A Rose For Emily

After reading this short story, I was very disgusted. What a horrid way to end a story! After the story, I scanned over the "Reading and Reacting" that's in the lit book. It said it one part that they interviewed Faulkner about why he titled the story "A Rose for Emily", he replied, "I pitied her and this was a salute, just as if you were to make a gesture, a salute, to anyone; to a woman you would hand a rose, as you would lift a cup of sake to a man." This really made sense to me because when I read this story, all I was thinking about was how sick this woman was. But after all, she is a human just like the rest of us and should be giving some respect. Now I know this is just a story, but this should make us think of real people like Emily in the world around us. Was is really in every one's best interest to always be saying "Poor Emily" as they did throughout the story, or were the townspeople just saying it to ease their conscience? I wonder how much they really cared about Emily. Or were they more relieved when she passed? As much as I thought this story was horrid and digusting, I can see that this story can be an example to all of us; even the people that we think are sick or "crazy" are still human and really should be treated with love and respect. Because once they are gone, they are gone and will not be coming back. Emily, to the town, was "...a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation opon the town..." Could she have been more if the people had tried, got past the "poor Emily" stage, and really tried to be her friend?