answersLogoWhite

0

William Faulkners short story "A Rose For Emily" he had described Emily using five adjectives. These five adjectives were identified in Part IV of his story. "Thus she passed from generation to generation - dear, inescapable, impervious, tranquil, and perverse."(80) Alice Hall Petry makes note of Terry Hellers analysis that "only four" of the adjectives are used by the time we get to that statement and that each adjective coincides with each Part of the story in the order that they appear. Petry also makes note to a few that have pondered the reason for Faulkners placement of this passage in Part IV and sums it up to be Faulkners way of foreshadowing.

In Part I, Faulkner described Emily to be "dear." The word "dear" can have two meanings in this sense. Petry believes Faulkner had meant "dear" to mean "sweet or cherished" in her article. "On a tarnished easel before the fireplace stood a crayon portrait of Miss Emilys father." (Faulkner 76) Because the portrait was done in crayon, it is assumed that Miss Emily was a child when it was drawn; childhood is assumed to be a period in life where everything is sweet and innocent. The tarnished easel would then represent that the portrait was put there in front of the fireplace for some time, a portrait that her father had cherished. In retrospect, Heller had believed the word "dear" to mean "costly." (Petry 53) Heller sees this in Part I of the story when Emily refuses to pay her taxes. (Petry 53)

When the next generation, with its more modern ideas, became mayors

and aldermen, this arrangement created some little dissatisfaction. One

the first of the year they mailed her a tax notice. February came, and

there was no reply. They wrote her a formal letter, asking her to call the

sheriffs office at her convenience. A week later the mayor wrote her

himself, offering to call or send his car for her, and received in reply a

note on paper of an archaic shape, in a thin, flowing calligraphy in faded

ink, to the effect that she no longer went out at all. The tax notice was also enclosed, without comment.

Later in that same Part when the aldermen went to Miss Emilys home "Her voice was dry and cold. I have no taxes in Jefferson. Colonel Sartoris explained it to me. Perhaps one of you can gain access to the city records and satisfy yourselves."

In Part II, Faulkner described Emily to be "inescapable." Alice Hall Petry believes that Faulkner related this to the events leading to the decomposition of Homer Barons body and "the smell." "…just as she had vanquished their fathers thirty years before about the smell." (Faulkner 76) " Just as if a man - any man - could keep a kitchen properly, the ladies said; so they were not surprised when the smell developed." (Faulkner 76) To resolve the "inescapable" smell issue, some of the townspeople went to Miss Emilys home and put lime about her yard and in her cellar. (Faulkner 77)

The next adjective Faulkner uses in Part III to describe Miss Emily as "impervious" she is not affected by or influenced by anyone. "She carried her head high enough - even when we believed that she was fallen." Another example of Miss Emily being "impervious" is when:

The druggist looked down at her. She looked back at him, erect, her face

like a strained flag. "Why of course," the druggist said. "If that's what you

want. But the law requires you to tell what you are going to use it for." Miss Emily just stared at him, her head tilted back in order to look him eye for eye, until he looked away and went and got the arsenic and wrapped it up.

Petry stated in her article "Emily stonily refuses to concede to the law in regard to the purchase of poison…and on a more ironic note, her sexual penetration in Part III confirms her imperviousness." In fact, in Part III Faulkner comes right out and says how Emily is impervious. "It was as if she demanded more than ever the recognition of her dignity as the last Grierson; as if it had wanted that touch of earthiness to reaffirm her imperviousness."

In Part IV Faulkner suggests that Emily is tranquil. Petry refers to this as Emilys "post murder life."

User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

What happened to Homer Barron?

Homer Barron, a character in A Rose for Emily, dies and Emily keeps his body in her house. When the townsfolk enter the house after Emily's death, they see his corpse on a bed with a pillow next to it that has a strand of Emily's hair on in, indicating that she often laid next to his dead body.


When was See Emily Play created?

See Emily Play was created in 1967-05.


In fable 3 do you ever get to see elise?

If you execute her, no. If you executed the townspeople, yes.


How does the skill flashback apply to the stroy A Rose for Emily?

You see flashback in this story when it "goes back in time" or a flashback happens when the author writes about Emily and the tax collectors. Another example of flashback is when the author writes about Emily and Homer riding around town in the carriage together.


What is a synonym and antonym for dear?

A synonym for "dear" is precious. An antonym for "dear" is worthless. Please see the related link below.


What does Emily symbolize in the story A Rose for Emily?

It's ironic because the rose for Emily is symbolic of a marriage. You have to look at the small details to figure it out. Rose: absolutely means love. Marriage suit: rose colored curtains, rose colored lamp shade, ect. The author is trying to tell us that Emily looked at her marriage as a rose and I believe she killed Homer, got the servant to drag him upstairs, dressed him up, married him, and had sex with his dead body. She needed to have sex with him to complete the marriage. So now you can see all the small details adding up and the basically say a rose for Emily is a marriage for Emily.


In Wuthering Heights which people claim to see Catherine's ghost?

Heathclif, Lockwood and the townspeople who claim to see both Heathclif and Cathering's ghosts.


Do you run if you see a dear or stay?

Stay


Why does Faulkner use that narrator in A Rose for Emily?

Faulkner uses 3rd person limited in this story, and it's in the perspective of the town. The story is written in the perspective of the town simply because if the story was told in Emily's perspective it wouldn't be so mysterious- there wouldn't be anything to wonder about. "A Rose for Emily" is also told out of chronological order. The town is hiding something and they hide what they've done by telling the story out of order, because if it was in the right order we as the reader would have caught on as to what's happening. Emily was abused by her father, which is why she never went outside, her father beat her and the town didn't do anything about it. They let it go on. The reason why Emily killed Homer is because she accepts cruelty as love, so she doesn't see killing as an act of violence. In her mind, it just meant she loved him so much and she didn't want to let go of him. If the town had stopped the abuse when it began, Emily wouldn't have killed Homer. So, by telling it out of chronological order we don't catch that the real bad guy is the town. Faulkner also uses the perspective of the town to teach a lesson, that evil can't be destroyed unless we do it ourselves. In the end, we blame Emily for killing Homer so Faulkner is ultimately trying to tell us that it's all of our faults for letting evil go on and we need to stop it.


Where can you watch dear john in the Internet?

visit the link below there u can see Dear JOhn online for free.


How do the townspeople who see the red A in the sky interpret it?

The townspeople interpret the red A in the sky as a symbol of shame and punishment, associated with Hester Prynne's sin of adultery. It serves as a constant reminder of her transgression and is seen as a mark of her public humiliation.


Merveilleux de vous voir Rose?

Marvellous to see you Rose