifying atmosphere of the story and they are the basis for the characterization of the protagonist.

References

Faulkner, William and Malcolm Cowley. The Portable Faulkner. NY: Penguin Classics, 2003.

The short story “A Rose for Emily” was written by William Faulkner in 1930. This story reflects the social life and morals of people at the beginning of the XX century. The remarkable features of this time were education at all levels dominated by Christian teaching, new labor relations, and new production modes. The short story is unique because the author depicts events, experience, memories through different frames which are connected with each other. In the short story, Faulkner portrays that the beginning of the 1900s was marked by great social and economic changes but many people fail to accommodate their life to new social relations and a new economic system.

The beginning of the XX century was marked by new social changes and increased productivity, new values, and norms. Economic relations transformed society and influenced all spheres of life. A major concern of social thinking was to identify the nature of industrialization and to trace its social and political effects. The main feature of industrial society was taken to be its dedication to material produc­tion. Classes existed in society to the extent that there were significant links between these three levels of social life: if economically determined posi­tions correlate significantly with people’s lived experience and consciousness, and if both of these have a significant bearing on how they behave as workers or citizens – on how they live. Because of the labor movement, women were active in the social sphere. Because of the suffrage movement, more women were attaining positions of power in public life. Although progress was gradual it appears to be a fairly consistent trend, supported by continuing campaigning efforts by women’s groups and the expectations of a younger generation of women. Complex racial relations and inequality were the main problems that affected American society and class relations (Barkun and Cohen 34-35).

The background of the work is an industrial society, which had a major impact on all social processes. The society depicted in the work is distinguished by its characteristic modes of production and economic life. In the short story, Faulkner depicts economic relations between the federal agencies and an individual. Miss Emily responds: ‘I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves” (Faulkner 25).

The idea of class conflict runs through the story as a remarkable feature showing the real value of old and new views, gender traditions, and class confrontation. “The Negro led them into the parlor, … then the Negro opened the blinds of one window, they could see that the leather was cracked; and when they sat down” (Faulkner 25). In spite of the fact that slavery had been abolished many decades ago, black people obtained low social position and class location. They represented cheap labor deprived equal rights and opportunity to become independent. This episode shows that the author considers a marginalized voice of the time portraying class distinctions and racial relations. “The Negro delivery boy brought her the package” (Faulkner 26). Faulkner underlines that the black population obtained the lowest class position in society. Government interventions were still justified, how­ever, if only to clear away other obstacles to economic growth, including the effects of governmental interventions (Barkun and Cohen 34-35).

Faulkner vividly portrays the political situation and changing racial relations affected by new social order and laws. “In 1894 when Colonel Sartoris, the mayor-he who fathered the edict that no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron– remitted her taxes” (Faulkner 25). It is possible to say that the society depicted by Faulkner was in transition: people fought against social prejudices trying to achieve social mobility and enter a higher social class. Low-class location prevented many people to obtain social respect and opportunities available for middle and high-class citizens. “When the next generation, with its more modem ideas, became mayors and aldermen, this arrangement created some little dissatisfaction” (Faulkner 25). The short story reflects that people protested not only at the injustice they themselves have suffered but at the deterioration in services provided as a result of cost-cutting.

In this situation, classes not only were the links be­tween levels rather tight; they were unidirec­tional, the causal flow going from economic structure through consciousness to action. Faulkner portrays that over time the two great classes directly facing each other defined by how they stand to the relations of production, gradually conso­lidate under capitalism, absorbing other classes within them, developing class consciousness and industrial and political organizations, and in due course fight out a conflict. The other element of the economic relations is the theme of money vividly portrayed in the novel and played an important role in the life of the main character. “Miss Emily’s father had loaned money to the town, which the town, as a matter of business, preferred this way of repaying” (Faulkner 25). Nevertheless, as the readers see, Faulkner has taken up the idea of a society inhabited by individuals who choose their way to be free from political priorities and social prejudices.

The isolation and loneliness of Miss Emily can be explained by the inability of her society to accommodate to changing conditions and modernize. On the one hand, society cannot accept new social order and economic relations affected all sphere of life. Faulkner depicts that townspeople could not accept new social and family relations accusing Miss Emily of immoral behavior: “Then some of the ladies began to say that it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people” (Faulkner 27). On the other hand, Miss Emily is limited by her memories and inability to change her life. “The town had just let the contracts for paving the sidewalks, and in the summer after her father’s death, they began the work” (Faulkner 26). It is not depicted to what extent the words influenced social opinion, but the result was apparent: social values were a powerful tool changing attitudes of people and their morals. World perception of the main hero had not changed through the story. Miss Emily is depicted as a stable character. Miss Emily opposes herself to all social norms and isolated herself from these things. She refused to accept social involvement and her family afraid of a change. t was as if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson; as if it had wanted that touch of earthiness to re her imperviousness” (Faulkner 26). It is possible to say that Miss Emily rejects innovations and new orders but seeks security in the past.

Faulkner portrays an amazing and vivid social picture of Southern society at the beginning of the XX century. He shows that class had a crucial impact on the life of people determining their destinies. Faulkner creates a unique mixture of personal and social values. This short story unveils that an understanding of the individual and the society in which she lived plays a crucial role. Without an understanding of the influence of work and new social order and economic relations on the characters, the readers would not be able to perceive the motives of their behavior and their decisions. It means that social values were influenced by the impact of class relations on society. In this way, class power affected the thoughts and desires of its victims without them being aware of it. This view of civil society also suggests that morality in a class society should be regarded as a matter of class struggle. As the most important, the society had been changed but Miss Emily could not accommodate herself to new economic conditions and market relations.

Works Cited

1. Faulkner, W. ‘A rose for Emily’ in Literature: Pocket Reader. A Prentice Hall, by M.M. Balkun. Prentice Hall, 2004. 25-31
2. Barkun, M. Cohen, E. Popular Culture and Political Change in Modern America: State University of New York Press. Albany, NY, 1991.

The society plays a big role in ensuring all human beings have access to basic needs regardless of their social and economic status. The author of A Rose for Emily managed to portray this through the Townspeople who dedicated their resources to ensure Emily has access to a hygienic environment.

Love is evident in their commitment to exempt her from paying taxes and other levies due to the fact that she is poor and can not afford money for such payments. This essay discusses the character of the Townspeople with regard to the development of the themes and plot of the story.

From the outset it should be noted that the Townspeople have big hearts that allow them to help each other in times of disasters. The first scene of the story is about Emily’s funeral that is described as filled to capacity. This shows their commitment to helping their members in times of tragedies. It should be noted that human beings are social animals and can not live in isolation.

This forces the Townspeople to leave their daily activities and attend Emily’s funeral (Wheeler 34). Even though most people living in urban areas are usually busy and can not leave work to attend social functions, the people in the story dedicated this day to show their respect to one of their members.

In addition, it is not usual for a common beggar’s funeral to be filled to capacity but this was an exception as crowds filled her compound during her burial ceremony. This shows solidarity and unity among the Townspeople. However, these people have weird perceptions and motives that motivate them to attend Emily’s burial (Sharma 33).

We are told that men in particular adored her and viewed her as a symbol of a fallen hero. They admired her beauty before the death of her father and it is probable that most of them would have asked for her hand in marriage. In addition, women attended her funeral due to their curiosity that drove them to want to know what happened to her all these time she had resorted to live a solitary life.

When Emily’s father died and left her with no penny except for the old house the community decided to exempt her from paying taxes (Schmoop 78). In addition, they visited her regularly to help repair her house and do some cleaning on her compound. This is a brave act of concern and love for one another.

However, their philanthropy ends with the new generation of the Townspeople who demand that she pays taxes just like any other person. This indicates the effects of modernization that threatens to tear the love and sacrifices that human beings have towards their neighbors. It is evident that the local administration represents the modern generations that are clouded by material things and do not value human life (Faulkner 41).

The new mayor orders his men to go and demand that Emily pays taxes like other people. These effects are felt further when Homer Barron befriended Emily and they had predicted that the two were going to get married.

Even though some people are happy that Emily will have a companion many prophesize doom over that relationship. They think Homer is gay due to his drinking habit with young men and that he is from a rich family and can not marry a girl from a poor family.

Conclusion

This story captures all the intricate details of modern life that threatens the existence of love and compassion among members in any given society. It depicts how modernization controls important aspects of human life like love and concern for each other. It is one of the best approaches as to how tradition is being eroded by modern lifestyles that ignore the morals and relationships of human beings.

Works Cited

Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily (A Tale Blazer). Logan: Perfection Learning, 1990. Print.

Schmoop. A Rose for Emily: Schmoop Study Guide. New York: Schmoop University Press, 2009. Print.

Sharma, Raja. A Rose for Emily: Complete Summary and Analysis. Raleigh: Lulu Publishers, 2010. Print.

Wheeler, David. “A Rose for Emily” William Faulkner: A Critical Analysis. New York: Dogs Tail Books, 2011. Print.

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner vividly depicts the gradual decline of the Southern aristocracy in the Civil War aftermath. The author’s intentions are achieved primarily through the extensive use of symbols within the story. In particular, the symbol of the house is of primary importance, since it stands for the demise of the Pre-Civil War epoch.

The author develops this symbolism through several clues, incorporated within the narrative for readers to discover. Indeed, extensive descriptions of the Griersons’ mansion vividly represent the deterioration of their pre-Civil War well-being. For instance, Emily’s house is filled with objects representing the past, such as her father’s crayon portrait, “tarnished” items, and “cracked” furniture (Faulkner 51). The Negro butler at Emily’s house is also perceived as a relic since the range of his tasks becomes limited to letting visitors in and out, and therefore his services are needless.

The author deliberately mentions the former splendor of the house, which “had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies…” (Faulkner 49). However, over time, the luxurious appearance of the house and its prestigious location come to nothing: “only Miss Emily’s house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps-an eyesore among eyesores” (Faulkner 49). In other words, Emily’s old-fashioned house becomes opposed to the present-day industrial area around it. Hence, the author emphasizes the conflict between Emily and her community, which is a driving force of the story.

The author identifies the decaying symbolism of the house in the text through the author’s constant mentions of dust, which fills the Griersons’ mansion: “faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils” (Faulkner 61). Stagnation is further emphasized by the use of adjectives “even,” “patient,” and “biding”: “…beside him lay that even coating of the patient and biding dust” (Faulkner 61). In such a manner, the author highlights that the time stood still in the Griersons’ mansion for years. Furthermore, dust defines a specific smell and atmosphere of the house in general: “…a dim hall… smelled of dust and disuse – a close, dank smell” (Faulkner 50). Later on, terrible malodor starts emanating from the house outside, which naturally disturbs Jefferson’s townspeople.

Emily Grierson’s denial of the new reality and reluctance to adapt to new social norms gradually lead to her isolation from the community of Jefferson. As a result, the dusty house becomes Emily’s only shelter from the contemporary world: “And so she died. Fell ill in the house filled with dust and shadows” (Faulkner 59). The reader perceives this fundamental opposition between Emily and her community when townsmen enter the house: “…a faint dust rose sluggishly about their thighs…” (Faulkner 51); “The violence of breaking down the door seemed to fill this room with pervading dust” (Faulkner 60). As one can easily observe, entering the house is described as a transfer to another universe – the world of the past, where dust is the only thing that welcomes Jefferson townspeople. The biblical “dust to dust” concept is another significant association, which further supplements the symbolism of the house.

Thus, Emily’s house symbolizes the decay of the pre-Civil War upper class, who failed to accept the inevitable changes and new values established in the New South. Through the extensive descriptions of the Griersons’ house, William Faulkner emphasizes the necessity to adapt to new conditions of life. The author consistently develops the deteriorating symbolism of the house by repeatedly using specific lexical units, such as “dust,” “tarnished,” and the like. Due to the presence of this symbol, readers perceive the literary work as not only Emily Grierson’s life story but as a representation of a historically significant shift in the U.S. worldview.

Work Cited

Faulkner, William. Selected Short Stories of William Faulkner. New York: Modern Library, 1961.