In Kelly J. Mays’s literature textbook, which compiles many short stories and poems, there are several short stories which defy their readers’ expectations in order to reinforce an overarching idea or theme present in the story. These stories include “A Rose for Emily,” “The Jewelry,” and “A Good Man is Hard to Find.” William Faulkner’s short story, “A Rose for Emily,” is an enticing story of an affluent southern woman decaying both physically and socially, however, it has a surprise ending which no reader could easily predict. The story begins by informing the reader of Emily Grierson’s death at seventy-four years of age, then, it gives a short description of her funeral. After this short description, the author writes of Miss Emily’s life
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But the shocking discovery was not that of a bridal chamber, but rather the discovery of Homer Barron’s corpse laying on the bed. The narrator then continues to describe the scene which further surprises the audience, saying “then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indention of a head. One of us lifted something from it , and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair”(306), indicating that Emily possibly had intercourse with the corpse. Upon examining this surprising and disturbing ending, one finds it is the only suitable ending for “A Rose for Emily.” The shock the reader the experiences upon discovering the corpse, greatly parallels the shock the townspeople experience when viewing the decaying corpse; it allows the readers an insight into what the townspeople experience. Also, because the story is told out of order, and in a seemingly confusing fashion, it can be rather difficult for a reader to follow. Thus, this surprise ending not only acts a reward to the readers who closely read the text, but also serves as a type of glue to piece together …show more content…
The story begins by introducing Mr. Lantin and his wife and describing how happy they were together. It goes on to discuss her economic mindset and the luxury in which they live, the author then informs the reader of the “only two points upon which he [Mr. Lantin] ever found fault with her- her love of the theater, and her passion for false jewelry”(66). His wife begins to go to the theater almost every night, then one night, she develops a coughs and dies of pneumonia, but this is not the end of the story. After this, the author describes how poor the man becomes, and the reader begins to think that the story will end with the man dying or becoming homeless. These predictions occur due to the line following the declaration of the wife’s death, which says, “Lantin was very nearly following her into the tomb. His despair was so frightful that in one single month his hair turned white” (68). Lantin grieved for a very long time and tried his best to recover, and when the reader abandoned the idea of Lantin himself dying, the idea of him losing his property entirely begins to become a viable prediction for a conclusion when the narrator states “life became hard for him. His salary, which in his wife’s hands,
But the shocking discovery was not that of a bridal chamber, but rather the discovery of Homer Barron’s corpse laying on the bed. The narrator then continues to describe the scene which further surprises the audience, saying “then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indention of a head. One of us lifted something from it , and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-gray hair”(306), indicating that Emily possibly had intercourse with the corpse. Upon examining this surprising and disturbing ending, one finds it is the only suitable ending for “A Rose for Emily.” The shock the reader the experiences upon discovering the corpse, greatly parallels the shock the townspeople experience when viewing the decaying corpse; it allows the readers an insight into what the townspeople experience. Also, because the story is told out of order, and in a seemingly confusing fashion, it can be rather difficult for a reader to follow. Thus, this surprise ending not only acts a reward to the readers who closely read the text, but also serves as a type of glue to piece together …show more content…
The story begins by introducing Mr. Lantin and his wife and describing how happy they were together. It goes on to discuss her economic mindset and the luxury in which they live, the author then informs the reader of the “only two points upon which he [Mr. Lantin] ever found fault with her- her love of the theater, and her passion for false jewelry”(66). His wife begins to go to the theater almost every night, then one night, she develops a coughs and dies of pneumonia, but this is not the end of the story. After this, the author describes how poor the man becomes, and the reader begins to think that the story will end with the man dying or becoming homeless. These predictions occur due to the line following the declaration of the wife’s death, which says, “Lantin was very nearly following her into the tomb. His despair was so frightful that in one single month his hair turned white” (68). Lantin grieved for a very long time and tried his best to recover, and when the reader abandoned the idea of Lantin himself dying, the idea of him losing his property entirely begins to become a viable prediction for a conclusion when the narrator states “life became hard for him. His salary, which in his wife’s hands,