A Rose for Emily, by William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer and Nobel Prize laureate from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner wrote novels, short stories, screenplays, poetry, essays, and a play. He is primarily known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette Cou…
What would “a rose for Emily” be without Faulkner?
In “A Rose for Emily”, the plot and the general atmosphere of the story would be incomplete without Faulkner’s gothic elements.
How does Miss Emily's home strike the reader as especially Gothic?
First, Miss Emily 's home strikes the reader as an especially Gothic sort of structure because of the secrecy and mystery that shrouds it. Miss Emily's father died there, and later, after Homer Barron 's disappearance, only her servant comes and goes, and no one else is allowed in.
How does Emily find a suitor for Homer?
Due to the ensuing loneliness, Emily looks for a suitor and finds one in Baron Homer. The story unfolds when Emily finds out that Homer is not ready to marry and decides to do all she can to keep her suitor from leaving her.
What Gothic elements are used in A Rose for Emily?
In this story, Faulkner employs several gothic elements including the decayed corpse, the imposing decrepit house, and the secret horrors that are subject to Emily's suspicious house. All these gothic elements contribute to the plot's development by creating a certain kind of atmosphere.
Is A Rose for Emily in the South?
“A Rose for Emily” is set in the South after the Civil War (the “postbellum” South), after slavery had been abolished and plantation life had collapsed.
What makes it an example of Southern Gothic fiction?
Southern Gothic is a mode or genre prevalent in literature from the early 19th century to this day. Characteristics of Southern Gothic include the presence of irrational, horrific, and transgressive thoughts, desires, and impulses; grotesque characters; dark humor, and an overall angst-ridden sense of alienation.
What is Southern Gothic style?
Southern gothic, a style of writing practiced by many writers of the American South whose stories set in that region are characterized by grotesque, macabre, or fantastic incidents.
How is Emily a symbol of the Old South?
Faulkner uses Miss Emily and her house, which once both represented pride, beauty, and opulence, to symbolize the downfall of the Old South. At its height, the Old South meant beauty and power, but with the defeat in the Civil War, all that was once the Old South came to an abrupt end.
How does Emily in A Rose for Emily represent the Old South?
Emily clings to the notion of what once was, becoming a traditional obligation to the town of Jefferson through her refusal to pay taxes. Finally, she is representative of the South through her unwillingness to accept the passage of time as she keeps the bodies of both her father and Homer Barron after their deaths.
What are Southern Gothic elements?
Southern Gothic is a mode or genre prevalent in literature from the early 19th century to this day. Characteristics of Southern Gothic include the presence of irrational, horrific, and transgressive thoughts, desires, and impulses; grotesque characters; dark humor, and an overall angst-ridden sense of alienation.
How is Southern Gothic different from traditional Gothic literature?
Although inspired by Gothic literature, Southern Gothic does not dwell on suspense and the supernatural. Rather, there is a dark humor in the stories. It follows the idea of exposing the problems of society, but does so by developing complex characters.
What type of literature is A Rose for Emily?
“A Rose for Emily” is a perfect example of Southern Gothic literature, from Miss Emily's betrayal and murder of Homer, to the townsfolk being unwilling to do anything about her and fix the problem they are currently faced with.
What are 5 characteristics of Southern Gothic literature?
The following are the most significant characteristics or main elements of Southern Gothic literature.3.1 Freak and Grotesque Characters. ... 3.2 Dark Humor in Southern Gothic. ... 3.3 Transgressive Desires. ... 3.4 Settings in Southern Gothic. ... 3.5 Ghosts or Supernatural Figures. ... 3.6 Violence and Crime. ... 3.7 Destitution, Death and Decay.More items...•
What is Southern Gothic tropes?
The Southern Gothic is its own subgenre of Gothic Horror, characterized by bleak settings in the Deep South, flawed (and often disturbing) characters, and the darker side of the South including racism, sexism, and Barefoot Poverty.
What are some of the best known works of the Southern Gothic genre?
1. The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. Definitely one of the greatest Southern Gothic novels ever written, The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner is a must read. Though challenging, it is totally unforgettable.
What is the theme of A Rose for Emily?
“A Rose for Emily”, by William Faulkner, is representative of the Southern Gothic stories since the themes of love lost, death, and murder are present in it. There are many elements that hint at the Gothic nature of the story: Emily’s description, her house, the poison she bought, and finally the ending. Emily, the protagonist, used to be the perfect young and rich lady living with her father, but now she is an old woman living alone in her crumbling house. However, the inhabitants of the city she where she lives respect her. Throughout the story, the author describes her as being weird and lonely. “She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue. Her eyes, lost in the fatty ridges of her face, looked like two small pieces of coal pressed into a lump of dough.” She is described as a living death. This description creates suspense for the readers. Then, later on in the story, Emily denies her father’s death and refuses to let people come in her house to get the body. “She told them that her father was not dead. She did that for three days; just as they were about to resort to law and force, she broke down, and they buried her father quickly.” This attitude generates a frightening atmosphere for the readers and this kind of atmosphere is an important characteristic of Gothic stories. The gothic elements of the novel really highlighted Faulkner’s work in the gothic period and detailed how graphic of a nature these stories were becoming as time went on in the 19th century.
What period did Faulkner write in?
The gothic elements of the novel really highlighted Faulkner’s work in the gothic period and detailed how graphic of a nature these stories were becoming as time went on in the 19th century.
Is Emily's father dead?
She is described as a living death. This description creates suspense for the readers. Then, later on in the story, Emily denies her father’s death and refuses to let people come in her house to get the body. “She told them that her father was not dead.
What happens in a rose for Emily?
In “A Rose for Emily,” Emily experiences her father’s death. For a while, she doesn’t want to give up his body and does not accept the fact that he is deceased. She eventually decides to give the body up for burial.
Who is the author of a Rose for Emily?
This gives more of an outlook on what kind of person Manley is and how it revolves around Southern Gothic literature. William Faulkner is one of the most influential writers of Southern Grotesque of all time. He wrote a short story named, “A Rose for Emily” in 1929.
What does Emily decide about Homer and Emily?
Emily decides that the only true way of being able to have and control someone forever is if they are dead. Faulkner said in the story, “Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of ahead.
What are the characteristics of Southern Gothic literature?
Southern Gothic literature has many defining characteristics. One characteristic is the freakishness in the stories. A character is set into the story as the “freak” to show that their outlook on life is negative, therefore creating that Southern Gothic idea to the story. Another characteristic is violence.
What are some stories that show the Southern Gothic aspect?
There are stories including, “A Rose for Emily,” “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” and “Good Country People” that show the Southern Gothic aspect but in different ways. This type of literature can branch out in so many ways depending on where the author decides to take their stories. Southern Gothic literature has many defining characteristics.
How many times does the misfit shoot the grandmother?
This is when the Misfit breaks and he shoots the grandmother three times in the chest. The Misfit in this case is grotesque. He believes that people are not good enough to be in this world, therefore he doesn’t realize what he’s doing is not moral.
