It is personified with Death and Miss Emily. Death is a recurring theme and symbol in this story and the decaying house is a symbol for Emily’s physical and emotional decay along with her mental problems.…
1) Who is Emily Grierson? What was the former position of her family in the town? What has happened to Emily after her father died? What are her economic circumstances? How does the deputation of aldermen from the town of Jefferson treat her?…
Miss Emily is first explained as a nice, sweet, and normal woman, though that all changed as her life went on. The death of her father was the flame that ignited all of this weirdness of Emily. After her father died, Miss Emily did not go out much probably because of grief over the loss of her father. “Because her father is the only man with whom she has had a close relationship, she denies his death and keeps his corpse in her house until she breaks down three days later when the doctors insist she let them take the body” (A1). This statement demonstrates her inability to let go of lost ones.…
The characteristics of Miss Emily’s house symbolize her appearance as she becomes decrepit with time and neglect. The house was a beautiful white decorated with gorgeous cupolas, set on what was the best street. Then it became a monstrous monstrosity. Miss Emily changed the same ways as her house did and she too became an eyesore. She had once been a slender figure and later she becomes fat and motionless. During Miss Emily’s death she had been referred to as a fallen monument, which could mean she was once something beautiful and…
Emily is the typical outcast. She is controlling while at the same time she restricting the town’s way in to her true personality by keeping it concealed. Emily’s house protects her from the thoughts of the people that live around her, and the mind…
Emily’s father considered themselves superior than others in town. . He believed none of the young boys were suitable for Emily, and always chased them away. Her father robs her from many of life's necessities. She misses out on having friends, a boyfriend, being a normal woman and her ability to be happy. This gradually erodes Emily’s chances of ever being married. He controlled her completely until his death, and even continued to control her from beyond the grave .After he died, Emily couldn’t admit he was dead and kept the dead body for 3 days. . Not only does Emily want to hold on to her father's legacy and exemptions, but she wants to hold on to his body--out of fear and denial. She feels protected by the name and reputation he affords her. At the time, no one thought she was crazy. "We remembered all the young men her father had driven away and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will" (Faukner 159) . By separating her so severely from the rest of the town when he was alive, going as far as to make sure she didn't have any lovers or a husband created a lonely, loveless, isolated life.…
When we first hear of Miss Emily , it is the time of her death and funeral, attended by the whole town of curious men and women. Their attitude and reverence towards Emily sparks our interest, a sort of “ respectful affection for a fallen monument” (30). We begin to ask why was she such an important woman and what has caused such an intrigue in her fellow townspeople. The inquisitiveness of the town becomes our own , and we want to know the whole, complete story of Emily’s life. Beginning the story of Emily’s life with her death gives us an opportunity to wonder what made her such an iconic part of this town and the lives of her neighbors there.…
At Miss Emily’s funeral she is described as a “fallen monument” (90). This could be a symbol for her once being a beautiful important human being that had diminished while becoming old and not taking care of her image. The town in this story saw Emily as a powerful person because of her family. They had their large house that was very beautiful, but when her father dies she changes just like the house and becomes less regal with time.…
Emily 's house also represents her downfall. After her father dies the house becomes an eyesore which "smelled of dust and disuse- a close, dark smell" (Faulkner 315), indicating that Emily has let herself go becoming obese and lonely. Emily is also like a fallen monument because she once was a prominent person but now she is decaying. She has too much pride to let anyone know about her pitiful life as "she carried her head high enough- even when we believed that she was fallen. It was if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson; as if it had wanted that touch of earthiness to reaffirm her imperviousness" (Faulkner…
Emily’s house that is very similar to her is a structure of a memorial, the only remaining of a symbolic representation of the past. The house “It was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white, decorated with cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies in the heavily lightsome style of the seventies, set on what had once been our most select street. But garages and cotton gins had encroached and obliterated even the august names of that neighborhood; only Miss Emily’s house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps-an eyesore among eyesores (pg204). The house is an extension of Emily. It is a tradition but now it’s out of place because of the society that has changed around her. The house, like its owner, is an object of interest for them. They create their own interpretations of the inside of Emily’s torn down house.…
In the short story, A Rose for Emily, there are numerous contributing factors to Miss Emily's desire to kill Homer Barron. Several of the reasons were the influence of the people throughout her life, such as, her father, the women in the town, and Homer Barron himself. Miss Emily's father had a major impact on her life even though he were dead all through the story. Emily's father kept her from having any other male influence other than himself by chasing away any men who tried to court her. The women of the town were another factor that led to Emily's problem. They constantly gossiped and judged every aspect of her life, and when Homer became a part of Emily's life, they judged him as well. One other contributing factor…
The characteristics of Miss Emily 's house, like her physical appearance, are brought about by years of neglect. For example, the house is located in what was once a prominent neighborhood that has deteriorated. Originally white and decorated in "the heavily lightsome style" of an earlier time, the house has become "an eyesore among eyesores"(177). The description of her house represents a place side by side of the past and present and was an emblematic presentation of Emily herself. Through lack of attention the house has evolved from a beautiful representative of quality to an ugly holdover from another era. Similarly, Miss Emily became an eyesore; for example, she was first described as a "fallen monument"(177) to suggest her former grandeur and her later ugliness. She was a "monument," an ideal of past values but fallen because she had shown herself susceptible to death and decay. According Fetterley, "the violence implicit in the desire to see the monument fall"(194). Like the house, she has lost her beauty. A women who once was beautiful, later became obese and bloated. Both the house and occupant have suffered the ravages of time and neglect.…
Even though he doesn’t go into specific details besides the change of her appearances. It is obvious Miss Emily was depressed from the death of her father, and this is what leads her to withdraw from society. Miss Emily avoids any contact with anyone outside her house, and she never leaves the walls of her house unless it is necessary. Miss Emily had few callers and those townspeople who were dare to visit her was not received. The behavior that Miss Emily express towards society is a symptom of schizophrenia. Miss Emily was doing everything and anything to avoid the society she lived in. Although her contact with others was limited, when she was forced to interact with others, she does everything to avoid it. The narrator reports one episode, when the town got mailboxes, “Miss Emily alone refused to let them fasten the metal numbers above her door and attach a mailbox to it. She would not listen to them” (Faulkner 2165). She reacts in such inappropriate way, yet another example of schizophrenia. Miss Emily refuses the metal numbers above her door because she just wants to go against society and do things her way. She could care less about the metal number, she just wants to have all control over her house and her things. In her mind, Miss Emily always has the last word and the law did not apply to her. One example on how Miss Emily believes that the law does not apply to her is when…
At the very beginning of the story, when the narrator is describing the house in which Ms Emily lived, we get our first glimpse of symbolism. The way Faulkner describes the house, then and now, actually represents Ms Emily's life. The paint and color of the house represents Ms Emily's conscience. Earlier, the house is clean and white, pure. As time goes on the house becomes decrepit, and sullied, much like Ms Emily's conscience. The "select street" that she lives on in the earlier years, which later becomes infected and surrounded by cotton gins and garages, represents her place in society. While her father was alive, and sometime after he had passed, Ms Emily was considered high class. Suitors were deemed unworthy to claim her. As more and more tragedy strikes her life, people no longer envy, but pity Ms Emily. When Faulkner describes her house as "lifting…
In “A Rose for Emily”, the narrator begins the story by letting us know that Miss Emily Grierson has died and that she had not been seen in at least ten years. As the narrator continues to describe the house and it’s location as being located on, “which had once been our most select street,” is now encroached and obliterated by garages and cotton gins, it is undoubtedly obvious that the narrator’s goal was to depict Miss Emily Grierson as one who has been living in seclusion in avoidance of a seemingly changing world. The narrator later goes on to say, “only Miss Emily’s house was left, lifting its stubborn and coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps – an eyesore among eyesores.” I felt that this description of Miss Emily’s house as being one of stubborn decay was more so a description of Miss Emily herself than the house.…