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KadenJeffs
Mrs.JackieBurr
English1010,Period5
5/14/16
FlawsofHumanNature:SymbolisminWilliamFaulknersARoseforEmily
AsWilliamFaulknersitsdowntowritehismostwellknownshortstoryARosefor
Emily,heenvisionswhatthemeandunderstandinghewantshisaudiencetounderstandwhen
theyreadhisstory.Faulkner,beingoneofthemostexperiencedandarguablythebestauthorof
theAmericansouthspostcivilwarlifestyle,canincorporatesymbolismandother
characteristicsofwritingtogivereadersacompletecomprehensionoftherelationshipbetween
thetownspeopleandEmily.AllofthetechniquesFaulknerusesincludetheseeminglyrandom
plot,uniquepointofview,andhiseccentriccharacterselection.
Firstofall,FaulknersplotstructureinARoseforEmilyseemserratic.Hisgoalin
usingastorylineofthisassortmentistoconfusehisreadersuntiltheendofthestory.Thestory
isgrimanddepressing,soFaulknerwantstoconfusethereaderintothinkingthatthestoryisnt
toodarkjusttochangethestorysdirectioncompletelyaroundintheend.Atthebeginningof
theshortstory,Faulknerstartswiththeendofthestory,EmilyGriersonsdeath.Heusesthe
words[O]urwholetownwenttoherfuneral.[M]ostlyoutofcuriositytoseetheinsideofher
house(71).Usingthesewordsatthebeginningofthestoryintriguestheaudiencebutdoesnot
makethestoryseemextremelysadorforbidding.Thisisbecauseheusesblandwords,sothathe
cansurprisetheaudienceattheend.Instead,thestorygivestheimpressionofbeingcrestfallen,
withaglimmerofhopeinthefuture.Faulknersgoalinwritinghisstorythiswayistoblindside


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hisaudiencebecausewhenareaderissurprisedattheendofastory,thethemeandideasstayin
theirmindmoreeasily.
Thebodyofhisshortstoryisevenmoreconfusing.FaulknerdescribesthelifeofEmily
Grierson.However,hedoesnotdosointheusualmanner,insteadhejumpsaroundherlife.Like
apoorlywrittenmovieplotbouncingfromonescenetothenextinnoconceivableorder.He
goesfromtalkingabouttheendofEmilyslifewhenshewouldntpaytaxes,tothestrangesmell
aroundherhousethirtyyearsbefore,tothestoryofHomerBarronandthepoisonshebought
afterhesupposedlylefther,andevenmoretoherlessonsinchinapainting.Thesejumps
continuouslyconfusethereaderwhilekeepingthehopesofabetterfuturealive.Faulknerdoes
thisinhopesthatconfusionwillkeeptheaudience'sattentiononhisstoryandbeabletograsp
theconceptbetter.Faulknerthenproceedstoextinguishthosehopesbyendingthestory
suddenly.ThelineheusesisThemanhimselflayinthebed(77).Short,butanythingexcept
sweet.Goingontodescribethedetailsofdeathanddesperationoflove,Faulkner
singlehandedlyruinsthepeacefulstoryinonesweep.
AnotherstrategyFaulknerincorporatesintohisstoryisapointofviewrarelyusedin
shortstories.Thepointofviewisafirstpersonpointofview,butitisoneofthetownspeople.
Forexample,inthepassagewhereFaulknerwritesSowewerenotsurprisedwhenHomer
Barronwasgone(75).Thispassageiswrittenfromthepointofviewasthethetownspeople.
Faulknerfrequentlyusesthewordweinhisstory.Thisisaconfusingpointofviewtoreaders
becauseFaulknerdoesnotexplainwhotheweisinthestory.Thistacticofwritingworkswell
forthisstorybecausewespecificallymeansthetownspeople.However,thepointofview
worksforthisshortstorybecausethewecouldrelatebacktotheaudienceandtheirviewsand


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differentstoriesinlife.ThisishowFaulknerisabletokeepthisstoryalivethroughouttheages
becauseeventhoughitdoesntnecessarilytellexactlythestoryofeachindividualinthe
audience,eachindividualpersonisabletointerpretthestoryintheirownwaytofittheirlivesor
problems.
Finally,thelaststrategyFaulknerusedtocreatethemeandunderstandingisthroughhis
unconventionalcharactercreation.MostifnotallbutoneofFaulknerscharactersinthestory
ARoseforEmilyareflatcharacters.Theydonothavemuchmeaningorpurpose.Theseare
thecitizensofthesmalltown.Lackinganydepth,theirjustificationisthattheyaretheretomake
Emilystandoutmore.Becauseallofthecharactersareboringandflat,theonecharacterwho
isntstandsoutmore.Thisemphasisononecharacterletsshinetheuniqueandunusualqualities
ofEmily,tohelpthestoryhaveagreaterunderstandingofherlifeandwhyshedidthethingsshe
did.
Emilyisaneccentricperson.Shehastobeinorderforthestoryandtheendingplot
twisttomakesense.Intheendoftheshortstory,itisrevealedthatEmilyhadkilledHomer
Barronoutofloveandkepthiminherupstairsbedroom.Apersonwhoiscapableofsomething
withthatmagnitudemustbeaneccentriccharacter,becauseifshewasntitwouldbe
unthinkable.Faulknerisamasterwiththisideabecauseeventhoughthroughoutthestoryhe
makesEmilyseemabnormalorirregular,heisabletorelatebacktotheaudiencethatsheisin
factnotthatunusual.ThisisFaulknersoveralltheme.Herelatestotheaudienceshuman
nature,tellingastoryofapoorwomanwhowaspushedfarbeyondthenormalboundariesof
societytobecometheunthinkablesheisinthestory.Thisisthetrulyterrifyingpartof
Faulknersstory,theimageofaonceregular,sweetladytransformingintoamonsterofsorts.


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TheauthorcombinesmultiplereasonsintothemakingofthecharacterEmily,toclarifythe
issuesandpronouncetotheworldhowterribledeedshappen.
Emilysdadhadbeenaverypowerfulandrichmanwhilehewasalive.Emilylivedina
giantmansion(withmoreroomsthancouldbecounted)ontheoutsideoftown.Livinginthis
househelpedaidEmilysisolationandideaofsuperiority.Aswithalotofrichchildren,they
becomespoiledandbratty.ThisiswhathappenedtoEmily.Becauseofthissuperiorityoverthe
commontownspeople,Emilyhadbeenraisedasifshewassuperiorherselfthananyoneelse.Itis
inferredthatEmilywastaughtasachildthathavingmoremoneythanmostotherpeoplemeans
thatyouarebetterthanthem.
ThisideaofhowEmilybelievesthatsocietyowesherimprovesherseparationfromthe
town.Throughoutthestory,FaulknerindicatesthisbeliefthatsocietymustdoanythingEmily
asks.WhenEmilywillnotpaytaxes,thisisanexampleofthistheme.Anotherexamplewould
bewhenthereisastrangeodorcomingfromherhousebutshewillnotfixit.Yet,evenanother
exampleofEmilyswildbeliefiswhenshewenttobuypoison,butwouldnottellwhyshewas
buyingitaswasthelaw.ThisbreakingofthelawisplayedthroughoutthestorybyFaulknerto
signifyherseparationfromtherestofthetown.
Isolationinhumannatureisselfdestructing.Therehavebeentalesofoldexplainingthe
horrorofsolitude.Beingoneofmankind'sgreatestfears,Faulknerusesthistoplayontheminds
ofhisaudienceandsymbolizetheimportanceofhumancontact.Emilyhadverylittlehuman
contact.ThisiswhatdrovehertoreachoutforhelpfromthismanHomerBarronandtofallin
lovewithhim.FaulknerslastideainhisstoryARoseforEmilywastheideaoflove.Loveis
astrangeconcepttograsp,butoneofthemostpowerfulemotionsofhumankind.Thisloveof


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HomerBarron,theisolationofEmilyGrierson,andhereccentricpersonalityallplayaroleinthe
murderofHomerBarron.
Toconclude,WilliamFaulknersstoryofARoseforEmilyisadepressingtaleof
humannatureatitsworst.Emilysstoryisnotjustataletoreadforentertainmenthowever,
becauseofFaulknerswisesymbolisminhisstoriesitsymbolisestherealworldandproblems
facedinourmoderndaysociety.Emilysfragilepastsymbolisesthepastofthereader.The
terribledeedEmilyhasdonesymboliseshumannatureatitsworstandthedeedsofanyoneinthe
audienceandwhattheyarecapableof.


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WorksCited
Faulkner,William.ARoseforEmily.7177.Print