Fear of the Psychologically Abnormal in Faulkner’s Pre-modern American Era
Society has always been based upon a diverse mixture of cultural norms and perceived deviance. In Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily some of these sociologically deviant behaviors are displayed by Ms. Emily Grierson. Throughout A Rose for Emily psychological abnormality is an ongoing theme. Faulkner was born during the Second Industrial Revolution and lived through The Great Depression and World War II before dying in the Modern era. Faulkners short story A Rose for Emily showcases the fear and aversion felt towards the psychologically abnormal by Faulkners generation of pre- modern Americans using the omniscient narration of the towns grievances and beliefs of Ms. Emily Grierson. …show more content…
People in our town, remembering how old lady Wyatt, her great-aunt, had gone completely crazy at last, believed that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were.” In Faulkner’s era mental illness was something to be hidden.
When Faulkner’s narrator states “that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were” he is implying that mental illness does in fact lower your standing in society.
Instead of treating the mentally ill fairly and trying to integrate them into society, many were shunned from society. The implications of the treatment of the mentally ill in A Rose for Emily were that the mentally ill were less than. In a society rules by cultural norms, those who deviated from those norms due to mental illness were a curiosity but not to be associated with.
Faulkners representation of Mrs. Emily Grierson conveys the attitude of callousness, antipathy and sometimes outright loathing towards the mentally ill of pre-modern America. Today in America mental illness still holds a stigma for some members of society. With an estimation of one in five adult Americans suffering from some form of mental illness perhaps Americans should look to themselves and their families to learn empathy instead of standing in
Society has always been based upon a diverse mixture of cultural norms and perceived deviance. In Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily some of these sociologically deviant behaviors are displayed by Ms. Emily Grierson. Throughout A Rose for Emily psychological abnormality is an ongoing theme. Faulkner was born during the Second Industrial Revolution and lived through The Great Depression and World War II before dying in the Modern era. Faulkners short story A Rose for Emily showcases the fear and aversion felt towards the psychologically abnormal by Faulkners generation of pre- modern Americans using the omniscient narration of the towns grievances and beliefs of Ms. Emily Grierson. …show more content…
People in our town, remembering how old lady Wyatt, her great-aunt, had gone completely crazy at last, believed that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were.” In Faulkner’s era mental illness was something to be hidden.
When Faulkner’s narrator states “that the Griersons held themselves a little too high for what they really were” he is implying that mental illness does in fact lower your standing in society.
Instead of treating the mentally ill fairly and trying to integrate them into society, many were shunned from society. The implications of the treatment of the mentally ill in A Rose for Emily were that the mentally ill were less than. In a society rules by cultural norms, those who deviated from those norms due to mental illness were a curiosity but not to be associated with.
Faulkners representation of Mrs. Emily Grierson conveys the attitude of callousness, antipathy and sometimes outright loathing towards the mentally ill of pre-modern America. Today in America mental illness still holds a stigma for some members of society. With an estimation of one in five adult Americans suffering from some form of mental illness perhaps Americans should look to themselves and their families to learn empathy instead of standing in