Closed Doors In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

“A Rose for Emily” tells the tale of a delusional woman who isolates herself from the small, southern community in which she lives in. The town’s people have observed Emily’s actions and decisions throughout her lifetime causing them to pity her. Town gossip makes it clear that Emily was born the daughter of a controlling man and because of her strict beginnings, she never fully learned how to lead a normal life. After her father’s death, Emily’s home morphed from a beautiful and lavished one to a decaying structure. As Emily and her husband are seen less and less in public, the people of Jefferson are left to make their own assumptions about her life and what goes on behind Emily’s closed doors. In fact, Emily’s funeral provided the town’s people with their first glimpse into her concealed life. In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner uses symbolism such as Emily’s home and the hair to shape the story, set the overall tone, and provide the reader with clues regarding Miss Emily’s secrets.

Similar to how the community of Jefferson rarely sees the inside of the home, they never truly understand Emily as a person, the emotions she may feel, or what goes on inside her head. Instead, the town’s people constantly judge Emily from afar by the events that occur in her life. Also, what was once a beautiful home is now referred to as “an eyesore of eyesores” (?). As the story unfolds and Miss Emily grows, the house begins to decay more and more. The rotting house is a representation of how the community views Emily; never have the people pitied Emily more. To the town’s people, Emily is hopelessly decaying in her