A Rose For Emily Analysis Essay

1607 Words7 Pages

Analysis of “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner is the best short story because its plot, setting, and symbols are well formulated and incorporated into the story to effectively convey the themes of death and change, race and gender. A Rose for Emily is a short story regarding the life of Emily Grierson as told through the perspectives of the townspeople in a tiny old town in the South. The story begins with the awkward relationship between Emily and her dad, pre and posts his death, and further explores how Emily gets secluded after poisoning her “Yankee” partner Homer Barron and concealing his remains for more than a decade in her bed. William Faulkner exploits various literary devices to create various themes. However, this is primarily focused on the manner in which Emily is metaphorically the portion of the southern side that requires change or will experience a terrible ending.

First, William Faulkner uses various literary devices in the story to convey the themes of death and change. Death is evident in the story when the narrator opens by explaining the start of Miss Emily’s …show more content…

Also, Faulkner uses the house to represent Emily metaphorically as decomposing and change-resistant. Faulkner also uses a rose to symbolize irony. Whereas roses represent love, Miss Emily never actually comprehend the actual meaning of love. Furthermore, he uses the strand of hair to symbolize the sometimes-perverse acts that individuals undertake in their quest for contentment. The discovery of the strand of hair is also predicted when the narrator explains the bodily decline of Miss Emily. This further symbolizes the final sign of a life abandoned to