Rotten Rose- "a Rose For Emily"

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 12th grade August 2001

download word file, 2 pages 0.0

Downloaded 18 times

"A Rotten Rose"Ã¯Â¿Â½ It is rather astonishing how we judge those we perceive to be different from us. We label others based on their looks, intellectual ability, gender, and race. In many ways the story "A Rose For Emily"Ã¯Â¿Â½ written by William Faulkner is comparative to the way we treat those around us today. Looking in through peepholes and windows, the townspeople in this story could never truly grasp what life Emily was leading. They speculated and rumored about a life that they could never understand, much like we do when we encounter a similar situation in our lives.

Emily Grierson was an older woman in William Faulkner's fictional county of Yoknapatawpha, Mississippi. She lived a rather spoiled life in the care of her father, a wealthy landowner. They endured in a love/hate relationship that would last until years after his departure from this world. His influence on her was felt throughout her life, and long after.

When Emily's father was alive he sent all the decent men away saying they were not good enough to marry his Emily until the day he died. He was the only family Emily had growing up. At first she refused to admit to his death, and release the body to the town, but after a few days and persuasion from the law she released the body. This shows how dependent she was on him and that he was the only person she had. Even though he treated her badly and scared away all of her suitors she still couldn't release him, or his memory. After he perished the town gave Emily an exemption on her taxes because her father was so well thought of.

Emily also was the recipient of the affection of an older man. The townspeople gossiped about...