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Figurative Imagery In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

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Short stories are unique in a way to allow a reader to explore the setting of an event. Short stories are more than unraveling the motif but is an exquisite task to further comprehend figurative imagery. With this said, William Faulkner performs such a task to present several motifs that emphasize the story of “A Rose for Emily”. Throughout the story, various flashbacks represent different periods of time that comprise a change in the main character’s life and mental state. In this essay, an analysis of the main character, Emily, will be perceived by her strange behavior. Consequently, Faulkner utilizes the central trait of her mental condition to emphasize the lack of adjustment. To begin, Faulkner began with an atmosphere of uneasiness as to what the main character was feeling. The author presents a consistent shift throughout the reading between past and present. With this said, Faulkner demonstrates this shift as he says, “Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town.” (Faulkner 124). As Faulkner states “Alive, Miss Emily”, not only does the author represent Emily as an active human being, but when she was happy and the town had seen her out of her home. This suggests that Emily struggles to realize her father’s death …show more content…

She behaves abnormal and does not give an opportunity for the alderman and mayors to provide evidence of the tax she must pay. Instead, she dismisses them as the author proclaims, “"I have no taxes in Jefferson. Tobe!" The Negro appeared. "Show these gentlemen out.” So she vanquished them, horse and foot, just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell.” (Faulkner 125). Here, Emily behaves abnormally to acknowledge her responsibilities as a citizen, thus suffers a mental condition. As of a result, society fears of Emily as perceives her an irresponsible

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