Introduction
In the short story “A Rose for Emily,” written by William Faulkner, the Old South is portrayed through the lens of symbolism. Hence, the emotional response of the people, who witnessed the tragic events stemming from the main character’s unrequited love, which is unacceptable for her position, can be examined by assessing the principal components of the matter. The most critical factors include the presentation of information by observers, the atmosphere of the house, the individuals involved in the events, and the progression of the author’s thoughts. Therefore, the analysis of this piece while adopting formalist techniques can help better understand the social climate of the time demonstrated by Faulkner by including symbolism significant for the setting, characters, plot, and perspective.
Point of View
One of the considerations which allow readers to delve into the feelings and thoughts of the people in this story is the point of view, which is the description of events in the first person. Thus, the author writes, “we did not say she was crazy then,” and “we remembered all the young men her father had driven away,” thereby clarifying the significance of the citizens in this story (Faulkner 4). By doing so, he highlights the importance of the observers’ standpoint as they are viewed as the source of credible information regarding the events in the life of Miss Emily. Also, this method of describing the tragedy in the woman’s house confirms the crucial role of people’s judgment in the decisions made by the main character. The woman, which was apparently ill, was guided by her perceptions of visible appropriateness in order to avoid being scrutinized by others (Faulkner 5). In this way, this point of view draws attention to the population’s social norms instead of individual attitudes.
Setting
The selected point of view is complemented by the physical setting in “A Rose For Emily,” which allows contrasts the main character’s isolation and exclusion from societal affairs. The two main locations used in the story are the woman’s house and Jefferson Town, and they provide the contrast between Emily and other citizens (Faulkner 1). They are essential for demonstrating the conflicting views of the main character and others. Thus, the former is presented by the house’s melancholic but powerful atmosphere, which is combined with the fact that no visitors are allowed (Khrais 124). In turn, the latter is seen in the modern South with new values and advanced structures, such as pavements, which is opposed to the old times to which Emily belongs (Khrais 123). These two settings effectively reflect the mood of the two sides while creating the overall environment for the narrative.
Characters
In the story, the main characters are Emily Grierson, her lover Homer Barron, Emily’s father, Mr. Grierson, their servant Tobe, and Judge Stevens, and only the former two are described in detail. Emily is depicted as “a small, fat woman in black,” who once was slender and gentle (Faulkner 2). Homer is presented as “a big, dark, ready man, with a big voice and eyes lighter than his face,” which is the exact opposite of the descendent of an aristocratic family (Faulkner 5). Their differences are visible both in appearance and character, and they help highlight the importance of social customs of the time (Bai et al. 614). Also, the fact that others are not clearly determined, one might conclude the sufficiency of Emily and Homer for depicting the conflict.
Plot
The plot of the story is arranged in such a way that the reader sees the events of the past from the perspective of the present. This piece begins with the funeral of Emily Grierson, which is an interesting occasion for the town since the woman is associated with the Old South (Faulkner 1). In the continuation of the narrative, the structure is non-linear since all the memories about this person are mixed with her occasional involvement in societal affairs (Faulkner 5). These sources of information about the woman are combined with her criticism in the past due to the fact that her behavior was different from the citizens’ expectations. Hence, “poor Emily” was judged for selecting an inappropriate partner (Faulkner 6). This way of portraying the events adds to the complexity of people’s perceptions depending on their positions in society and, consequently, exacerbates the conflict.
Symbols
In the story, the symbols, which transmit a larger meaning, are the town, the house, and the rose. First, the Southern culture is shown in the change of Jefferson town, which is transformed under the influence of the emerging values substituting old perceptions (Bai et al. 613). Therefore, it depicts the collision of the past and the present and serves as the background for the main events. Second, the house of Emily symbolizes the decay of aristocracy and the traditional views on marriage, family, and other norms (Bai et al. 613). It is thereby opposed to the town and used as the characteristic of the previously existing systems. Third, the rose indicates the pursuit of happiness by the main character, who failed to achieve it since, like a flower, it is a temporary phenomenon (Bai et al. 614). Thus, these symbols help create the necessary mood for perceiving the events of the story.
Theme
The central theme of this piece is the effects of societal norms on a person’s life regardless of the time. From this point of view, Emily’s fate was dictated by the condemnation of her relationship with Homer when she was a young woman, as well as the curiosity of citizens concerning her house and living conditions in general (Krebs 1). The former factor partially led to the tragic death of the man, whereas the latter circumstances contributed to the intention to conceal the crime in an unexpected manner. The idea of the interdependency of people’s interests in others’ affairs and old social customs is close to the author since Faulkner was obsessed with the past (Rollyson 18). This fact explains his intention to write a piece that reflects on the conditions required to be followed strictly by the previous generations.
Conclusion
To summarize, the examination of the components of the story “A Rose for Emily,” written by William Faulkner, shows the society of the Old South and its transformation. This stance is supposed to be shared by the readers as the description in the first person is aimed at involving them in the matter. The setting represented by the house and the town corresponds to the conflict between the woman from the past and the present-day citizens, and the particular attention to Emily and Homer contributes to this comparison. The non-linear structure of the plot demonstrates the complexity of the subject, and the symbols underpin the idea of transforming societal norms, which, nevertheless, affect everyone’s lives.
Works Cited
Bai, Xiaojun, Xiaotong Zhang, and Yihui Li. “An Analysis of Emily’s Characters in A Rose for Emily from the Perspective of Narration.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, vol. 11, no. 4, 2020, pp. 611-615.
Faulkner, William. A Rose For Emily. Perfection Learning, 1990.
Khrais, Sura M. “An Eyesore Among Eyesores”: The Significance of Physical Setting in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature, vol. 6, no. 6, 2017, pp. 123-126.
Krebs, Sarah. “Weather-Worn and House-Hidden.” English 100 & 200 Conference, 2019, Western Kentucky University. Web.
Rollyson, Carl. The Life of William Faulkner: The Past Is Never Dead, 1897-1934. University of Virginia Press, 2020.