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A Rose for Emily: Story of Different Symbols by Faulkner

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A Rose for Emily: Story of Different Symbols by Faulkner
A Rose for Emily

Faulkner used many different symbols in this story to explain how much time had passed, or when the last time something was seen or used. Such as the Aldermen came to visit Miss Emily “When the Negro opened the blinds of one window, they could see that the leather was cracked; and when they sat down, a faint dust rose sluggishly about their thighs, spinning with slow motes in the single sunray.” (second paragraph, William Faulkner, 1930) This symbol shows us that Miss Emily doesn’t get many visitors. It seems nobody comes into this room not for some time. It tells me that Miss Emily is the type of woman who keeps to herself since the Mayor she once knew said, “no Negro woman should appear on the streets without an apron.”(First paragragh, William Faulkner, 1930) He spoke of Miss Emily’s father as if he was better then everyone and so was his daughter. That there was no man suitable for his daughter. So it seems she believed the same thing and that’s why she wouldn’t let then bury her father right away when he died. It was the only person she had left and was afraid of being alone, for she didn’t know any better. But yet the people didn’t pronounce her crazy then. “The day after his death all the ladies prepared to call at the house and offer condolence and aid, as is our custom. Miss Emily met them at the door, dressed as usual and with no trace of grief on her face. She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days, with the ministers calling on her, and the doctors, trying to persuade her to let them dispose of the body. Just as they were about to resort to law and force, she broke down, and they buried her father quickly. We did not say she was crazy then.”(Paragraph 6, William Faulkner, 1930) Another symbol the author used was when Miss Emily passed away finally gave the people of the town a chance to go inside her house and look around. For when she was alive she spent many years in there without any visitors or

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