A Rose for Emily: the Character of Emily
Emily is portrayed by the author as a confused woman, one who’s heart is in conflict with itself. Emily’s heart is in conflict, both regarding her relationship with her father and her relationship with her lover. The townspeople’s collective heart is also in conflict as they are unsure how to feel about Emily. Emily is an interesting character and, although frustrating at times, an effective one. The inner turmoil she suffers makes her accessible to readers as they are likely to be able to relate to her in some way.
Emily refused to accept the death of her father until she was forced by the law to do so. Interestingly, although she shied away from the task of burying him, he was responsible for her oppression when he was alive. In this way, her heart was in conflict between wanting to be free of her father, but not wanting to let him go. Following this, Emily killed her lover in order to stop him deserting her. This is another prime example of how Emily was in conflict with herself; she loved him too much to see him leave, but then she murdered him.
Emily is an interesting character, largely because of the contradictions within her, as discussed. Although taken to an extreme, the conflicts within Emily are similar to those many people experience every day. One element that makes a successful fictional character is that readers find they can relate to them in some way. Many readers are likely to be able to relate to certain aspects of Emily’s character, if not all of them. The author has delivered a well-rounded, three dimensional character who is accessible and memorable for his readers.
References
Falkner, W. “A Rose for Emily.” 1930. Web. 10 Feb. 2013. http://flightline.highline.edu/tkim/Files/Lit100_SS2.pdf
