A Rose for Emily

A Rose for Emily

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A Rose for Emily

William Faulkner’s story a Rose of Emily captures the predicament of Emily, a lady who was concealed form the world by her father and ended up suffering after her father’s death. Emily was ignorant of many things. She had spent so much of her life away from reality that she found it difficult to accept her father death. She also had several conflicts with her community because she did not understand how the world operated. Faulkner uses first parson narration to present a believable story while developing and expressing various themes. In addition, the text creates distinct character traits for the story’s characters and is narrated in tones that make readers sympathise at Emily’s ignorance as well as get amused by her.

There are various themes expressed in the text. The themes include isolation, versions of reality, compassion and forgiveness, and the struggle between the past and present.  Isolation in the story is both physical and emotional. Faulkner through this text explores how many things in humans’ lives isolate them. People can be isolated by their communities, families, laws, past, and their personal choices and actions. Faulkner seems to discourage all form of isolation. Expressing the varied forms of realityheld be different characters makesFaulkner’s text is a clear statement to people to stop looking at the world through “rose-coloured glasses” so as to look at reality’s face.People have to confront reality in the same way Emily should have confronted her reality. Unfortunately,her father and the townsfolk shielded her from reality. The text also explores the relationship between past and present. Emily is unable to let go of the past. She still holds unto the customs of her father’s generation and still believes in the importance of aristocracy and heredity. Colonel Satori’s decision to exempt her from tax makes her appear to be above everyone. Her inability to let go of the past and embrace new ideas of the  new generation.............