A Rose for Emily: Abandonment Issues and Distorted Concept of Reality

Abandonment Issues and Distorted Concept of Reality In the short story A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner. The character Emily Grieson was a socialite of her town. Naturally with this status there is a certain reputation she has to uphold. She not only represents her family name but in sense the people as well. Since she is such a dominant figure, the townspeople placed her on a high pedestal and are very judgmental of her actions. She lived a very secluded and controlled life. Her father, a selfish and dominating man, thought that none of the young men who came to court her was good enough. So he drove them all away. When he finally died, Emily was very devastated. She never developed any real relationship with anyone, so it was like her world completely crumbled. Her father’s death caused her to developed Abandonment issues and Distorted Concepts of Reality. The death of her father in a sense to her was abandonment, because he dies leaving her to fend for herself. She was left in a world that she really didn’t fully understand. He kept her sheltered from everyone. When he died, she didn’t want to accept the fact that he was dead. It took the townspeople three days to convince to give up his body. They felt very sorry for her. But did nothing to consoled her. They were glad because now she would know like other people, what it felt like to count pennies. According to the Townspeople the Grierson family had a streak of general insanity alone with an insane pride. Her great-aunt also went crazy. “The Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were”(271). After her father was buried, Emily became very sick for a while Campbell 2
She kept herself locked up inside the house. When she finally came out of the house, her appearance was different. She cut her hair short, as if it was a symbol of a new