A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner

In A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner we have the theme of tradition, change, loneliness, acceptance, isolation and letting go. Taken from his Selected Short Stories collection the story is narrated in the first person by an unnamed narrator and from the beginning of the story the reader realises that Faulkner may be exploring the theme of tradition and change. Through the narrator the reader learns of a new generation of town leaders who have replaced Colonel Sartoris. No longer are townspeople, particularly those in power swayed by Miss Emily’s perceived prestige, there is a shift or change in perception. In their eyes Miss Emily is no different to anybody else in the town. This is significant as it suggests a change in tradition from the time of Colonel Sartoris. What is also interesting about the towns leaders view on Miss Emily and her taxes is her response to them. Despite Colonel Sartoris being dead for ten years Miss Emily instructs the men to talk to him. This is significant as it suggests that Miss Emily is still rooted in the past which in turn suggests that she is still living her life bound by old traditions. It also suggests that Miss Emily is unable to let go of the past, a past in whereby she was once thought of as superior to others.

There are other instances in the story in which the reader senses that Miss Emily is unable to let go. There is the fact that she refuses to accept that her father is dead, keeping his body in the house till townspeople eventually came to bury him. Also at the end of the story it becomes clear to the reader that Miss Emily has never let go of Homer, despite killing him, she still kept his body in her bedroom, going as far as sleeping with him. Again this would suggest an inability by Miss Emily to let go. It is also possible that Miss Emily killed Homer because he may have decided not to marry her and was in the process of leaving her, which would bring into play the theme of loneliness. Miss Emily may not have been prepared to live her life alone and by killing Homer (and sleeping with him) she was in some way assuring herself that she would not be alone.

It is also through Homer’s character that Faulkner also looks further at the idea or theme of change. Homer is a Yankee, something that bothers the townspeople. This may be important as it suggests an inability by the townspeople to accept the changes that would have occurred after the civil war. Despite it being over thirty years since the war, the townspeople still have a narrow viewpoint as regards people from the north (Yankees). They appear to be unable to accept change, which in many ways mirrors Miss Emily’s inability to accept that she may have to pay taxes. In essence there is a sense that though the townspeople embrace modernity more so than Miss Emily, they may not necessarily be moving on in other areas.

There also appears to be some symbolism in the story which may be significant. When the town’s leaders visit Miss Emily and request that she pay her taxes the narrator tells the reader that the men could ‘hear the invisible watch ticking at the end of the gold chain.’ There could be two interpretations as to the significance of the watch. First it could act as a foreshadowing device to the eventual death of Miss Emily or it may suggest that Miss Emily is from a time or period which is alien (or invisible) to the town’s leaders. Considering the latter, it is possible that Faulkner may be suggesting the there is a distance between Miss Emily and the town’s leaders, which may further suggest the idea of isolation or detachment for Miss Emily.

Faulkner may also be using Miss Emily’s house as symbolism, to suggest the decline of southern aristocracy. What was once decorated with ‘cupolas and spires and scrolled balconies’ has become an eye sore, encroached by ‘garages and cotton gins.’  Also the curtains and lamp shade in the bedroom where Homer lies are described as being rose coloured. Again Faulkner could be using symbolism to suggest the idea of love, a rose being a commonly accepted symbol of love. It is possible that Miss Emily was once open to or in love. Other symbolism in the story may include the mail box that Miss Emily refuses to allow outside the house. Symbolically this could suggest that Miss Emily is not prepared to change, preferring to live her life as she always has. It is also possible that Faulkner could be suggesting, by Miss Emily’s refusal to allow her house to be numbered, that she remains as isolated or detached from others. In many ways by being different to other people, Miss Emily ensures that she remains isolated. She appears to be unwilling to accept the changes that come with modernity which would suggest the idea of an inability to let go of the past and move on. It is also possible that the portrait of Miss Emily’s father is symbolism for his continued presence in Miss Emily’s life. He is part of a tradition that she is not prepared to let go of.

There is also a sense of irony in the story. Miss Emily had a fear of being alone which appears to stem from her father’s refusal to allow suitors to the family home when she was younger. By killing Homer she has in some way ensured that she will not be alone, however she has also ensured that she will be isolated from the other townspeople. It is through her one connection, with Homer, that she has isolated herself from everybody else. It is also by the end of the story that the reader senses that nobody in the town really knew who Miss Emily was. Through the narrator, the reader gets an insight into the opinions of the townspeople when it came to Miss Emily but there is never a clear picture. This is highlighted by the fact that Miss Emily may not have just been an old southern spinster, as seen through the eyes of the townspeople but she also appears to be a murderer too.

See Also:

• Dry September by William Faulkner
• Barn Burning by William Faulkner
• Honor by William Faulkner
• Mountain Victory by William Faulkner