A Rose For Emily Marxist Theory
Vanessa No
Ms. Pate
American Lit – Honors
4 September 2014
Social Class and Isolation in “A Rose for Emily” “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner is a short story about the life of a woman with a tragic story. Faulkner’s interpretation on social class is apparent in the story as it centers around on the lives of townspeople who are obsessed with a Southern woman. The town’s social interaction and conflict with Emily is one of the reasons why she has shut herself out from their community. The Marxist criticism theory allows one to understand that the material realities of the economy are the bases of social change and conflict. This approach reveals that economic status is a primary element in this literary work as it structures the society in the story. From the perspective of the Marxist theory, “A Rose for Emily” displayshows s that class affects and influences the town’s interactions and thoughts about others, leading to Miss Emily’s alienation. According to the Marxist theory, each character represents a social class and many of the actions in the story stress where each of them stand. In a small town of Jefferson, Miss Emily Grierson is a well-known woman. Miss Emily had the image of a grand lady whose family history and reputation warranted great respect; therefore it is said that she had been “a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (592). However, even though the lineage of Miss Emily Grierson had deep roots in the community, she was anything but a normal citizen. Because she had a very controlling father who pushed away any men that tried to get close to her, Miss Emily was left alone after her father’s death and she ostracizes herself from the town by having a limited contact with the outside world: “after her father’s death she went out very little (…) people hardly saw her at all” (594). She continues to isolate herself from the world outside; the only interaction she has is with Homer Barron and her
Ms. Pate
American Lit – Honors
4 September 2014
Social Class and Isolation in “A Rose for Emily” “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner is a short story about the life of a woman with a tragic story. Faulkner’s interpretation on social class is apparent in the story as it centers around on the lives of townspeople who are obsessed with a Southern woman. The town’s social interaction and conflict with Emily is one of the reasons why she has shut herself out from their community. The Marxist criticism theory allows one to understand that the material realities of the economy are the bases of social change and conflict. This approach reveals that economic status is a primary element in this literary work as it structures the society in the story. From the perspective of the Marxist theory, “A Rose for Emily” displayshows s that class affects and influences the town’s interactions and thoughts about others, leading to Miss Emily’s alienation. According to the Marxist theory, each character represents a social class and many of the actions in the story stress where each of them stand. In a small town of Jefferson, Miss Emily Grierson is a well-known woman. Miss Emily had the image of a grand lady whose family history and reputation warranted great respect; therefore it is said that she had been “a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (592). However, even though the lineage of Miss Emily Grierson had deep roots in the community, she was anything but a normal citizen. Because she had a very controlling father who pushed away any men that tried to get close to her, Miss Emily was left alone after her father’s death and she ostracizes herself from the town by having a limited contact with the outside world: “after her father’s death she went out very little (…) people hardly saw her at all” (594). She continues to isolate herself from the world outside; the only interaction she has is with Homer Barron and her
Cited: Faulkner, William. "A Rose for Emily." 1993. Elements of Literature: Literature of the United States, 5th Course. Florida: Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1993. 592+. Print.