Essay, Research Paper
a rose for emily or something moreA symbol is a individual, object, or event that suggests more than its actual significance. In the narrative “ A Rose for Emily, ” the symbolism shows more about the character than is detailed by the writer, William Faulkner. Symbolism helps to bespeak several things in the narrative: how Ms. Emily was one time guiltless but ulterior alterations, how her hair and some other points helped to demo her opposition to alter, how the room where Homer died shows that she loved Homer and her desire to halt alteration, how Homer ’ s name and actions suggest that he is a homosexual, and how she could non acquire off from her male parent ’ s command even after his decease. First, Ms. Emily used to white wear frocks, which symbolize artlessness, but she begins have oning black apparels, much like a griever ’ s manner of frock, after Homer presumptively disappears. Emily ’ s alteration in visual aspect shows that she has become soiled in some sense. Ray West farther supports this theory. “ Emily had non ever looked like this. When she was immature and portion of the universe with which she was modern-day, she was, we are told, a slender figure in white, ’ as contrasted with her male parent, who is described as a spraddled silhouette. ’ Even after her male parent ’ s decease, … [ She ] looked like a miss with a obscure resemblance to those angels in coloured church windows – kind of tragic and serene. ’ The suggestion is that she had already begun her entryway into that nether-world ( a universe which is depicted subsequently as rose-tinged ) ” ( 149 ) Another illustration of Emily ’ s alteration is besides exhibited in how the house begins to devolve. At one clip the house was white and emaculate, but Emily allows it to go decrepit and dirty. “ It was large, squarish frame house that had one time been white, decorated with cupolas and steeples and scrolled balconies in the to a great extent tripping manner of the 1970ss, set on what had one time been our most choice street. … merely Miss Emily ’ s was left, raising its stubborn and flirtatious decay above the cotton waggons and the gasolene pumps – an eyesore among eyesores. ” ( Bedford 47 ) Harmonizing to Ray West it was shown through the usage of the words “ stubborn and flirtatious ” Besides he states that the description of the interior illustrates Emily ’ s decay. “ ‘ They were admitted by the old Negro into a subdued hall from which a staircase mounted into still more shadow. It smelled of dust and neglect – a stopping point, dank smell. ’ In the following paragraph a description of Emily discloses her similarity to the house: She looked bloated, like a organic structure long submerged in inactive H2O, and of that pale hue. ’ ” ( West 149 ) Another usage of symbolism is in the description of Ms. Emily ’ s hair as she grows older. After her male parent dies she cuts it short, and the townsfolks say it is kind of angelic. This symbolizes her belief that she is eventually free of her male parent ’ s control over her, because she likely would non acquire that manner of hair cut had her male parent been at that place to act upon her. Another case is in her ulterior old ages her hair becomes iron-grey. The Fe in “ iron-grey ” symbolizes her obstinacy and strong will, because Fe is a really strong component and it is mentioned several times throughout the narrative. Ray West makes a good point on the missive that she sends to the city manager. ” a note on paper of an antediluvian form, in a thin, fluxing penmanship in bleached ink, ’ ” ( 49 ) . This suggests that she ne’er changed her manner of authorship or the paper on which she used to compose. Melinda Schwab provinces, “ Her desire to maintain her life from altering is farther evidenced by her reluctance to hold her male parent ’ s organic structure removed and buried and by her refusal to let street Numberss to be attached to the door of her darling household place, ” ( 215 ) . Following is the usage of colour to typify her love for Homer Barron and
her desire to maintain things the same. After Emily’s decease, many of the people in the town brake into one of the locked suites and detect that most of the room and its objects were ruddy. Red is normally the symbol of love. Besides, the manner in which Homer’s organic structure was found symbolizes her love for him. She must hold cared for him because she took the clip to discase him, put him in his dark shirt, and lay him on the bed. If she had merely wanted him dead and non to be with him she likely would hold had her servant dispose of the organic structure. Besides if she had allowed him to go forth her there would be dramatic alterations in her life such as the town feel foring her even more.
“ The position of Emily as a memorial would hold been destroyed. Emily might hold become the object of continued chitchat, but she would hold become susceptible to the town ’ s commiseration – hence, human. Emily ’ s universe, nevertheless, continues to be the Past ( in its utmost signifier it is decease ) , and when she is threatened with abandonment and shame, she non merely takes safety in that universe, but she besides takes Homer with her, in the lone mode possible. ” ( West 150 ) Homer Barron may besides person he does non look to be. Homer might really hold been a homosexual. “ [ Homer himself had remarked – he liked work forces, and it was known that he drank with the younger work forces in the Elks ‘ Club – he was non a marrying adult male. ] ( Wallace 106 ) ” He is besides associated with points that suggest he is unfertile or that for some ground he will non hold kids. Hal Blythe provinces, “ Furthermore, even in decease Barron and the sleeping room are covered with patient and biding dust, ’ Faulkner ’ s traditional image of asepsis. ( 49 ) ” Mr. Blythe besides states that Homer Barron was likely cheery. “ When he foremost appears, Barron is Associated with mules and machinery ’ [ Bedford 50 ] , things that can ne’er bear fruit. ” “ [ Even Barron ’ s last name refers to the fruitless, or waste, brotherhood with Miss Emily ” ( 49 ) . Finally, there are several illustrations of how her male parent ’ s control over her was so great. The townsfolk pictured Emily dressed in white standing behind her male parent, and him in the foreground keeping a horsewhip. The whip symbolizes his stringency and desire for Emily to be a perfect small miss. As Mr. West put it, “ ..she has been frustrated by her male parent, prevented from take parting in the life of her coevalss, ” ( 150 ) . As stated earlier when her male parent died she refused to bury him stating he was non dead. This can besides exhibit his control over her even after his decease. Emily ’ s killing Homer after he had decided to go forth her besides can besides typify her male parent ’ s control. Her male parent had influenced her so much that she felt it was incorrect for Homer to abandon her so she killed him in order for him to stay with her as if they were married. There are rather a few symbols in “ A Rose for Emily, ” and each 1 has a particular significance. The significance of the symbols must be determined by each reader, and hence, each clip the narrative is read it can take on a new signifier. Which will do this narrative last for coevalss to come. Work Cited Blythe, Hal. Faulkner ’ s “ A Rose for Emily. ” The Explicator. Washington D.C. : Heldref Publications, 1989. V. 47. 49-50. Faulkner, William. “ A Rose for Emily. ” The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. 3rd erectile dysfunction. Boston: Bedford-St. Martin ’ s P, 1993. 47-53. Schwab, Melinda. A Watch for Emily. Studies in Short Fiction. Ed. Michael J. O ’ Shea. Columbia, SC: The R.L. Bryan Company, 1991. V. 28. 215-217. Wallace, James. Faulkner ’ s “ A Rose for Emily. ” . The Explicator. Washington D.C. : Heldref Publications, 1992. V. 50. 106-7. West, Jr. , Ray. Atmosphere and Theme in Faulkner ’ s A Rose for Emily ’ . Short Story Criticism. Ed. Sheila Fitzgerald. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research Inc. Book Tower, 1989. V.1. 148-50.
