Classic English literature: William Faulkner «A Rose for Emily»
«A Rose for Emily» is considered to be perhaps the most famous short story by William Faulkner. The story describes the life of Miss Emily, the old lady, whose presence became strongly associated with the life in a small imaginary town of Jefferson. «A Rose for Emily» is written in a so-called «stream of consciousness» technique – Faulkner’s distinctive feature.
The theme of decay is vividly illustrated in the short story. The decay of a town in the global meaning corresponds to the decay of the personality. The town of Jefferson was situated in the Southern part of the USA, state Alabama. The whole action takes place only after a decade or two after the Civil War, the results of which entailed serious changes in the structure of the society – no more slavery, no more plantations and equal rights for all people. However, not all cities and even states could acquire new laws. Slavery was cancelled, but some parts of the country found themselves in a position when favorable conditions for further development for some reason had an opposite effect. Though having got accustomed to some innovations like pavements or mail boxes - these places preserved the same traditional points of view, in other words the out-of-date way of thinking. The town of Jefferson clearly resembled one of those «lost» places that were bound to disappear in the non-existence.
The decay of personality is represented in the bright character of Miss Emily. But this position was a kind of reaction to the chains of firm traditions in the town, which pulled her down and prevented from being happy. Emily was brought up in the one of the noblest families of the town. The woman’s father appeared to be a bossy man, who was so tightly held by his own strange beliefs and the society’s opinion that he, perhaps unconsciously or on the contrary deliberately did not let his daughter become a happily married women. Miss Emily’s strange behavior after her father’s deaths could be explained: « She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days Just as they were about to resort to law and force, she broke down, and they buried her father quickly» (William Faulkner). It was partially revenge and partially a sense of a temporally gained control, in spite of the fact that the man was dead.
Miss Emily’s love affair with a foreman from the laboring social class can be interpreted as a challenge, as an attempt to break the circle of old-fashioned traditions. She challenged the society twice – the love affair with a person with a lower position and the love affair with no intentions to marriage was a scandalous thing. But one person cannot confront and what is more, change the wall of steadfast beliefs. The person at some point simply breaks down.
Miss Emily could not avoid such destiny. She obeyed and immediately turned from a scandalous woman to the person who deserved only to be pitied. Ironically enough, that society, which used to condemn her and take measures in the relation to her behavior, was now eager to partake in every aspect of her life. However, this pity was a mere shade of true compassion and was restricted only to the generally accepted rules of simple courtesy: «The day after his death all the ladies prepared to call at the house and offer condolence and aid, as is our custom» but showed their true nature, the moment Emily took a false step: «Then some of the ladies began to say that it was a disgrace to the town and a bad example to the young people» (William Faulkner)
In other words, there was an explicit conflict between change and tradition, between old and modern, between conservatism and liberalism. While some particular societies made a distinct step forward, having acquired the changes, the others stepped back, pulling back those separate members, who were open to the new tendencies.
Emily was an outcast, she did not accept the rules but at some point understood that she could not change anything, so the best outcome for her would be to bury herself in a shell and let no one in her private life. It is no wonder why people considered her to have lost sanity. This was the only way to resist. Emily was a human being with her wishes and hopes, with aims and strivings - but somehow these things did not suit for the standards. The horrible picture, which appears before the eyes of people, reflected the broken and buried personality. Beautifully adorned room, a man dressed up for marriage and a strand of gray hair are the symbols of broken destiny.
Not for nothing the author titled his story «A Rose for Emily» - an old lonely woman with fractured destiny evoked only pity, because nothing was possible to change. And the Rose served as a kind of consolation but useless prize.
Works cited:
William Faulkner. A Rose for Emily. 28 Oct. 2012
