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Tone In William Faulkner's 'A Rose For Emily'

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Jill Alexander Dr. Burns 24 March, 2023 English 102 Topic- Which part(s) of the written work you have chosen are ineffective and/or effective at achieving its purpose? Works- “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins (pg. 789) “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin (pg. 582) “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway (pg. 699) “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner (pg. 692) 1: Intro 2: intro to poetry- diction/main idea 3: Rose for emily- tone 4: rose for emily- symbolism 5: Hills like white elephants - Imagery/ metaphors 6: Hills like white elephants - tone Add quotes 7: The story of an hour- irony * article 8: Conclusion Through understanding the writings “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins, “The Story of an Hour” by …show more content…

Throughout the short story “A Rose for Emily”, Emily faces hardship and defeat. Miss Emily was mocked by town citizens and was often the center of the town's gossip. The narrator of Miss Emily’s story plays an essential role in developing the tone. The narrator states, “That was two years after her father’s death and a short time after her sweetheart- who we believed would marry her- had deserted her” (Faulkner 307). This quote helps to form a dismal and gloomy tone. This tone continues throughout the life of Miss Emily as shown in the quote, “Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (Faulkner 306). To refer to Miss Emily as a “hereditary obligation” shows the audience that she was seen as a responsibility and possibly a burden to the citizens of the town, further adding to the gloomy and melancholy tone. As the narrator weaves the tone into the story it opens the audience's eyes to the reality of Miss Emily’s life. Without the strong use of tone it would be harder to fully grasp the overarching themes of loneliness, gloom, and terror throughout the story. To fully understand the life of Miss Emily, tone is an essential element. Not only does the tone add emotion to the story, but it also builds on the larger …show more content…

The story “Hills Like White Elephants” focuses on a couple during the course of a train ride together. Hemingway uses these literary element of a metaphor to demonstrate the communication between the couple. The purpose of this story is to highlight the struggle between the girl and her boyfriend. The metaphor followed throughout the story is that of a white elephant. This metaphor is introduced in the line “ I said the hills looked like white elephants. Wasn't that bright?” (Hemingway 330). After this statement was made by the girlfriend, her boyfriend states “I'll go with you and I'll stay with you all the time. They just let the air in and then it's all perfectly natural” (Hemingway 331). This gives the reader an essential piece of information about the situation that the boyfriend and girlfriend are discussing. They are discussing an operation, specifically an abortion. Knowing the operation they are discussing gives the white elephant a new level of depth in its symbolism. In history a white elephant was known to be a useless possession requiring a large amount of maintenance and upkeep from the owner. Hemingway uses this symbol to relate to the way the couple is feeling about the possibility of having a child. This symbol helps Hemingway to convey his purpose to the audience through a deeper understanding of the conflict

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