by Amanda Blank

Created on: April 16, 2008

Mystery, suspense, murder, symbolism; all are elements of an interesting and intriguing story. Stories that capture our attention often involve creative planning and unconventional ideas from the mind of the author. "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner, is such a story. Faulkner strings a tale about a peculiar old spinster with eccentric tendencies to shun the outside world. The story is written in a confusing manner as the facts are out of order, and time is of no importance to the organization, leaving the reader with a curious sense of suspicion about the surprise murder at the end. Faulkner had a fantastic grasp on the utilization of language. He even suggested, "In a short story that's next to the poem, almost every word has got to be almost exactly right. In the novel you can be careless but in the short story you can't" (qtd. in Petry 54). This understanding gives Faulkner reign to manipulate the story in such a way that every statement seems to symbolize something important. Specifically, William Faulkner uses Emily's character to symbolize an opposition to the change of time.

Initially, attention should be drawn to how Miss Emily takes on several important physical changes throughout the story that allude to her mental state and even foretell the story's ending. Because the story is written out of order, our best guess at Emily's early character traits is from the portrayal of her being a "slender figure in white" (597) with her father as the strict ruler of the house. After her father dies, Emily takes on a girlish appearance with short hair and a "serene" look. Similarly, when her unfortunate suitor, Homer Barron, mysteriously disappears, Emily becomes fat and coarse. These two alterations may reveal her subconscious need to transform herself into how the formerly mentioned deceased had viewed her, thus trying to erase how time changed her. Mr. Grierson was a strict man who demanded high standards from his daughter. When finally able to mourn his death, Emily tries to become a young, innocent little girl again in order to please him. Homer Barron however, did not approve of the typical ladylike attributes of the time. He was viewed by the town as rough and uncouth and he preferred the company of men. After Homer dies (or disappears, if you will) Emily becomes bloated and unkempt, which was considered very "unladylike." The narrator even describes her hair color to be the same, iron gray color of an "active man" (599) hinting towards Emily's desire

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