literary analyze

Emily enforces her own belief of law and conduct, such as when she refuses to pay taxes or her purpose for buying the poison. The object of the town’s scrutiny, Emily is a muted and mysterious figure with bizarre behavior. In "A Rose for Emily," William Faulkner portrays Emily as an unbalanced confused woman whose sole purpose is to feel love and affection, however, still wants to be dominant and controlling like her father. She wants to be in full control with total power, even if that means through life or death. Emily is necrophilia, sexual attraction to dead bodies, because she cannot let go of both her father and lover, but also the absolute power she possess over them. Faulkner’s use of imagery sets a tone for the general theme of the story, death. A rose to most people is seen as an item of beauty, with a sweet smell. In the story, the rose symbolize Emily, an item of beauty and desire that deteriorate and die over time. Change is good as long as the past stays in the past, people accepts change, and First, Emily is stubborn and unbalanced mentally, physically, and emotionally because of the obstacles she has undergone within her lifespan. Emily wanted to convert her per-civil war self, which was a traditional one, practiced slavery, lived in a wonderful mansion, and cared for money; as such corresponded with her father. All her life it seems that she was raised at a standard that was above the rest. By living such a secluded and controlled life it set her up for the happenings in her future. Gradually, however, the town did not accept Emily and Homer’s relationship because she was seen as a monument to them. “Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (Faulkner 79). The town did not accept the interracial relationship between them, as we see when “the ladies began to say that it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people” (Faulkner 83), so they called her cousins. This goes to show that the town’s people did not want to accept the change that Emily wanted to marry Homer. When her father passed away she had nobody to tell her what to do and how to act. This was very devastating and she had a hard time dealing with change. So much so that she wouldn't let the police take the body of her father out of the house for three days after his death. The only thing that was constant in her house was the slave that was bound to serve her. She started to have conflicted feelings with emotions and she began doubting herself, as well as, her existence.