Symbolism and Theme in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily - Research Paper Example

?Symbolism and Theme in William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily William Faulkner is today recognized as one of the foremost American of the 20th century. Faulkner is generally recognized for his articulation of southern daily life, as well as his experimental approach to literature. Still, in some of Faulkner’s work it’s clear that he is influenced by the southern gothic genre (Blotner 89). Perhaps this is most prominently witnessed in his short story ‘A Rose for Emily’. This story explores the macabre and desolate life of a woman named Emily as she experiences a number of life setbacks before finally settling into a reclusive existence. While containing southern gothic tendencies, the story is characteristic of Faulkner’s style in terms of theme and symbolism. This essay considers these symbolic and thematic elements in terms of Faulkner’s ‘A Rose for Emily’. Perhaps the most pervasive theme in ‘A Rose for Emily’ is the power and exploration of death. This is perhaps one of the most important elements in articulating the story as an element of southern gothic literature, and it gives the tale a sort of surreal touch. Faulkner begins the narrative in reverse, already stating that Emily Grierson, the main focus of the story is deceased. Faulkner writes, “When Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to the funeral” (Faulkner, web). While this is only a narrative element, it’s position as the first sentence of the story is notable as it sets the general thematic tone for the tale. While Emily’s death represents perhaps the most significant, it is only one among many deaths in the story. In addition to Emily’s death the story also indicates that Emily’s father died. Faulkner advances the thematic power of death in this instance by demonstrating that it extremely impacted Emily’s existence. Faulkner writes, “When her father died, it got about that the house was all that was left to her; and in a way, people were glad. At last they could pity Miss Emily. Being left alone, and a pauper, she had become humanized” (Faulkner, web). Here, Faulkner is demonstrating that with Emily’s father’s death she began to live a solitary and confined existence. Emily’s reaction to her father’s death, namely the denial she faces, also demonstrates the thematic concern with the power of death. While actual death is a prominent theme, Faulkner also implements death imagery in advancing this theme; for instance, referring to Emily Faulkner writes, “Her skeleton was small and spare” (Faulkner, web). Here it’s clear that a gothic and macabre theme is being articulated. Another major thematic concern of the story is the nature of tradition vs. change. As Faulkner relays the story in a narrative that jumps a number of years, the structure presents particular insight into the nature of change and tradition. While tradition vs. change is articulated through a number of elements in the story, it is perhaps seen most clearly in terms of Emily herself. Faulkner even writes, “Alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care; a sort of hereditary obligation upon the town” (Faulkner, web). While the story explores Emily’s life from a number of periods, she is always articulated as a sort of traditional aspect of the town, a sort of portal into the past. Even as Emily’s funeral occurs at the end of the story Faulkner links her to the older members of the community. He writes that they linked their lives in with Emily’s, “?'...confusing time with its mathematical progression, as the old do, to whom all the past is not a diminishing road, but, instead, a huge meadow which no winter ever quite touches, divided from them now by the narrow bottleneck of the most recent decade of years” (Faulkner, web). While this is a masterful piece of writing, it also demonstrates Faulkner’s thematic linking with the traditional order. Faulkner explores the clash of the traditional and modern world perhaps most acutely when the city attempts to gain taxes from Emily. Emily had been once remitted taxes as the town felt sorry for her, but as time passes the new city government attempts to charge her once again. The conflict is a literary means for Faulkner to demonstrate the thematic occurrence of the change of time, as well as characterize Emily as firmly rooted in old and bygone ways of existence. Faulker writes, “When the next generation, with its more modern ideas, became mayors and aldermen, this arrangement created some little dissatisfaction. On the first of the year they mailed her a tax notice” (Faulkner, web). In all, the conflict over taxes is a sound means of implementing the narrative to advance the theme of tradition vs. change. Of course, perhaps the most prominent such demonstration of tradition vs. change occurs in the final scene as the text demonstrates that she kept the corpse of her last boyfriend in her upper bedroom for almost a decade. In addition to being a powerful macabre element, it demonstrates a powerful articulation of the conflict of tradition and change, as Emily chooses to hold onto the rotten corpse of her last lover because she is unable to functionally face the concept of change within her life. In addition to these thematic elements, Faulkner implements a number of symbolic elements as a means of enhancing and advancing the narrative. One of the primary symbols in the story is that of Emily’s house. The house itself is perhaps the most stable and central element of the story, resurfacing throughout the significant change that goes on throughout the narrative. Faulkner notes that while the encroachment of cotton gins and modern development greatly changed the structure of the street, “only Miss Emily’s house remained” (Faulkner, web). In these regards, the house seems to take on the symbol of permanence in an impermanent world. Another prominent symbolic element throughout the story is the discussion of dust. Many times, Faulkner makes cyclical reference to dust. Faulkner writes, “when they sat down, a faint dust rose sluggishly about their thighs, spinning with slow motes in the single sun-ray” (Faulkner, web). In these regards it seems that Faulkner is implementing the symbol of dust as a means of furthering the concept of a life that has become static and non-advancing. The dust is also symbolic of the sort of macabre and dark atmosphere that the story emanates. In conclusion, it’s clear that William Faulkner implements a number of thematic and stylistic devices in his short story ‘A Rose for Emily’. In terms of theme, the essay has argued that Faulkner implements the theme of death and tradition vs. change as main elements within the story. In terms of death, Faulkner advances this theme through the death of Emily, as well as the death of her father, demonstrating the power of both of these occurrences. The theme of tradition vs. change is considered through the changing nature of the community and Emily’s resistance to it; this is witnessed most powerfully in the story’s final morose scene. Finally, the story implements symbolism through the exploration of dust as a cyclical recurrence. In these regards, the dust symbolizes the past elements of existence to which Emily refuses to release. Ultimately, the story is a powerful exploration of one’s women’s struggle to exist and cope with the changing seasons of her life. References Blotner, Joseph. Faulkner: A Biography. New York: Random House, 1984 Faulker, William. (2005) ‘A Rose for Emily’ WM Norton. http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/litweb05/workshops/fiction/f aulkner1.asp Sensibar, Judith L. The Origins of Faulkner's Art. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1984 Read More