“A Rose for Emily”: Emily Grierson Essay

Emily Grierson from William Faulkners A Rose for Emily couldnt accept death she just could non intend it when those around her, peculiarly her loved ones, passed away. Emilys disaffirmation of death has many causes and consequences. When her father died, it took 3 days and the intervention of the people of Jefferson for her to give up the body because she refused to hope he was dead. When the townspeople attempted to offer their condolences to Emily, as Faulkner says, she told them her father was non dead. After she murdered Homer to keep him near her, she didnt, in her livelihood accept his death and continued to have unnatural traffic with his lifeless corpse. Even ten years after the death of Colonel Sartoris, she denied his death because she had no concept of the passing of time. She refused to acknowledge the passing of her loved ones it stands to reason that she would not acknowledge the passing of time. Her ignorance towards the passage of time has a lot to do with he r denial of death.When the Board of Alderman visited Emily to ask her to pay taxes, she exemplifies her denial of time by repeating, See Colonel Sartoris despite the fact that he had been dead for many years. Emily didnt seem to realize just how much time had passed since she had last put eyes on colonel Sartoris. This was probably mostly caused by the ostracism of the townspeople. macrocosm an outcast from society probably not only made it laboured for Emily to keep track of time, but too probably took a gong on her sanity.The isolation wasnt the only contributing factor toward Emilys failing mental health. Insanity also ran in her family. She had a expectant aunt, Old Lady Wyatt who is referred to by Faulkner as having finally gone all out of her mind and many critics speculate that her father may also have been out of his right mind. Many critics, such as Eric Knickerbocker believe that his relationship with Emily was incestuous. Emilys genetic insanity was probably the c ause of her isolation and her trouble with accepting death.In Emilys mind, probably also caused by her genetic madness, murder is permissible because she views death as an extension of life. In her eyes, she hasnt done anything wrong. She murdered Homer because he was going to leave her. She wanted to keep her Homer near her eer and he was planning on jilting her. She continued to have unnatural relations with his lifeless corpse, even long after his body had decayed because she didnt understand or couldnt accept that Homer was dead.Emily dies alone, in her mob that almost no one, except Tobe ever enters. All her life, she was excluded from society, jilted by her only potential groom, plagued with insanity and trapped in her own denial of death. Emilys entire life was very sad the consequences of her refusal of death were numerous. Faulkner does an smooth job at linking society, death, and insanity in his macabre southern mediaeval tale of Emily Grierson, a woman who was not rig ht in the head. whole shebang Cited Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. American Studies The University of Virginia. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. . Faulkner, William. A Rose for Emily. American Studies The University of Virginia. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. . Knickerbocker, Eric. William Faulkner The Faded Rose of Emily. Mr. Renaissance Spiritual and Philosophic Reflections. 13 Mar. 2003. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. . claims that Emilys relationship with her father is incestuous.