A Rose for Emily is a short story written by William Faulkner in 1930. He based the story on "fears and rumors" (205) surrounding his real life neighbors.
Miss Emily was a strong woman, albeit, a little off-kilter. Emily dealt with much sorrow and loneliness in her life and yet she managed to live the years necessary to earn long iron-gray hair.
Emily stood up to the modern city officials who insisted she owed property taxes, repeatedly telling them "I have no taxes in Jefferson." (207). Blame this to her Grierson name or the innocence of a mentally ill woman left alone in this world, except for a single manservant, or is it possible that Emily didn't understand the changes that were taking place with reconstructing the south and the many transitions from Confederate to modern-day politics. Either way, she stood her ground and never opened her pockets no matter how many letters were posted to her.
There was no doubt the town busy-bodies kept a close eye on Emily and their tongues were a-wagging whenever an opportunity presented itself. As if the townspeople were all against Emily, referred to as "we" (206) throughout the story, still there was a respect that came by way of the elderly, dutiful men. Attending her funeral, "For a sort of respectful affection" (206) and when a difficult situation arises, "Will you accuse a lady to her face of smelling bad?" (208) and finally, waiting until Emily was "decently in the ground" (211) before opening the door in her home's upstairs, these townsmen showed Emily the dignity common in those days.
I do not suggest Emily was sane, for she poisoned her beau and laid with his corpse for years. She lived as a shut-in, except for the time she gave china-painting lessons in her downstairs, even as Homer Barron lay lifeless in a room just up the stairs. No, Emily was crazy, but she showed that her will could survive the loneliness and challenges of her days, and she lived to be an old woman adorned with iron-gray hair.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment