Imagery in Faulkner’s Story “a Rose for Emily” - 997 Words

In order to understand William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† you need to know a little bit about the author. Most of his novels take place in the state of Mississippi with colorful history and richly varied population. The frequent theme in his novels is the abuse of black people by Southern whites. â€Å"A Rose for Emily† takes place in the late 1800s in Mississippi after the civil war. The main character is Emily, who comes from wealthy background, but at the time of the story her family has lost its fortune. Faulkner uses a great deal of visual imagery that can illuminate Emily’s life. The author suggests that her father is a dominant character who does not allow his daughter to behave a certain way that would compromise their good name, and†¦show more content†¦The door is broken and we find that there are a man’s clothes on the chair and that â€Å"the man himself lay in the bed.† (6) One can easily infer that the body is t hat of Homer Barron, and that he has been dead for many years. On the pillow next to him the townspeople find the â€Å"indentation of a head† (6), upon which is a long strand of gray hair. Faulkner suggests that Emily has been so lonely and insecure without a dominant figure, so she decides to keep Homer Barron for herself forever. The scene suggests a first night after a wedding, because Homer Barron’s new suit is found on the chair beside the bed. Emily is trying to keep this night everlasting, so she kills Homer probably because she was afraid that otherwise he would leave her. The title of a Faulkner’s story is â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, but we do not see any roses until the very end. There are just rose-colored curtains of the bridal room and it might suggest that Emily was protecting this room as you would a flower because a flower is very tender. Also, one might infer that meeting Homer makes Emily very happy as she has been given a bouquet of roses. Faulkner uses a great deal of images in this novel and very single one has a hidden meaning. The most significant one is dominant father figure that leads Emily to search for replacement when her father dies and the use of whip and a yellow glove. The other one is when Emily cuts her hair shortShow MoreRelated Symbolism and Theme in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily Essay examples1463 Words   |  6 PagesTheme in William Faulkners A Rose for Emily  Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Faulkners short story A Rose for Emily, a series of interconnected events collectively represent a single theme in the story. 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