As Greg Iles once said, “Sothern Gothic is alive and well. It’s not just a genre, it is a way of life.” That very statement exudes throughout William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily.” Sothern Gothicism is often characterized by a near-obsession with the dark nature of humanity, sickness, and disease. It is defined as an originally European form by tradition that depicts a sense of moral decay and depravity of the region. Moreover, it is often used for humorous purposes. Miss Emily Grierson is the talk of the once upscale and elegant old town of Jefferson. After her controlling father passes away, she contracts an overtaking mental illness. She is unable to let go of her one and only human companion: her father. She is a traditional
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In other words, an inherit obsession with sickness and death is obviously carefully placed throughout. In addition, because this is a southern gothic tale, it is somewhat concerned with antisocial behavior. This is usually due to the changing social morals and tradition. One could definitely characterize Emily as antisocial and somewhat oblivious to the town changing around her. One could say, she is in her own little bubble of sorrow. This alienation from the world outside her door couldn’t be more obvious than when Miss Emily 's necrophilia is revealed. For example, the very first line of the story reads, “When Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral… (998).” Throughout her whole life, Emily was sheltered from the rest of the town by her father. She was so kept away from society and normalcy that it hindered her growth. Her father never allowed her to properly court any young man due to the fact that, “None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such (1000).” When the only human relationship she has left dies, it’s no wonder she goes mentally insane. The story insists that she refuses to come to grips with the fact that her father is dead and gone. “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 (1000).” At last, when she finally does begin a relationship with a man, the townspeople gossip, “Homer himself had remarked—he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks’ Club—that he was not the marrying man (1002).” Probably the most eerie gothic-like aspect of this story is when Miss Emily finally leaves her house. Homer had left for a few days, in
In other words, an inherit obsession with sickness and death is obviously carefully placed throughout. In addition, because this is a southern gothic tale, it is somewhat concerned with antisocial behavior. This is usually due to the changing social morals and tradition. One could definitely characterize Emily as antisocial and somewhat oblivious to the town changing around her. One could say, she is in her own little bubble of sorrow. This alienation from the world outside her door couldn’t be more obvious than when Miss Emily 's necrophilia is revealed. For example, the very first line of the story reads, “When Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral… (998).” Throughout her whole life, Emily was sheltered from the rest of the town by her father. She was so kept away from society and normalcy that it hindered her growth. Her father never allowed her to properly court any young man due to the fact that, “None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such (1000).” When the only human relationship she has left dies, it’s no wonder she goes mentally insane. The story insists that she refuses to come to grips with the fact that her father is dead and gone. “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 (1000).” At last, when she finally does begin a relationship with a man, the townspeople gossip, “Homer himself had remarked—he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks’ Club—that he was not the marrying man (1002).” Probably the most eerie gothic-like aspect of this story is when Miss Emily finally leaves her house. Homer had left for a few days, in