Essay on "William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"

Essay 3 pages (1056 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" and the Decay of Southern Tradition

Taking place in Jefferson, William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is contained within the author's body of related work, even mentioning the infamous Colonel Sartoris, the character after which Fualkner's third novel is named. Like Faulkner's previous dichotomous works, "A Rose for Emily" details the stressful position of a South in transition, of the treacherous relationship between the rich and the poor, and the painful experience of a transition from tradition to modernity for the Southern old money, or large, patriarchal families. In fact, Faulkner's own family is similarly large, following Southern traditions ("Faulkner's Family Tree"). Joining the ranks of the Bundrens, the Compsons, and the Faulkners, the Griersons let Faulkner explore the decay of the Southern, patriarchal family tradition with the literal decay of Emily's father, Homer Barron and Miss Emily herself. In fact, through an exploration Emily's relationship with society, including Barron, and her father, one can conclude that William Faulkner uses "A Rose for Emily" to depict the death of traditional Southern culture.

From the opening line of Faulkner's story, the fact that Emily is not a well-liked character is established. Instead of attending her funeral sorrowfully or in testament to the woman she had been, the men come to show "respectful affection for a fallen monument," while the women come "mostly out of curiosity to see her house" (Faulkner 701). From this opening statement to the closing one, where society views her most intimate, though albeit most disgusting, seplecur-like sanctuary, a tension exists between society and Miss Emily. For society as an institution, this tension is best summed up by the constant battle of Emily's taxes. Although she is sent a tax notice each year, each year she returns it unpaid based on an arrangement made with Colonel Sartoris that "only a women would believe" out of respect for her family name (Faulkner 701).

Through this incident, Faulkner establishes the fact that society and Miss Emily are of two very different backgrounds. While Emily represents the traditional South's reliance on personal agreements and family names, these old ways are not accepted by the modern authorities, who take care of city business in a much more professional and distanced manner. In fact, Faulkner points out that "the next generation with its more modern ideas" failed to accept Emily's reliance on tradition, while noting that Emily served as a "tradition." "duty, and "hereditary obligation" in society. To symbolize the fact that the old South and the new South are constantly in societal conflict, Faulkner uses the repeated passing back and forth of the tax notice.

In addition to the conflict of old South Miss Emily and new South institutionalized society, the conflict between Miss Emily and the personal side of society is not much different. The ladies of the old South respected Emily's family name even after her father dies and she remains a widow with some strange habits, sending their children to her for china painting lessons. The women of the new south, however, share no such commiseration with Miss Emily, refusing to send their daughters to china painting lessons, advocating the removal… READ MORE

How to Reference "William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

Rose for Emily William Faulkner Essay

Rose for Emily

William Faulkner presented his writing art "A Rose for Emily" with a spice of mysterious suspense and uncovered some of the hidden controversial issues occurred in those… read more

Essay 5 pages (1482 words) Sources: 5 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Mystery in William Faulkner's a Rose Thesis

Mystery in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"

William Faulkner's short story, "A Rose for Emily," captures our attention because it is a love story and a mystery at the… read more

Thesis 10 pages (4383 words) Sources: 10 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Rose for Emily Story Essay

Rose for Emily

In William Faulkner's story, "A Rose for Emily," the action centers on Emily Grierson and her presence in the town of Jefferson. Though the story is not… read more

Essay 2 pages (624 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Term Paper

William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"

Emily Grierson, the main character in Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily," is portrayed as a woman who, over time, slowly goes mad. The tragic… read more

Term Paper 1 pages (334 words) Sources: 2 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

Critics and Time Regarding William Faulkner Thesis

William Faulkner's treatment of time in his novels. As to William T. Going suggests, "At the core of any fruitful discussion of meaning and narrative method must lie some understanding… read more

Thesis 9 pages (2453 words) Sources: 8 Style: MLA Topic: Literature / Poetry

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>