...Literary Element: Plot Title: A Rose for Emily (William Faulkner) Plot and A Rose for Emily I thought that A Rose for Emily was a very strange story that had an interesting plot. The story was told from an outside perspective that was somewhat apathetic. This allowed the plot to develop around the strange old woman, Emily. Emily was sort of an outcast of the town and put herself into isolation inside of her house. The story was interesting in how it used the in media res style of writing to start. The beginning with the funeral of Emily gave the reader’s an immediate feeling of remorse and grief. William Faulkner further told of Emily’s life and how she became so secluded from her townspeople. The way that the author described the strange events that happened throughout Emily’s life made them really stand out as critical points that influenced Emily in her process of becoming secluded from the townspeople. I really enjoyed how the author subtly provided these insights into the development of Emily without blatantly pointing them out as key events. They allow the reader to understand her better and somewhat understand what she’s been through and why she is who she is. The story starts in media res as it opens with Emily’s death, and then it switches to flashback as it flashes back to important events in Emily’s life. The theme of death is prevalent because the opening paragraph is about Emily’s funeral and how everyone was in attendance. In addition, the plot is developed...
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...My nomination for best short story will be “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. The reason I selected this is my interest in the Civil War era. This short story is intriguing by the use of changing the chronological order to hold the reader’s attention. The story is broken into five sections and each section has the reader wondering what Ms. Emily Grierson has done. The use of Homer Barron schemes the reader into believing that the two had fallen in love with each other, even though in the end, Homer was poisoned by Emily. The setting of the short story is the historical Mississippi southern town after the civil war. Emily is the protagonist of the story, while Homer is the antagonist. Homer is a northerner or outsider and is seen in the town as someone trying to take over the town. The third element is the point of view, which is the ghostly view of the narrator of the story (Klien, 2007). The use of the characters, historical setting and point of view provide the reader interest of what the plot will...
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...William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is among his most famous short stories because of the interesting method of storytelling it employs. Faulkner uses a non-linear plot structure in this story, as opposed to the more often used, more simplified linear plot structure of most fiction. “A linear plot begins at point A, progresses through events which build towards a climax, and then finally reaches point B” (Malone). In contrast, “a non-linear plot typically presents the audience with multiple paths from point A to point B” (Malone). In other words, non-linear plot structures consist of back-and-forth storytelling, or flashbacks. Because of this non-conventional plot structure, “A Rose for Emily” has been described as an “emotionally complex and chronologically confusing narrative” (Petry 53). However, the story has also been cited as “one of Faulkner’s most carefully constructed stories” (Everett 165). The effectiveness of the disordered chronology can be likened to the preciseness of an equation. As Faulkner misdirected his readers through the use of flashbacks, he revealed Miss Emily’s disoriented mental state in her dealings with the passage of time. Faulkner efficiently complicates the narrative situation by opening “A Rose for Emily” with the death of the main character. The first sentence captures the reader’s attention immediately, evoking a collective sympathy for the main character: “When Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to her funeral” (Faulkner...
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...Comparative Literature Paper Selfishness and revenge are woven through “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner like a fine silk thread, supporting the theme of death in each. In the short story, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, the cause of death is never obviously revealed but lightly hinted upon Emily as the cause. “The Cask of Amontillado,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, the cause of death is revealed but no one knew the cause of Fortunato’s disappearance. These stories contain many differences as well as similarities ranging from imagery, symbolism, theme, and tone. The recognizable commonality of the two is the theme of death. Each of these stories portrays death, or murder, as a result of vengeance, revenge and betrayal. “The Cask of Amontillado” deals with the death of Fortunato and “A Rose for Emily” deals with the death of Homer and Emily. William Faulkner never admits that Emily is the cause of Homer’s death but gives the audience clues that suggest Emily was indeed responsible. Emily’s death seemed to be of natural causes (Faulkner, 1931, p 531). Edgar Allan Poe, in “The Cask of Amontillado” tells the audience of Montresor’s plot of revenge and murder of Fortunato. Betrayal and revenge are obvious throughout both stories. In “A Rose for Emily,” Emily first betrayed Homer after he did not take her for his wife after the whole town saw the two of them together. In “The Cask of Amontillado”...
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...An interesting story leaves readers wondering what will happen next. If the plot of a story is too predictable, it is easily forgotten. The stories that are best remembered are those with unexpected turns. “A Rose for Emily” is a story that balances the unexpected with mystery. At times, not much information is given, but what is given can be completely unforeseen. The unexpected turns in "A Rose for Emily" make the story better for the reader by making the plot more enticing. The beginning of the story is mostly as expected. Faulkner introduces Emily and her background, as well as the town’s feelings towards her. The first unexpected occurrence in the story would be the strange smell. “So she vanquished them, horse and foot, just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell” (Faulkner 2). The nonlinear storytelling within “A Rose for Emily” gives the reader no insight into what could possibly be the cause of the smell. The questions arisen by this first unexpected turn lead a reader to continue reading to find answers....
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...For example, in the beginning of “A Rose for Emily,” Faulkner uses the pronoun “we” without clarification, then changes to “they,” again without clarification. Nebeker discusses that the subjects change from the old generation, which is a representation of the old Southern ideologies, to the new generation, which is a representation of the new Northern ideologies. In addition to Nebeker, Palmer agrees that “Faulkner uses partial and flawed subjects who demonstrate their own inadequacy in the face of the forces of history (Palmer 121)” Palmer is referring to the abstract subjects, like the old and new generations Falkner alludes to, that are flawed in ideologies and have existed in history. This excerpt, “So she vanquished them, horse and foot,...
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...[Document title] | Reader Response: A Rose for Emily Dr. Tina Good ENG 102 | | ARIA EDWARDS 3-10-2016 | In “A Rose for Emily”, William Faulkner’s use of skilled literary techniques throughout the story work to create one of the most candid and organic experiences a reader can have. His narrative structure, use of foreshadow and flashbacks, and artistic execution of the shock ending all contribute to the mysterious and uneasy feel of the story. All of these literary elements also work together to keep the reader engaged in the text. The narrative styling lends way to the reader being taken on the very same journey the narrator is on, at points, at the same time. The back and forth descriptions of a couple situations at once feels like the narrator is telling us a story and remembering bits and pieces along the way sometimes having to digress slightly as to not leave out a single known detail. That point is just as important; the audience doesn’t know any less then the narrator, it is a shared experience with plenty of room for reader interpretation. By using the third person narrative in A Rose for Emily, Faulkner automatically draws the reader into the story by the word “we”. This inherently makes the audience feel like part of the story and creates a layer of empathy, as though the narrator is speaking directly to the audience. After Miss Emily agrees to allow authorities to dispose of her father’s three day old body, the narrator sheds insight into...
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...A Rose for Emily: 1st Essay A Rose for Emily is a short narrative written by William Faulkner, an American writer from Mississippi. This story tells the story of Emily Grierson who belongs to a southern aristocratic family. Emily was a weird but an extremely interesting woman who no one could be able to get the best of her. Even though she was a rude dissociable outsider who lost all her beloved ones and left alone in a society that outer appearances and social class were considered major aspects in people’s lives, she found a way to survive and maintain her strength. Through the events of the story you can realize the hardships Emily had gone through and all the unpleasant things that happened to her either from strangers or acquaintances. When I first read this story I gave a part of my time focusing on the title and what this piece of narrative might be about. Is it about roses? Is it a love story? Is it a funeral? Who is Emily and why she got flowers? Anyhow, for some reason, the word “Roses” stood up in the title and many questions came to my mind whether these roses symbolized something of what I thought it would. Are these roses from Emily’s beloved? Are they from people in a funeral? Or did she use to plant them in her garden? And what is really interesting is that the title was intriguing and encouraged me to read the story in order to find out what did those roses symbolize in William Faulkner’s short story. From the title, I came up with a scenario of what...
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...Antagonist A character or force against which another character struggles. Creon is Antigone's antagonist in Sophocles' play Antigone; Teiresias is the antagonist of Oedipus in Sophocles' Oedipus the King. Assonance The repetition of similar vowel sounds in a sentence or a line of poetry or prose, as in "I rose and told him of my woe." Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer" contains assonantal "I's" in the following lines: "How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick, / Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself." Character An imaginary person that inhabits a literary work. Literary characters may be major or minor, static (unchanging) or dynamic (capable of change). In Shakespeare's Othello, Desdemona is a major character, but one who is static, like the minor character Bianca. Othello is a major character who is dynamic, exhibiting an ability to change. Characterization The means by which writers present and reveal character. Although techniques of characterization are complex, writers typically reveal characters through their speech, dress, manner, and actions. Readers come to understand the character Miss Emily in Faulkner's story "A Rose for Emily" through what she...
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...Maryana Kovalchuk Intro to Literature ENG-125F-S02 Professor Lewis 04 October 2014 Emily Grierson: A Fallen Monument William Faulkner’s short story “A Rose for Emily” shows the effect of Emily Grierson’s gruesome mental health as a result of relationships with Homer Barron and her father. In addition, Emily Grierson lives according to her own disturbing ideas of situations and goes against societal norms and expectations. Although she may be an outsider from the community, her deserted private life remains a mystery among the community, with her life being a “trending topic” discussed periodically by her neighbors. Within the five sections of the story, we can grasp and understand Emily’s outstandingly yet mysterious life and personality as a result of her father, Homer and her isolation from the community. Emily’s character and personality can be widely characterized as a result of the numerous events that took place in her life. First, we learn the Grierson’s always thought highly of their selves more than they actually were (158). We would think Emily would have lived a confident, happy life without no worries or troubles. She was lucky enough to be remitted from her taxes from Colonel Sartoris (156), thanks to her father lending money to the community (156). However, her father played a huge role in why she remained single till she was thirty years old. Her father was a “spraddled silhouette in the foreground (159)” in her life, symbolizing how her life was filled...
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...obsession, and is shown throughout the plots, and the characters in, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “The Birth Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Firstly, Faulkner illustrates obsession of romance through mortality. In addition, Emily’s obsessive illness of love over death it often seen throughout the plot. Lastly, Hawthorne demonstrates the obsession of mortality thorough romance, through the main protagonist, Aylmer in “The Birth Mark.” To compare, Emily and Aylmer believe their obsessive consequences was from the heart, despite their obsessive disorders. In “A Rose for Emily,” the protagonist, Emily displays the obsession through her isolation. Equally important, the theme of obsession works as a preeminent role through the protagonist. Emily was never allowed to be autonomous growing up, and she goes beyond the lines on maintaining a strong intimacy through her isolating lifestyle. In essence, Emily develops a mental illness from severe isolation due to the actions of her father. To compare, Faulkner shares a slice of evidence as to why Emily has an...
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...A Rose for Emily Author: William Faulkner Plot: The story is broken down in 5 sections. In section I, the narrator recalls the time of Emily Grierson’s death and how the entire town attended her funeral in her home, which no stranger had entered for more than ten years. Colonel Sartoris, the town’s previous mayor, had suspended Emily’s tax responsibilities to the town after her father’s death, justifying the action by claiming that Mr. Grierson had once lent the community a significant sum. As new town leaders take over, they make unsuccessful attempts to get Emily to resume payments. When members of the Board of Aldermen pay her a visit, in the dusty and antiquated parlor, Emily reasserts the fact that she is not required to pay taxes in Jefferson and that the officials should talk to Colonel Sartoris about the matter. However, at that point he has been dead for almost a decade. She asks her servant, Tobe, to show the men out. Section II: the narrator describes a time thirty years earlier when Emily resists another official inquiry on behalf of the town leaders, when the townspeople detect a powerful odor emanating from her property. Her father has just died, and Emily has been abandoned by the man whom the townsfolk believed Emily was to marry. As complaints mount, Judge Stevens, the mayor at the time, decides to have lime sprinkled along the foundation of the Grierson home in the middle of the night. Within a couple of weeks, the odor subsides, but the townspeople begin...
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...nightmares, and death. Although in some stories, it also explores unmentionable topics such as murder, suicide, and incest. William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” is a story of a spinster woman who has killed her lover and lain for years beside his decaying body. The story deals with a murder caused by possessive love, and it elucidates the face of death which results in repulsion and compassion. “A Rose for Emily” represents Southern Gothic literature through descriptions of Emily, her house, necrophilia, and the theme of death. To begin with, the narrator portrays Emily Grierson as a once prominent member of the community. However, after the death of her father, she is pitied and often irritating, demanding to live life on her own terms. In the beginning of the story, the author describes her as looking “bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue. Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, [look] like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough” (Faulkner 53). Being isolated from the outside world since her father died and Homer Barron, her lover, went missing, Emily becomes a muted and mysterious figure. She begins to enforce her own sense of law and conduct, such as when she refuses to pay her taxes or state her purpose for buying the poison. Lu Ying Qian of Baidu Library states that Emily “was an unrealistic stubborn woman” (Qian 6). She continued to ignore the law, refuse to pay taxes, and not dispose of the dead. Emily’s eccentric...
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...like him. His passion for literature sent him on a journey to the University of Mississippi. While attending school, he worked for The Scream writing comic strips. (Cruz). Faulkner traveled a lot with his father while he was younger. Like most, he had strong Southern values and pride. He seemed to have a different stance on equality and the issues of inequality taking place. Faulkner encouraged equality amongst the citizens. His literature uses several situations where people of race, gender, or class are discriminated against (Cruz). Faulkner’s ability to write seemed to be influenced by his social environment. While he did have some trouble engaging in a political setting, he did retain his family values. He even used these values in the plot of some of his stories and novels. Faulkner favored the Southern Gothic style, a practice used by a multitude of writers in the American South. His story settings take place in regions that are characterized by...
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...The wind howls across the wide and open American great plains. The greatest of these three short stories at evoking a feeling similar to that of being in the American south “A Rose for Emily”, “Dust Tracks on a Dirt Road”, and “The Life You Save May be Your Own” is “Dust tracks on a dirt road”, followed by “The life you save may be your own”, and finally “A rose for Emily” In Dust Tracks on a dirt road, Hurstons use of imagery, telling us about her gingham dress and how most kids did not wear shoes evoked feelings similar to those that arose as a child when children would run around without shoes, get into a scuffle or two, and be home by dinner unless you wanted a bit of a whipping with a wooden spoon showed exceedingly well how rural the area was. None of that was said, however the idea of kids running around not wearing shoes or rolling around with each other in the dust and dirt made it easy to see, as well as also connecting emotionally with people of a rural background. This story also appeals in an ethical sense when you realize how horrible things were back then and the strides in human rights this nation has made. In “The Life You Save May Be Yours”, the author uses indirect characterization, such as when Mr.shiflet was fixing the nell’s car, or barn, and was exalted about everything he did, not worried in the slightest and being exceedingly manipulative of Mrs.nell, telling her how he’d marry her daughter if he could have the car, showing how useful he was around...
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