“A Rose for Emily”: Emily Grierson Essay

Emily Grierson from William Faulkners A Rose for Emily couldnt accept death she salutary could not call up it when those around her, particularly her loved ones, passed away. Emilys denial of death has many causes and consequences. When her father died, it took three days and the intervention of the people of Jefferson for her to give up the personify because she refused to entrust he was dead. When the townspeople attempted to offer their condolences to Emily, as Faulkner says, she told them her father was not dead. After she murdered Homer to keep him near her, she didnt, in her intent accept his death and continued to have unnatural relations with his lifeless corpse. Even ten years after the death of Colonel Sartoris, she denied his death because she had no purpose 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 w ith her denial of death.When the table 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 laid eyes on colonel Sartoris. This was probably mostly caused by the ostracism of the townspeople. Being an outcast from society probably not only made it hard for Emily to keep track of time, but also probably took a toll on her sanity.The isolation wasnt the only impart factor toward Emilys failing mental health. Insanity also ran in her family. She had a great aunt, Old Lady Wyatt who is referred to by Faulkner as having finally gone(a) completely 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 transmittable insanity was probably the cause 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 precede her. She wanted to keep her Homer near her for constantly and he was planning on jilting her. She continued to have unnatural relations with his lifeless corpse, even great after his body had decayed because she didnt understand or couldnt accept that Homer was dead.Emily dies alone, in her house 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 perturbing the consequences of her refusal of death were numerous. Faulkner does an excellent job at linking society, death, and insanity in his macabre southern gothic tale of Emily Grierson, a woman who was not right in the head. Works 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.