Two main themes of the story are that people sometimes tend to resort to desperate measures to prevent being alone in life and to prevent being away from the one they truly love. The second main theme that I saw apparent in the story is that things, people and events are not always what they appear to be which is shown all throughout the story.
The most important and obvious symbol in the story that parallels to Emily’s aging would be the house in which she lives. The way in which the decaying house is described symbolizes Miss Emily’s physical and emotional decay, as well as her ‘mental problems’. Just as the house seems to reject progress and updating, so does Emily, until eventually they both become decaying symbols of their dying generation. The characteristics of the house symbolize Emily’s appearance as she becomes worn and tiered with neglect. “. . . coquettish decay above the cotton wagons and the gasoline pumps-an eyesore among eyesores” (79). The ways in which Emily physically changes is the ways in which her house begins to change and she along with her house, became an ‘eyesore’. Emily had once been a beautiful and desired young woman among men and now, later in life she has become “bloated like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of that pallid hue” (80). The same way in which the house is described as “smelling of dust and disuse,” proof of Emily’s aging is show when her voice is said to be “dry and cold” (80). Faulkner also uses the house as symbol for Emily’s change in social status. In its ‘prime time’ the house was “big,” and “squarish”. This description gives the reader the impression that the house was not only solid, but in a way larger than life and gothic in its nature. In comparison the members of the Grierson family were also considered to be strong and powerful, and even the townspeople regarded them as regal. When Emily was the last Grierson standing after her fathers death she came to symbolize her family and in a sense the South’s rich past. But like all things in this story the townspeople image of Emily along with her name soon decayed and diminished. At the time of Emily’s death, she is regarded as a “fallen monument”. Both her and her home were empty and lifeless, neither remotely even representing any of their former glory or greatness.
Emily’s hair is also used as symbolism in the story. Right after her fathers death Emily’s hair goes from a long to a short hairstyle. The change in style symbolizes the freedom that she obtained after her fathers death. The older she gets the more her hair color changes to a “iron-gray, like that of an active man” (83). The color symbolizes Emily’s stubbornness when it comes to newness and change.
Lastly the story represents the “Old South”. Emily’s stubborn attitude is a very southern attitude and heritage. She refused to believe that the times were changing and refused to change with them along with the rest of society. The southern heritage is also apparent through Emily’s strict and repetitive ways. She is considered a “monument” of Souther manners and an ideal of old and past values. The “Old South’s” generation was decaying quite fast by the everyday changing traditions as well as mannerisms. When Emily finally passes away at the end of the story that is also a metaphorical death of her and her house both becoming symbols of the dying generation that Emily was very much apart of.
Death is prevalent, both literally and figuratively, in “A rose for Emily”. Five actual deaths are discussed or mentioned in passing, and there are obvious references to death within the story. In the beginning of the story you get the narrator’s recollection of Emily’s funeral. The narrator also goes over her father’s death which leads to the aldermen attempting to collect taxes from Emily. The narrator’s description of Emily is that of a drowned woman as i stated earlier in the essay. “She looked bloated, like a body long submerged in motionless water, and of pallid hue.” When the narrator returns to the death of Emily’s father he tells that at first she denies him ever being death. She then goes on to keep his body for three days before she finally breaks down and allows her father to be buried. This particular scene foreshadows the discovery of the body that is made at the end of the story
Because Emily refuses to accept the changing times, she symbolizes a completely different era than in which the town she lived in. Faulkner uses very strong symbolism in a very strong manner throughout the story and it plays one of the biggest roles in the true meaning of the story. The organization of the story and the way it is told out of chronological order really resembles and symbolizes Emily’s life and what causes her to make her mistakes along the way. Faulkner is wanting his readers to learn that there are consequences that one has to accept in life. If you don’t accept those changes and be open and willing to them you will have to learn how to move on throughout life or expect to make many mistakes and have quite a few downfalls in your life. “ A Rose for Emily” was a story with such a dark undertone but the symbolism and figurative language really helps to pull out the important themes and life lessons I believe Faulkner was trying to evoke.
