I could not believe what it just happened, it seems like a miracle for me. So, I take composition 2 for this summer, and every week we will have to read 3 or 4 short stories and write an essay about it. This story is one of those stories I need to read for this week, and every single time, before I write my essay I always watch your video to get more information, and today, when I open TH-cam this video just right before my eyes and it has posted 13 hours ago, I can't believe what I see. Wow, my God is awesome. And I just want to say that you guys are the best, all the video is so helpful, and thanks for helping me through this class. ❤️
Great analysis! I liked the thought that possibly Emily's father prevented her from marrying because he sensed some evil in her. That was an interesting angle. Now you made me want to re-read it, which of course is a must for Faulkner anyway. :) If you liked this type of Faulkner story, you might like his book of short stories called Knight's Gambit if you haven't seen it before. It's a book of several mystery stories that all feature Gavin Stevens, the lawyer from Yoknapatawpha who appears in The Hamlet, The Town, and The Mansion, Intruder in the Dust, and several others. The mysteries in these were not ones that I personally could figure out before the twist was revealed and I found them pretty enjoyable. Plus I love Gavin Stevens. I'm going to have to look back through your other Faulkner reviews - I'm new to the channel (came from a search about Ivan Ilyich). I loooove Faulkner and unfortunately I don't know anyone in person who wants to read his work. I tried to slip one in to a book club I was in and no one wanted to read it. :( Maybe I should have tried for something other than The Sound and the Fury though. Also if you haven't seen it, check out the Digital Yoknapatawpha website. It's hosted by the University of Virginia and has some amazing geneologies of Faulkner characters on there. I really find them helpful when reading his novels. I always print out the family tree (they are under "commentaries," then "geneologies"). You can look at a character and find their whole story over all the works in which they appear, or you can click on just one work at the top and limit the info about the character to the book you are reading. It's very cool.
Oh yes, we're quite obsessed with him and plan to go through his whole repertoire. I am familiar with the concept of Knight's Gambit but we haven't gotten to it. I sure look forward to it! I loved the Snopes Trilogy. Yeah, we're very familiar with that database as it's a great resource. I usually recommend it in the "Before you read..." series we do for his novels except for maybe "Go Down, Moses." I think that one we linked to a site that does chapter by chapter reveal since there are some cool things he does with genealogies there. Always happy to chat with fellow Faulknophiles.
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thecodexcantina Bookmarks: 0:00 Introductions 0:56 Publication Info 2:22 Title Meaning 5:06 Plot and Analysis 29:45 Ratings and Wrap Up
Wow, I agree about this story! The more times I hear it analyzed, the more I like it. Thank you guys. Brian's video helped me recognize the basic metaphor that Emily = the old south and I appreciate that you continued highlighting the metaphor throughout the story- that Emily refuses to admit her father's death, may have killed him, etc. Great stuff!
Just my two cents related to the meaning of the end of the story. I think Emily suffered a mental break down because of her father's overbearing nature, her family's effort to break up her relationship with Homer, and the town and Southern societies limiting expectations of her. And, I think she killed Homer. To me Emily and her house represent the decay of the South and the damage done by trying to hold one to the old ideas and ways of life. Thanks gentlemen. Another great video discussion.
Ah. That's interesting that you say the family was trying to break them up. I had this feeling they were trying to get her to go ahead and marry for decency from the church and all. Maybe I misread it or that would be great if it was open-ended. Hmmm, something to pay more attention to on the next read! Yeah, 100% on the house.
Great discussion, as usual! I’ve always read it as Emily being the poisoner. Thanks for noting how the southern belle myth was used to bolster racist violence. Faulkner doesn’t always explore that side of the south as deeply, but it’s definitely relevant. The twist of building up our empathy for Emily and her tragic existence before the final line and the subsequent shift in our understanding of everything that happened is amazing. There are so many aspects that feel like an allegory: Does Emily represent the South? Which period: slave-owning, Reconstruction, Jim Crow? What about her father and Homer? Hope you’re both having a nice week. Cheers, Jack
Another story by Faulkner that I never noticed the Greek influences and references in until now. The narrator is reminiscent of the Chorus , the city observing the events of the rich and powerful play out. And of course there's Homer. I think Faulkner was also influenced by Charles Dickens' Miss Havisham and the Satis House from Great Expectations. There are definitely a few similarities.
This was the first scary disturbing story I read. I don’t remember what grade of school I was in but it got to me in a way that The Legend of Sleepy Hollow did not.
Only recently read this short story and I enjoyed your breakdown very much...all of them. One point I noticed...there is no mention of a rose in the story, only rose-shaded curtains and the rose-colored light in the room. If I missed it, tell me! Thanks!
Student’s Name Instructor Course Date The use of Point of view in the story A rose for Emily is an exemplary narrative due to its intrinsically complex chronology and its distinct narrative point of view. Most critics incorrectly have different suggestions about the narrator who relies heavily on the “we” as though the narrator is speaking for the whole community as young, male, and impressionable individuals (Faulkner). Nonetheless, a close investigation of the narrator at the end of the narrative reveals that they are not young, and the author never identified them as either female or male. The narrator’s character in the story is comprehended exemplarily by exploring the tone of the liens identified by the “we “individuals, who tend to shift their minds about Miss Emily at certain narration moments (Faulkner). In Rose for Emily, Faulkner relies on the use of point of view, which is rarely adopted in literature since he relies on the first persona plural narration to inform the narrative through unnamed characters point of view, which plays a crucial role in creating a direct effect on how the audiences think and view about miss Emily. The way the author uses the point of view in the narrative offers the readers the ideology of the dying traditions, values, and customs of the Old South. One avenue that the author uses to manipulate the point of view narration within the narrative is the omniscient-person narration that narrates the events based on the opinion of the two people. The narrator provides valuable information about Emily in a gossip-like way where the reader can only piece together small pieces of personality and information about her. One example in the narrative is when the townspeople explain why Emily Grieson in the narrative purchased arsenic. The town’s people assumed that “she will kill herself. Another instance is in the opening scene of the narrative where the town’s people go to the funeral and the reasons given for them attending her funeral “the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument” (Faulkner, 1). Based on this quote, there are many questions that the reader can understand about the relationship between the town’s people and Emily. There are concerns about whether the townspeople respect her or whether they remember her with love and affection or the things she had done in the town for them to call her a monument. Once towards the end of the narrative, when Emily poisons her lover and sleeps with her dead body, there is a high chance that the narrator uses the point of view to show sympathy towards her. Based on the opening scenes, the author uses the narrator’s point of view to show sympathy towards her since her actions are never condemned. In some instances, the author uses the narrator to admire her ability to vanquish the city members through her aristocratic bearing or purchase a poison. In essence, the narrator admires her aristocratic aloofness, especially on forming relationships with lower-class people or paying taxes. Nonetheless, for the lover, she decides to settle on Homer Barron, a lower-class man, and the most devastating issue relative to his social class is that she belongs to the Yankee community. Ironically, through the point of view, the reader can comprehend that the narrator admires her mighty and high bearing as she distances herself from the teeming, vulgar, and gross world even when committing one of the ultimate desperation acts of loving a Yankee. While he admires her, the narrator also contradicts by saying that the Grisons “held themselves little too high." However, the narrator uses a softened critic when the narrator indicates that when Miss Emily strolled through the town, most townspeople argue that “we had long thought of them as a tableau." According to this quote, the narrator implies that the townspeople believed that the Grieson was an artistic work that was too refined for the workday and everyday world. The narrator switches her admiration of Miss Emily as a monument and again delights in her shortcomings. While the narrator gains delight in her plight, she again sympathizes with her when she says that “We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left. She would have to cling to that which robbed her, as people will” (Faulkner). According to this quote, the author uses the narrator to explain the word cling, preparing the reader for Homer's incoming lover life. With Homer’s appearance in the narrative, the narrator who in the narrative represents the town’s opinion which is now happy that Miss Emily has now fallen in love. However, in the end, these feeling results in the indignation of the Northern, who attempts to be equal to an aristocratic lady of Miss Emily’s caliber. Based on the narrator’s comments, it is evident that the town’s people did not believe that Miss Emily could lower her class and fall in love with a comer. According to them, while Miss Emily can be kind and courteous to Homer, the town’s people postulate that she should not get involved with her sexually or romantically. The narrator also switches her allegiance from the town’s people’s attitude about her once the town’s people discover that she has engaged in adultery. The narrator mentions that “: she carried her head high enough-even when others believed that she had fallen." Based on this quote, the narrator makes the audience understand that, unlike the townspeople, the narrator is a product of acknowledging the dignity that Miss Emily embraces as she faces adversity. She has risen above common masses; walking with dignity and holding her head high, typical of the ancient Southern Aristocracy (Faulkner, 1). The author uses various examples in the text from the narrator's point of view to explain society's beliefs or the Southerners' aristocratic nature in the narrative. For instance, when Miss Emily purchases poison from the pharmacists, she uses the same attitude to anguish the older men. When the pharmacist asks reasons for the poison, she responds “with her head tilted back to look him in the eye" (Faulkner). Based on this quote, the author uses the narrator o show the reader that asking about an individual’s intention in the Southern culture during this period was an invasion of their privacy. However, through the narrator’s assertion and admiration of Miss Emily, the reader can also question the society which permits individuals to rely on their social status, high positions, authority, and respect to bending the rules. In the process, the author also makes the reader question the narrator’s values because of her support and admiration about Emily’s naughtiness to the older men and the pharmacists. The author of this narrative uses the word “we” to establish a sense of closeness between the narrative and the reader. While the townspeople Judges Miss Emily is a villain but simultaneously as a vigilant woman and beyond reproach, the narrator admirers her and sees her as a social loaf. The use of the word Grieson contradicts the narrator’s admiration as it evolves certain aristocratic behavioral senses. The townspeople view her as superior and arrogant since they long to place her above everything else but simultaneously want to see her fall. Nonetheless, the town, including the new members of the elderly council, shows a complete subservience and deference towards Miss Emily. She belongs to the Aristocratic nature of the Old South, and consequently, she possesses certain reserve and special privileges relative to other people of the town. From the narrator’s point of view, it is possible to comprehend the declining values and customs of the Old South. The druggist submits to Emily’s demands because she is an aristocrat. She also defies the tax imposed by the newer generation because the townspeople respect her, which is why most of them are reluctant to defy whatever she needs. Additionally, considering the narrative was told from the town’s people's point of view, the reader can understand the slow decline of the old South as the narrative documents the progress and advancement that the townspeople make. The narrator makes the reader understand that Emily might still be thinking that the old customs still exist since she is presented as someone unable to accept things. In the end, this is one reason why she dies slowly since she fails to adapt to the demands and aspects prevalent in the newer generation. In conclusion, the author relies on the narrator’s point of view in this narrative to explain the declining customs of the Old South. In the narrator’s opinion, it is evident that individual living in the Northern part has different opinions about the customs of the South. Through the narrator's tone, the reader can comprehend that Miss Emily struggles to live and interact with the low-class people because she is aristocratic. Adopting the point of view in this story has played a crucial role in unearthing insights on aristocracy and the social class differences that existed during this period. Many townspeople are surprised that Miss Emily is in love with Homer because he is a Yankee and a member of the low class. From the point of view narration, the reader can comprehend that people who existed during this period had respect for a particular social class, making it impossible for them to mingle and interact freely. The point of view has been used to express the opinions of both the towns’ people and help the reader comprehend that while different people may have different perspectives, cultural difference in a community and customs may cause devastating implications to someone if not handled effectively. The clash between the Southern and the Northern customs played a crucial role in the slow demise of Miss Emily Works Cited Faulkner, William. A rose for Emily. Paderborn, 1958.
I've visited William Faulkner's house in Oxford, MS. Even took a selfie with his statue in the Square. This was such an interesting story as far as determining what actually was going on with Emily. My take: she got tired of dear ol Daddy and offed him so she could be an independent woman. And then....well, Ms Emily either discovered she had a taste for it or she decided she was going to kill whoever told her no. (Good thing the pharmacist decided those "rats" needed killing)
About Social Security: I was born in 1939 but, in my childhood, I heard lots of talk about Social Security. The government guaranteed it would never be used for identification (you see how well that worked out!) but people were even more concerned about the the lack of privacy-FROM the GOVERNMENT. They could now pinpoint you anytime they wanted. You can see how that worked out, too. The idea of freedom included the idea of freedom from the government in all but basic essentials. I gotta admit I never got the idea that it was for old age. The government gave old age pensions; there wasn’t a need for anything else. But now everyone pays into it as an insurance. As part of the conservative movement against Social Security’s existence, people are expected to buy into the stock market for retirement, taking the same risks as the rich with none of the entitlement. It is an advantage to the rich to have the risk spread out. So we’ve gone from the duty of government to provide for its oldest citizens, to every citizen taking a risk to help the rich. Some saw it coming.
The reference to Tobe as being related to “Roots” is anachronistic: “Roots” was published nearly 50 years after “A Rose for Emily.” I’m curious if you have an explanation for the name Tobe beyond that? Otherwise, I thought this was a great review. Well done!
@@TheCodeXCantina No worries. I really enjoy your book reviews. I'm beginning a pod cast with one of my coworkers where we will review books and short stories that are commonly read in high school literature classes. We both teach at the same high school and hope we can generate a greater interest in classic literature among students everywhere. You guys do a great job making classics understandable. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for this analysis. It was amazing . i have a question , would you please provide me with an answer ? So William Faulkner used stream of consciousness in his writings . would you please give an example of stream of consciousness in the short story " A rose for Emily" ?
Awww, if you think this story haunts you forever... try reading Guts by Chuck Palaniuk (a short story). I mean, actually don't read it because you will SO want to unread it and you never will be able to. I read it about 5 years ago and am still 100% scarred for life. It's literally the worst thing I've ever read and I really, really, really wish I hadn't read it.
I second the Hitchcock psycho! I just noted it in my response for class. You are the first I’ve seen other than myself reference this. Definitely similarities in characters.
I strongly disagree with the interpretation that the father protected the town from his "schizo" daughter. I don't see evidence for her mental illness until she is faced with the only intimacy possible to her history and her class. I also see no evidence in the text itself for Homer's homosexuality. I've taught this story many times, but insist that "meanings" and interpretations be grounded in the textual evidence.
"[...] Homer himself had remarked - he liked men, and it was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks' Club - that he was not a marrying man." If you've taught this story many times and left out the fact that Homer is in fact homosexual, you're doing your students a disservice.
Does Homer Barron’s name - Homer - a choice that was intended to reinforce the notion that he was homosexual? Also, I thought the notion that he could have been of mixed race was a good insight.
I think both. I think this story is an interesting depiction of a multi-dimensional character…and a symbiosis of opposing forces. A weird equilibrium, I may suggest. While Emily is one who was “protected” (i.e., restricted), those protections give her some level of “freedom” later on. Her need to cling to the past is contrasted by her choices to rebel against the social conventions of the time.
How can readers learn the story when you put censorship on words? It is better to explain /caution right at the beginning that words that were considered ok then are considered offensive today. But do show the text as it was written. It is part of the time and era of the old South. It is an insult to your readers' intelligence when young, intelligent people are over-righteous.
I could not believe what it just happened, it seems like a miracle for me. So, I take composition 2 for this summer, and every week we will have to read 3 or 4 short stories and write an essay about it. This story is one of those stories I need to read for this week, and every single time, before I write my essay I always watch your video to get more information, and today, when I open TH-cam this video just right before my eyes and it has posted 13 hours ago, I can't believe what I see. Wow, my God is awesome. And I just want to say that you guys are the best, all the video is so helpful, and thanks for helping me through this class. ❤️
Excellent timing then! Hopefully we can continue that trend :D
Great analysis! I liked the thought that possibly Emily's father prevented her from marrying because he sensed some evil in her. That was an interesting angle. Now you made me want to re-read it, which of course is a must for Faulkner anyway. :) If you liked this type of Faulkner story, you might like his book of short stories called Knight's Gambit if you haven't seen it before. It's a book of several mystery stories that all feature Gavin Stevens, the lawyer from Yoknapatawpha who appears in The Hamlet, The Town, and The Mansion, Intruder in the Dust, and several others. The mysteries in these were not ones that I personally could figure out before the twist was revealed and I found them pretty enjoyable. Plus I love Gavin Stevens. I'm going to have to look back through your other Faulkner reviews - I'm new to the channel (came from a search about Ivan Ilyich). I loooove Faulkner and unfortunately I don't know anyone in person who wants to read his work. I tried to slip one in to a book club I was in and no one wanted to read it. :( Maybe I should have tried for something other than The Sound and the Fury though. Also if you haven't seen it, check out the Digital Yoknapatawpha website. It's hosted by the University of Virginia and has some amazing geneologies of Faulkner characters on there. I really find them helpful when reading his novels. I always print out the family tree (they are under "commentaries," then "geneologies"). You can look at a character and find their whole story over all the works in which they appear, or you can click on just one work at the top and limit the info about the character to the book you are reading. It's very cool.
Oh yes, we're quite obsessed with him and plan to go through his whole repertoire. I am familiar with the concept of Knight's Gambit but we haven't gotten to it. I sure look forward to it! I loved the Snopes Trilogy.
Yeah, we're very familiar with that database as it's a great resource. I usually recommend it in the "Before you read..." series we do for his novels except for maybe "Go Down, Moses." I think that one we linked to a site that does chapter by chapter reveal since there are some cool things he does with genealogies there. Always happy to chat with fellow Faulknophiles.
Take a shot every time the guy says ‘this is literature’
For realzies. Great video chaps. I’m subscribing.
😂 I’m in!!
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thecodexcantina
Bookmarks:
0:00 Introductions
0:56 Publication Info
2:22 Title Meaning
5:06 Plot and Analysis
29:45 Ratings and Wrap Up
Thanks for watching!
Wow, I agree about this story! The more times I hear it analyzed, the more I like it. Thank you guys.
Brian's video helped me recognize the basic metaphor that Emily = the old south and I appreciate that you continued highlighting the metaphor throughout the story- that Emily refuses to admit her father's death, may have killed him, etc. Great stuff!
Christy Luis - Dostoevsky in Space Glad it could help. That seems to be a thing in many of his works. This has such a complex way he worked it in
@@TheCodeXCantina yes! Faulkner loved some metaphor 😂
Just my two cents related to the meaning of the end of the story.
I think Emily suffered a mental break down because of her father's overbearing nature, her family's effort to break up her relationship with Homer, and the town and Southern societies limiting expectations of her. And, I think she killed Homer. To me Emily and her house represent the decay of the South and the damage done by trying to hold one to the old ideas and ways of life.
Thanks gentlemen. Another great video discussion.
Ah. That's interesting that you say the family was trying to break them up. I had this feeling they were trying to get her to go ahead and marry for decency from the church and all. Maybe I misread it or that would be great if it was open-ended. Hmmm, something to pay more attention to on the next read! Yeah, 100% on the house.
Brian's got it right about her _Satoris_ 😉
@@bighardbooks770 Lol
Ive been putting off Faulkner for too long but I'm gonna give this one a go.
Awesome! I hope you enjoy it!
Great discussion, as usual!
I’ve always read it as Emily being the poisoner. Thanks for noting how the southern belle myth was used to bolster racist violence. Faulkner doesn’t always explore that side of the south as deeply, but it’s definitely relevant.
The twist of building up our empathy for Emily and her tragic existence before the final line and the subsequent shift in our understanding of everything that happened is amazing.
There are so many aspects that feel like an allegory: Does Emily represent the South? Which period: slave-owning, Reconstruction, Jim Crow? What about her father and Homer?
Hope you’re both having a nice week.
Cheers, Jack
Emily the Poisoner sounds like a musical I would see.
I thought of Great Expectations when reading this story, Southern (English) Gothic.
Very interesting listening to you two. Excellent perspective. I agree with it
Another story by Faulkner that I never noticed the Greek influences and references in until now. The narrator is reminiscent of the Chorus , the city observing the events of the rich and powerful play out. And of course there's Homer.
I think Faulkner was also influenced by Charles Dickens' Miss Havisham and the Satis House from Great Expectations. There are definitely a few similarities.
I haven't read Great Expectations.
I really want to redo Reivers for the Greek angle.
This video was simply fantastic. How does it have less than 2k views???
Thanks for the kind words.
This was the first scary disturbing story I read. I don’t remember what grade of school I was in but it got to me in a way that The Legend of Sleepy Hollow did not.
Only recently read this short story and I enjoyed your breakdown very much...all of them.
One point I noticed...there is no mention of a rose in the story, only rose-shaded curtains and the rose-colored light in the room. If I missed it, tell me! Thanks!
Student’s Name
Instructor
Course
Date
The use of Point of view in the story
A rose for Emily is an exemplary narrative due to its intrinsically complex chronology and its distinct narrative point of view. Most critics incorrectly have different suggestions about the narrator who relies heavily on the “we” as though the narrator is speaking for the whole community as young, male, and impressionable individuals (Faulkner). Nonetheless, a close investigation of the narrator at the end of the narrative reveals that they are not young, and the author never identified them as either female or male. The narrator’s character in the story is comprehended exemplarily by exploring the tone of the liens identified by the “we “individuals, who tend to shift their minds about Miss Emily at certain narration moments (Faulkner). In Rose for Emily, Faulkner relies on the use of point of view, which is rarely adopted in literature since he relies on the first persona plural narration to inform the narrative through unnamed characters point of view, which plays a crucial role in creating a direct effect on how the audiences think and view about miss Emily.
The way the author uses the point of view in the narrative offers the readers the ideology of the dying traditions, values, and customs of the Old South. One avenue that the author uses to manipulate the point of view narration within the narrative is the omniscient-person narration that narrates the events based on the opinion of the two people. The narrator provides valuable information about Emily in a gossip-like way where the reader can only piece together small pieces of personality and information about her. One example in the narrative is when the townspeople explain why Emily Grieson in the narrative purchased arsenic. The town’s people assumed that “she will kill herself. Another instance is in the opening scene of the narrative where the town’s people go to the funeral and the reasons given for them attending her funeral “the men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument” (Faulkner, 1). Based on this quote, there are many questions that the reader can understand about the relationship between the town’s people and Emily. There are concerns about whether the townspeople respect her or whether they remember her with love and affection or the things she had done in the town for them to call her a monument. Once towards the end of the narrative, when Emily poisons her lover and sleeps with her dead body, there is a high chance that the narrator uses the point of view to show sympathy towards her.
Based on the opening scenes, the author uses the narrator’s point of view to show sympathy towards her since her actions are never condemned. In some instances, the author uses the narrator to admire her ability to vanquish the city members through her aristocratic bearing or purchase a poison. In essence, the narrator admires her aristocratic aloofness, especially on forming relationships with lower-class people or paying taxes. Nonetheless, for the lover, she decides to settle on Homer Barron, a lower-class man, and the most devastating issue relative to his social class is that she belongs to the Yankee community. Ironically, through the point of view, the reader can comprehend that the narrator admires her mighty and high bearing as she distances herself from the teeming, vulgar, and gross world even when committing one of the ultimate desperation acts of loving a Yankee. While he admires her, the narrator also contradicts by saying that the Grisons “held themselves little too high." However, the narrator uses a softened critic when the narrator indicates that when Miss Emily strolled through the town, most townspeople argue that “we had long thought of them as a tableau." According to this quote, the narrator implies that the townspeople believed that the Grieson was an artistic work that was too refined for the workday and everyday world.
The narrator switches her admiration of Miss Emily as a monument and again delights in her shortcomings. While the narrator gains delight in her plight, she again sympathizes with her when she says that “We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left. She would have to cling to that which robbed her, as people will” (Faulkner). According to this quote, the author uses the narrator to explain the word cling, preparing the reader for Homer's incoming lover life. With Homer’s appearance in the narrative, the narrator who in the narrative represents the town’s opinion which is now happy that Miss Emily has now fallen in love. However, in the end, these feeling results in the indignation of the Northern, who attempts to be equal to an aristocratic lady of Miss Emily’s caliber. Based on the narrator’s comments, it is evident that the town’s people did not believe that Miss Emily could lower her class and fall in love with a comer. According to them, while Miss Emily can be kind and courteous to Homer, the town’s people postulate that she should not get involved with her sexually or romantically.
The narrator also switches her allegiance from the town’s people’s attitude about her once the town’s people discover that she has engaged in adultery. The narrator mentions that “: she carried her head high enough-even when others believed that she had fallen." Based on this quote, the narrator makes the audience understand that, unlike the townspeople, the narrator is a product of acknowledging the dignity that Miss Emily embraces as she faces adversity. She has risen above common masses; walking with dignity and holding her head high, typical of the ancient Southern Aristocracy (Faulkner, 1). The author uses various examples in the text from the narrator's point of view to explain society's beliefs or the Southerners' aristocratic nature in the narrative. For instance, when Miss Emily purchases poison from the pharmacists, she uses the same attitude to anguish the older men. When the pharmacist asks reasons for the poison, she responds “with her head tilted back to look him in the eye" (Faulkner). Based on this quote, the author uses the narrator o show the reader that asking about an individual’s intention in the Southern culture during this period was an invasion of their privacy. However, through the narrator’s assertion and admiration of Miss Emily, the reader can also question the society which permits individuals to rely on their social status, high positions, authority, and respect to bending the rules. In the process, the author also makes the reader question the narrator’s values because of her support and admiration about Emily’s naughtiness to the older men and the pharmacists.
The author of this narrative uses the word “we” to establish a sense of closeness between the narrative and the reader. While the townspeople Judges Miss Emily is a villain but simultaneously as a vigilant woman and beyond reproach, the narrator admirers her and sees her as a social loaf. The use of the word Grieson contradicts the narrator’s admiration as it evolves certain aristocratic behavioral senses. The townspeople view her as superior and arrogant since they long to place her above everything else but simultaneously want to see her fall. Nonetheless, the town, including the new members of the elderly council, shows a complete subservience and deference towards Miss Emily. She belongs to the Aristocratic nature of the Old South, and consequently, she possesses certain reserve and special privileges relative to other people of the town.
From the narrator’s point of view, it is possible to comprehend the declining values and customs of the Old South. The druggist submits to Emily’s demands because she is an aristocrat. She also defies the tax imposed by the newer generation because the townspeople respect her, which is why most of them are reluctant to defy whatever she needs. Additionally, considering the narrative was told from the town’s people's point of view, the reader can understand the slow decline of the old South as the narrative documents the progress and advancement that the townspeople make. The narrator makes the reader understand that Emily might still be thinking that the old customs still exist since she is presented as someone unable to accept things. In the end, this is one reason why she dies slowly since she fails to adapt to the demands and aspects prevalent in the newer generation.
In conclusion, the author relies on the narrator’s point of view in this narrative to explain the declining customs of the Old South. In the narrator’s opinion, it is evident that individual living in the Northern part has different opinions about the customs of the South. Through the narrator's tone, the reader can comprehend that Miss Emily struggles to live and interact with the low-class people because she is aristocratic. Adopting the point of view in this story has played a crucial role in unearthing insights on aristocracy and the social class differences that existed during this period. Many townspeople are surprised that Miss Emily is in love with Homer because he is a Yankee and a member of the low class. From the point of view narration, the reader can comprehend that people who existed during this period had respect for a particular social class, making it impossible for them to mingle and interact freely. The point of view has been used to express the opinions of both the towns’ people and help the reader comprehend that while different people may have different perspectives, cultural difference in a community and customs may cause devastating implications to someone if not handled effectively. The clash between the Southern and the Northern customs played a crucial role in the slow demise of Miss Emily
Works Cited
Faulkner, William. A rose for Emily. Paderborn, 1958.
Thanks for sharing.
Hi po can you help me for my screen play about a rose for Emily? Please 🥺🙏
I've visited William Faulkner's house in Oxford, MS. Even took a selfie with his statue in the Square.
This was such an interesting story as far as determining what actually was going on with Emily.
My take: she got tired of dear ol Daddy and offed him so she could be an independent woman. And then....well, Ms Emily either discovered she had a taste for it or she decided she was going to kill whoever told her no. (Good thing the pharmacist decided those "rats" needed killing)
Lol, darn rats!
@@TheCodeXCantina That damn Stephen King started it with that Rat story!
I long to see Rowan Oak . . .
About Social Security: I was born in 1939 but, in my childhood, I heard lots of talk about Social Security. The government guaranteed it would never be used for identification (you see how well that worked out!) but people were even more concerned about the the lack of privacy-FROM the GOVERNMENT. They could now pinpoint you anytime they wanted. You can see how that worked out, too. The idea of freedom included the idea of freedom from the government in all but basic essentials. I gotta admit I never got the idea that it was for old age. The government gave old age pensions; there wasn’t a need for anything else. But now everyone pays into it as an insurance. As part of the conservative movement against Social Security’s existence, people are expected to buy into the stock market for retirement, taking the same risks as the rich with none of the entitlement. It is an advantage to the rich to have the risk spread out. So we’ve gone from the duty of government to provide for its oldest citizens, to every citizen taking a risk to help the rich. Some saw it coming.
But how do they memorialize Emily? why was she worth remembering? how is her character a reflection of the old south?
Great first Faulkner read!
Thanks
Could you make a video on the literary analysis of A Wicked Woman by jack london and an Upheaval by Anton Chekhov please?
Great analysis.
Gopal Krishnan Thanks. It’s a favorite of mine (always Una commenting FYI)
Awesome Job you guys🧐 deep thought Very Helpful😊
So glad!
The reference to Tobe as being related to “Roots” is anachronistic: “Roots” was published nearly 50 years after “A Rose for Emily.” I’m curious if you have an explanation for the name Tobe beyond that? Otherwise, I thought this was a great review. Well done!
Alan Underwood Ah, our mistake. I’d have to ask Krypto if he had any other takes.
-Una
@@TheCodeXCantina No worries. I really enjoy your book reviews. I'm beginning a pod cast with one of my coworkers where we will review books and short stories that are commonly read in high school literature classes. We both teach at the same high school and hope we can generate a greater interest in classic literature among students everywhere. You guys do a great job making classics understandable. Keep up the good work!
I do like Faulkner a lot!
Me too!
Antebellum. Always learning from Faulkner #FaulknerInAugust 😉🔥😂🎭😁Good one, gentlemen, thank you.
Big Hard Books & Classics woo
Thank you for this analysis. It was amazing . i have a question , would you please provide me with an answer ?
So William Faulkner used stream of consciousness in his writings . would you please give an example of stream of consciousness in the short story " A rose for Emily" ?
There are whole papers written on it if you google it. They'll explain it better than me
Awww, if you think this story haunts you forever... try reading Guts by Chuck Palaniuk (a short story). I mean, actually don't read it because you will SO want to unread it and you never will be able to. I read it about 5 years ago and am still 100% scarred for life. It's literally the worst thing I've ever read and I really, really, really wish I hadn't read it.
katietatey challenge accepted
Hi po can you help me for my screen play about a rose for Emily? Please 🥺🙏
Shades of Robert Bloch's (and then Hichcock's), Psycho, no?
I hadn’t really thought of that ending like that but I can see a bit of it!
I second the Hitchcock psycho! I just noted it in my response for class. You are the first I’ve seen other than myself reference this. Definitely similarities in characters.
Very similar to his novel Light in August
I strongly disagree with the interpretation that the father protected the town from his "schizo" daughter. I don't see evidence for her mental illness until she is faced with the only intimacy possible to her history and her class. I also see no evidence in the text itself for Homer's homosexuality. I've taught this story many times, but insist that "meanings" and interpretations be grounded in the textual evidence.
Yep, always important to back up your thoughts as to why with the text in papers.
"[...] Homer himself had remarked - he liked men, and it
was known that he drank with the younger men in the Elks' Club - that he was not a marrying man." If you've taught this story many times and left out the fact that Homer is in fact homosexual, you're doing your students a disservice.
Does Homer Barron’s name - Homer - a choice that was intended to reinforce the notion that he was homosexual? Also, I thought the notion that he could have been of mixed race was a good insight.
Do you think Emily was victim or criminal ? And why?
Do you think Emily a strong woman or weak ? And why?
I think both. I think this story is an interesting depiction of a multi-dimensional character…and a symbiosis of opposing forces. A weird equilibrium, I may suggest. While Emily is one who was “protected” (i.e., restricted), those protections give her some level of “freedom” later on. Her need to cling to the past is contrasted by her choices to rebel against the social conventions of the time.
Yiikes that twist. The interpretation is poignant as her using essentially a puppet patriarch to allow her the freedom she wanted.
Indeed. Probably why it's included in so many anthologies
Hi po can you help me for my screen play about a rose for Emily? Please 🥺🙏
How can readers learn the story when you put censorship on words? It is better to explain /caution right at the beginning that words that were considered ok then are considered offensive today. But do show the text as it was written. It is part of the time and era of the old South. It is an insult to your readers' intelligence when young, intelligent people are over-righteous.