Rose For Emily Symbolism

Symbolism is not just the mere idea of an item or person, but it is inherent to the current and past experiences one goes throughout his or her lives. In like manner, William Faulkner, an American writer who wrote “A Rose for Emily”, embodies his past experiences of fighting in the civil war to the notions of the Old South and its decomposing values symbolically in his short story. Moreover, “A Rose for Emily”, reveals the Southern gothic horror that Faulkner was trying to recapture by setting the stage with its eerie atmospheres that mainly revolve around the aesthetic of dark, dreary, and decay. Nevertheless, to his advantage, Faulkner uses the bleak atmosphere he created to enhance the plot and meaning by creating symbolism within the story.

Foreshadowing that the south had been defeated in the civil war, Emily 's life ends the same way, contrasting against the loss of her father. As a result, since there is no other male authority that pleases both her sexuality and needs of adoration, Emily basically lives through the interpretation of others while meaning nothing to herself. She is represented as one of the deceased in the story since she rarely stepped foot outside since the burial of her father. However, after an attempt to start a relationship with Homer Barron, this causes yet another death in this story, apart from the death of Emily in the ending. Unfortunately, Emily 's mortal structure is defined in the matter of death, symbolizing the decline of the

However, in reality, symbols can interpret what we experience as humans in our lives that can be characterized as symbols in a story we create. In Faulkner 's case, he did an outstanding job in connecting his past experiences in the civil war by symbolizing the falling of the south in conjunction with the symbols in the story. Moreover, in "A Rose for Emily" the symbols that are embedded within the story, create a new kind of depth as well as emphasizing the importance of every aspect that is in the story that Faulkner had in