Death is an unavoidable reality of life. Whether it is coping with the death of a loved one or merely attending a funeral, most people have experienced death in some manner. That is to say, though can be deeply unpleasant to brood about, death is a fundamental part of everyone’s life. Throughout life, people have to confront death multiple times until they ultimately reach their own, so it is vital for people to learn how to cope with it. If one fails to do so, the consequences can be truly terrifying. Death is also an evident theme in William Faulkner’s short, macabre story, “A Rose for Emily.” The plot is set in the small, fictional Southern town of Jefferson during the period of the late 19th century and early 20th century; in which, certain
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Many people consider their parents to be one of their first major trials to endure in life. This certainly applies to Emily as she has a troubled and complex relationship with her father. When spoken about, her father comes across as the controlling patriarch of their home, and as Emily was growing up, her father never considered any of Emily’s potential suiters to be “quite good enough” for his daughter (Faulkner 223). As a result, denied of the opportunity to date, Emily manages to remain single by the time she is 30 years old: an uncommon occurrence in the 1800s. As the story progresses, it becomes apparent in Emily’s later life that Mr. Grierson’s dominating behavior has had a profound impact on her. Around the time that Emily is 32 years old, her father dies. This marks the point where Emily’s bizarre behaviors begin to manifest. Learning of Mr. Grierson’s death, many townsfolk arrive at her doorstep to “offer condolence and aid,” and when Emily answers, they notice that she shows no hint of grievance (Faulkner 223). She then vehemently denies that her father has perished despite the entirety of the town knowing otherwise. This continues for three days before she finally “breaks down” and releases the corpse to be buried (Faulkner 223). Despite how troubling the incident is, the narrator claims that, at the time, “[the townsfolk] did not say she was crazy” …show more content…
Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough as they moved from one face to another while the visitors stated their errand. (Faulkner 221)
This occurs approximately 30 years after Homer is murdered and 10 years before her death. However, all of the other descriptions of Emily, before Homer’s death, illustrate her as “slender” (Faulkner 223). Why would a woman who, for the most of her life, was small-framed end up as she did? It appears that after performing her heinous action, she began to resemble a corpse herself. In conclusion, death is one of the most forefront themes in “A Rose for Emily,” and Faulkner makes a bold assertion that it is crucial to accept the deaths of loved ones. He stresses its importance in the story though the events that transpires after the death of Emily’s overbearing father. She denies his death, and she ultimately kills the man she loves in fear of him leaving her too. In death, those Emily clings to cannot leave her, and in her demented mind, that is all that matters. In the end, Caldwell said it best: “[Emily’s] inability to accept that death had claimed [Homer], a fact which she could not overcome until it had claimed her as well.” It seems sometimes, people can only escape some issues in
Many people consider their parents to be one of their first major trials to endure in life. This certainly applies to Emily as she has a troubled and complex relationship with her father. When spoken about, her father comes across as the controlling patriarch of their home, and as Emily was growing up, her father never considered any of Emily’s potential suiters to be “quite good enough” for his daughter (Faulkner 223). As a result, denied of the opportunity to date, Emily manages to remain single by the time she is 30 years old: an uncommon occurrence in the 1800s. As the story progresses, it becomes apparent in Emily’s later life that Mr. Grierson’s dominating behavior has had a profound impact on her. Around the time that Emily is 32 years old, her father dies. This marks the point where Emily’s bizarre behaviors begin to manifest. Learning of Mr. Grierson’s death, many townsfolk arrive at her doorstep to “offer condolence and aid,” and when Emily answers, they notice that she shows no hint of grievance (Faulkner 223). She then vehemently denies that her father has perished despite the entirety of the town knowing otherwise. This continues for three days before she finally “breaks down” and releases the corpse to be buried (Faulkner 223). Despite how troubling the incident is, the narrator claims that, at the time, “[the townsfolk] did not say she was crazy” …show more content…
Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough as they moved from one face to another while the visitors stated their errand. (Faulkner 221)
This occurs approximately 30 years after Homer is murdered and 10 years before her death. However, all of the other descriptions of Emily, before Homer’s death, illustrate her as “slender” (Faulkner 223). Why would a woman who, for the most of her life, was small-framed end up as she did? It appears that after performing her heinous action, she began to resemble a corpse herself. In conclusion, death is one of the most forefront themes in “A Rose for Emily,” and Faulkner makes a bold assertion that it is crucial to accept the deaths of loved ones. He stresses its importance in the story though the events that transpires after the death of Emily’s overbearing father. She denies his death, and she ultimately kills the man she loves in fear of him leaving her too. In death, those Emily clings to cannot leave her, and in her demented mind, that is all that matters. In the end, Caldwell said it best: “[Emily’s] inability to accept that death had claimed [Homer], a fact which she could not overcome until it had claimed her as well.” It seems sometimes, people can only escape some issues in