A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner: Decline and Decay
In the short story "A Rose for Emily" written by William Faulkner conveys the main Idea of decline and decay through the setting of the story, a small town, Jefferson, and the people that live there including Emily Grierson.
Will Faulkner used Emily Grierson to convey the idea of decline and decay. She is proclaimed to be one of the most gorgeous and beautiful inhabitants of the little town, Jefferson. But as time goes by she goes growing older and losing her beauty and loveliness. Near the end of the story, she is illustrated as a fat lady who had " pepper and slat iron grey hair." At the end of the story she dies with a quote saying " And so she died. Fell ill in the house filled with dust and shadows with only a doddering Negro man to wait on her." This quote is used by Faulkner to develop the idea of decline and decay with pin the main character of the story.
Other characters, apart from Emily that develop the idea of decline and decay are Tobe, Miss Griersons servant. The townspeople say, "his voice had grown harsh and rusty" giving us an idea of declining health and well-being. Another character used to develop the idea of decline and decay is Homer Barron, as shown within paragraph one, the man, found as a skeleton in Miss Grierson's home in a room that has not been open for 40 years.
The story's timeline is narrated by one of the townspeople. At the beginning of this short story, it starts off with Miss Griersons funeral, which gives us a direct approach of decay. Then, a flash to thirty years ago, when tax collectors from the town had smelt a disturbing and bad smell over periods of time when collecting tax, and assumptions which led to the bad cooking of Miss Grierson's slave: Tobe. This smell came right after a short period of when Homer Barron, her supposed lover had left and "disappeared." In the conclusion of the story, Homer Barron is found as a carcass, which is a disgusting and disturbing way to develop decline and decay for the reader.
Will Faulkner used Emily Grierson to convey the idea of decline and decay. She is proclaimed to be one of the most gorgeous and beautiful inhabitants of the little town, Jefferson. But as time goes by she goes growing older and losing her beauty and loveliness. Near the end of the story, she is illustrated as a fat lady who had " pepper and slat iron grey hair." At the end of the story she dies with a quote saying " And so she died. Fell ill in the house filled with dust and shadows with only a doddering Negro man to wait on her." This quote is used by Faulkner to develop the idea of decline and decay with pin the main character of the story.
Other characters, apart from Emily that develop the idea of decline and decay are Tobe, Miss Griersons servant. The townspeople say, "his voice had grown harsh and rusty" giving us an idea of declining health and well-being. Another character used to develop the idea of decline and decay is Homer Barron, as shown within paragraph one, the man, found as a skeleton in Miss Grierson's home in a room that has not been open for 40 years.
The story's timeline is narrated by one of the townspeople. At the beginning of this short story, it starts off with Miss Griersons funeral, which gives us a direct approach of decay. Then, a flash to thirty years ago, when tax collectors from the town had smelt a disturbing and bad smell over periods of time when collecting tax, and assumptions which led to the bad cooking of Miss Grierson's slave: Tobe. This smell came right after a short period of when Homer Barron, her supposed lover had left and "disappeared." In the conclusion of the story, Homer Barron is found as a carcass, which is a disgusting and disturbing way to develop decline and decay for the reader.