A Review of William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"

Essay by melikekkUniversity, Bachelor's November 2004

download word file, 7 pages 1.0

William Faulkner (1897-1962), who came from an old southern family, grew up in Oxford, has the incredible ability to show us the very depths of a human soul, psyche, thoughts which make up mankind. Every character seems to be a comment on some aspects of the society. (Clasius, 21) Most of the time he works on the themes of; human drama, the decay of the old South, racial prejudice by using some techniques like, "the distortion of time through the use of the inner monologue" (Clausius, 56). In his short story called A Rose for Emily, his style can be designated.

William Faulkner in A Rose for Emily, tells a story of a woman who is violated by her father's strict mentality. Her story takes place throughout the Reconstruction Era from the late 1800's to the early 1900's in Jefferson, Mississippi. Emily was raised in the period before the Civil War.

After being the only man in her life Emily's father dies and she finds it hard to let him go. Like her father Emily possesses a stubborn outlook towards life, and she refuses to change. While having this attitude about life Emily practically secludes herself from society for the remainder of her life.

Setting is place and time, and often provides more than a mere background for the action of a story. Faulkner uses this device in his complex short story "A Rose for Emily" to give insight into the lonely world of Miss Emily Grierson. Faulkner portrays the townspeople and Emily in the southern town of Jefferson during the late 1800's to early 1900's. The town is more than just the setting in the story; it takes on its own characterization with Emily, the main character. The town of Jefferson is deeply involved...