Silence And Disappearance In William Faulkner's A Rose For Emily

Loyalty, Silence and Disappearance

“A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner is a short story about a woman, named Miss Emily, who seems to be a recluse, especially after the death of her father, whom kept her somewhat secluded as a child. However, as the story unfolds the author begins throwing hints at a mental illness, and even though the townspeople wonder what is happening within Miss Emily’s home they do not suspect that she would commit a secret crime. The story is set in a fictitious world created by Faulkner called Yoknapatawpha County that resembles the American South. This setting creates an interesting dynamic within the story. The author laces the presence of a man servant, Tobe, throughout the story. Faulkner’s character Tobe sparks the readers interest and causes them to wonder why he remained loyal and silent throughout Miss Emily’s life, as well as leaving it up to the reader’s imagination as to why he would disappear upon her death.

The loyalty that Tobe showed to Miss Emily was very true as well as surprising. The reader cannot help but to speculate upon the reasons why he continued to care for her despite her differences. He must have known Miss

Tobe was loyal and remained so throughout the story even when he must have known something about the crime that Miss Emily had committed. No one will ever really know why he stuck around, but he grabs the readers attention with his loyalty, silence and sudden disappearance. Really, even upon Miss Emily’s death, he left with her secret, disappearing without telling a soul. Leaving it up to the townspeople to discover the crime of Homer Barron’s murder. Tobe’s character truly adds an interesting and compelling dynamic to Faulkner’s story about a woman who had committed a secret